The Big “Why”
by: Sidnee Hill
Is there anyone wiser than a toddler? I’m convinced all of our biggest problems could be solved by connecting more with these little geniuses. One of my favorite toddlerisms is the infamous “why” stage: where these fun-sized humans barrage everything (and everyone) with the question, “why?”. “Why is the sky blue?” “Why do you shake everyone’s hand? Fist bumps are better.” “Why are zippers not on the back of our pants?”
While this is also a cute (though exhausting) toddler tendency, seriously asking yourself “why” in a successive series is a strategy known to improve decision making and self realization. It is better known as the “5 why” method where you consecutively ask yourself why 5 times to uncover what really is the core motivation or focus. The BIG WHY.
So, the question now begs to be answered: what is your BIG WHY? And WHY does it matter? Lets take a deep dive into the benefit knowing your BIG WHY makes in leadership, purchasing agriculture property, and farm management.
Leadership
Long gone are the days of the authoritative boss who doles out marching orders and expects unquestioning obedience. Forbes, HBR, and Chief Executive all agree, now is the era of Robert K Greenleaf’s “Servant Leader” or as a twist to that, the “Player / Coach” leader as we experience at Scythe & Spade. While this subject deserves a whole post to itself; for now it is sufficient enough to know that servant leadership is focused on building, recognizing, and serving those around us. Servant leadership squarely confronts the would-be leader with their BIGGEST why:
Why do you want to lead?
Why do you want to the responsibility that comes with making the decisions and call the shots? If we are being honest with ourselves and ever find that our BIG WHY revolves around personal reward, acclaim, or ambition then now is not the time for you to lead others. Instead, practice leading yourself for a while. Are you successfully leading your own physical, mental and spiritual health/growth? Chances are there are many ways we can all lead ourselves a little better. What better proving ground could we hope to find? Then we can start to lead up, down and sideways with confidence.
Purchasing Agriculture Property
Today the motivations behind purchasing an agricultural property are wide and nuanced. While growing equity and steady positive returns remain core positive core reasons, we also have a gamut of emotional and social motivations. Some of us seek conservation wins, others believe in the potential of regeneration. Most of the time it is a complex combination of these reasons and more! Regardless, having a solid understanding of your BIG WHY can be a crucial guide for determining what to pursue and what not to, where you seek your next property, and what level of return and risk you find acceptable. As your financial analyst, it can even drive the scenarios and models that I run and how I relate that information back to help you make the best, and most informed, decision possible.
Farm Business Management
Farm business is unique in that it is the only industry I have found, aside from food and beverage service, that a [BM1] passion for the way of life is a main motivating factor. The actual act of farming, ranching, and land stewardship is so much a BIG WHY, that we self-identify as being a “farmer” or “rancher”. This drive is so prevalent and well-studied in rural America that it even has an official psychological name: the Agrarian Imperative[1]. This imperative has serious implications in how we approach everything from economic research to suicide prevention. It stands to reason, then, that it should also be taken into some consideration as we approach farm business management.
How so? To start with: a passionate producer does not always make an ideal tenant. I call it the difference between the cowboy and the cattleman. A cowboy always looks good on top of the horse and should have no problem getting that calf to market, but can he market that calf in a way that earns a $0.25 premium? Can they not only enter the transactions into QuickBooks, but also understand the data enough to make strategic decisions? As our agricultural markets become more volatile it will be key characteristics such as these that will determine success. Unfortunately, being good at farming is no longer good enough. You have to also be really, really good at strategy, risk management, economics and finance... business.
Also, understanding the agrarian imperative helps foster empathy and understanding in communication. As a landowner or property manager you may have to reconcile your BIG WHY with that of your tenants. Too often we assume that everyone holds the same end goals or priorities as our own, only to have this misalignment of ideals come to a head later over missing improvements or unexpected end results. Take the time to have each partly clearly outline the expectations and end goals they each have of a lease agreement: the BIG WHYs. Write them down in the contract if you can. It is a simple practice I have recommended to many clients. It usually takes much less time than you think but rewards huge dividends down the road.
Scythe and Spade
One of the things that I love the most about Scythe and Spade is that our purpose (our BIG WHY) has and will never change. In the words of our CEO Brett MacNeil, “We are not content to just exist.” We are here to always challenge the status quo. There is always something that can and should be better, if only 1% better. By finding it we can not only continue to provide exceptional value, but we can better keep our promises to our clients, our teams, our families, and ourselves.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20407984/