Working with people who have different personality styles than your own can be like understanding a different language.

Finding ways to bring people together

Put a plan in place for both your family and non-family teams

As we continue in yet another year of the pandemic, it seems that there are even more instances of topics and situations that continue to divide us. Looking for new ways to navigate through the coming months with respect and creativity is important. Those of us in agriculture represent two per cent of the population. […] Read more

It’s not always true that resistance stems from a lack of desire to change or a lack of motivation.

Change management

Succession of the family business to the next generation is a major change

“Times they are a-changing. Of course times always change but in this period of rapid technological advancement and information accessibility, the change occurs even more quickly and on a larger scale. Change is a part of everyday life. To be successful and progressive we must welcome that change. It no longer works to do things […] Read more


Managing your time

Managing your time

Time is precious. Are you using it wisely?

Years ago at a conference, I participated in a world time clock exercise. Significant global events were mapped out on a straight line and participants stood on each of the spots and popped balloons in keeping with the occurrence of the major events. It was clear that much had happened in the last couple of […] Read more

Your strategic plan should be inclusive and have as much involvement as possible.

Now is the time for strategic planning

Gather your ideas and then prioritize what is needed in the near-term

The year 2021 will be marked for a few things. Of course, it is year two of the COVID-19 pandemic. For many of us in Western Canada, it will also go down as a drought year, and how the pattern is going to continue is as yet unknown. What else is 2021 going to be […] Read more


We are all part of a team, whether it be our work team, family, sports or community group.

Communication and team-building

Communication is a major component of building teams

Years ago, I heard a comment that the most underutilized resource in agriculture is people. The statement still rings true for me today and I believe our people are an area of huge potential. For most of us, in one way or another, we are all part of a team, whether it be our work […] Read more

Building resilience

Building resilience

Do you have the tools to recover from or adjust to adversity?

Maybe you’re thinking, “Well, at least it is not as bad as ’02.” Or perhaps, “This is even worse than ’02.” The situations vary in their severity but everyone in Western Canada is experiencing some degree of drought. And nobody in this business wants to think back to what happened after the drought of ’02. […] Read more


The upcoming generation is filled with talent, intelligence, creativity, enthusiasm, passion and a different way of thinking. We need to make sure we are not getting in their way, but helping guide the ship.

Rethinking what we know

“If knowledge is power, knowing what we don’t know is wisdom.”

There is a quote attributed to Albert Einstein that goes something like this: “You cannot solve a problem with the same level of consciousness that created it.” This seems to make a lot of sense, but how does one go about moving to a different level of thinking? The speed of change seems to be […] Read more