Planting is Complete. What’s Your Top Priority Now?
As the monitors stopped beeping, the seed ran out, and the planter was folded up to head home, I already had a list in mind of what needed to be done next:
- Clean up all field information and export from the 20/20 monitor.
- Power wash the equipment and order the wear items and fix broken pieces.
- Get all fields marked, edges sprayed, and ditches mowed.
- Pull the duals off for side-dressing.
- Mow the lawn that had been neglected for the last week.
The list goes on and on!
We took the evening to celebrate a birthday and the finish of planting for 2022, but I found it interesting my mind was already on to the next thing.
Working with farm operations as a consultant has consistently exposed me to how the best producers have a forward-thinking thought process and outlook. This includes marketing plans, field plans, agronomic outlook and equipment maintenance and improvement planning.
What’s the alternative?
Well, flying by the seat of your pants is another way to operate! It works for many farms, too. The crop gets in, things get fixed when needed, and machinery and equipment are maintained.
Neither is right or wrong, but there are a few observations of the types of operations that are proactive. They tend to excel in:
- Quality of Life
- Workplace environment
- Job satisfaction
- Adaptability
- Efficiency
Operators who are always keeping the next season, plan or operation in mind tend to have more family time and work-life balance than those who don’t. It can be a two-edged sword if you try to do too much before it’s necessary, but generally speaking it helps farms and ag businesses plan what needs done and manage changes when they happen.
Having a plan also reduces stress in operations that do plan. Stress at work causes short tempers, poor communication and failure to adapt for new hires. A better workplace environment in timing and communication falls right in line with job satisfaction. Have you ever wondered how some farm operations retain employees for 20 to 30 years? It’s not just a paycheck.
Most farms and businesses are flexible by the nature of weather, primarily.
What happens when you pair weather, adverse conditions, supply issues and challenging work environments due to unforeseen problems? Adaptability is more than just being flexible — it is changing the whole plan to make it work and work well.
Maybe you normally run through all of the planters and tractors after planting season, but with the weather this year side-dress and spraying won’t allow you to do that. How do you shift your schedule and completely adapt to the new environment to accomplish the task? Operations that make a plan have an easier time with informed and quality changes of that plan when it’s necessary.
Finally, the efficiency is an absolute standout in operations laser-focused on what’s coming next down the road. A key component in this is prioritization. What must get done to ensure our mission-critical tasks are accomplished?
Let’s focus on those, and then fill in the gaps. With my continued involvement in the military, I coach my new soldiers on a few key concepts, and prioritization is one of them. I stress ‘If everything is important, nothing is important.’ If you’re not good at prioritizing the tasks that need to be accomplished in your business, even if you’ve been the main person making those decisions for a long time, find the right person for that role and let them do what they do best!
I ask you, then — what’s next? What do you need to prioritize for a great work environment, efficient operation and a smooth next step in the growing season? For many it might be finalizing family vacation plans and some time away! Mental health and quality of life should always be a key priority. Maybe it’s ordering parts for harvest operations to get ready for off-season maintenance. Perhaps you still have grain to haul and bin repairs to do?
Whatever it is, enjoy the ride, and I hope you look forward to what’s next!
To hear more from the Ag View Solutions team, listen to their podcast: The Ag View Pitch
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