I really like this definition of management: the organization and coordination of resources and activities to achieve a defined outcome.
But how do you do it?
You plan. You monitor. And you control. If necessary, you make a new plan.
If I’m want to go to buy groceries, I make a plan for how to get there: I’m going to head down East Washington to Baldwin and turn left, then turn right on Willy Street.
Then I get in the car and start driving. When I’m in the car, I monitor things at all different levels - I check the tires before I get in, and glance at the fuel gauge when I turn it on. I watch the speedometer. I check my mirrors every seven seconds. And as a I drive down East Washington, I watch for the landmarks that tell me I’m getting close to Baldwin. I also pay attention to where the car is actually going - I’m almost always a little bit off to the left or to the right, and I make constant little corrections to stay on track.
If I stop paying attention to keeping the car on track - if I decide to send a text, or to check my email - suddenly a few seconds can go by and I’m waaaay off track, with potentially disastrous consequences. Constant monitoring and small corrections keep me on the road; when I stop monitoring and correcting, I’ve stopped managing, and suddenly things can careen crazily out of control.
(I went cold turkey on texting and emailing while driving over 18 months ago, and I’m still going strong. Nothing’s that urgent.)
I want to monitor the right things at the right intervals. I don’t need to check the fuel gauge as I drive down the road, and I don’t need to check the oil every time I get in the car (at least, not in this car. I’ve had cars where it was prudent to do so).
If something happens that’s very much not to plan - I miss my turn on Baldwin Street, or I run over a nail - I go back to square one and replan. This might mean that I need to turn someplace else (if I missed my turn), or that groceries are off the list of things to do today entirely (if I run over a nail).
Here are some monitoring schedules you might think about applying to your farm business (these are by no means meant to be exhaustive. Sorry.):
Crops
Daily - Do the transplants need water? Do freshly seeded or freshly transplanted crops need water?
Weekly - What needs to be done on the farm? Scout for pests. Scout for weeds and weeding opportunities. What’s ready to harvest this coming week? In two weeks? What needs to be seeded or transplanted according to the plan? Did the transplants or seeds do what I expected them to do?
Yearly - How did the crops do? Did we perform according to plan? What went right, what went wrong? Do we need to plant more, or less, or earlier, or later?
Finances
Weekly - Are there bills to pay? Do I have money in my bank account? What’s my credit card balance?
Monthly - Are there any outstanding receivables? Does the bank think I have as much money as I think I have? How is my financial plan working out?
Quarterly - What do I owe the government?
Yearly - What do I owe the government now? How have my assets, liabilities, and equity changed in the last year? Did I make progress last year?
People
Daily - How is the work going? Are staff meeting standards? Is heat or cold an issue to be addressed?
Weekly - How are my people doing? Are staff meeting standards? Are there people on the crew who shouldn’t be? Do we need extra help? What’s coming up for family events?
Monthly - Do people know how they’re doing? What adjustments do we need to make? Am I spending enough time with my crew, my kids, my partner?
Yearly - Do I need more staff or less staff? Do we need to change the staff structure?
Yourself
Daily - Am I hydrated? Am I eating well? Am I giving attention to the things that need attention?
Weekly - What am I trying to accomplish right now? What do I need to do next? Am I getting enough sleep? How’s my healthy? Is my allergy season coming up? Would a visit to the chiropractor now prevent a bigger problem soon?
Yearly - Am I doing what I want to be doing? Am I heading in the right direction?
But how do you do it?
You plan. You monitor. And you control. If necessary, you make a new plan.
If I’m want to go to buy groceries, I make a plan for how to get there: I’m going to head down East Washington to Baldwin and turn left, then turn right on Willy Street.
Then I get in the car and start driving. When I’m in the car, I monitor things at all different levels - I check the tires before I get in, and glance at the fuel gauge when I turn it on. I watch the speedometer. I check my mirrors every seven seconds. And as a I drive down East Washington, I watch for the landmarks that tell me I’m getting close to Baldwin. I also pay attention to where the car is actually going - I’m almost always a little bit off to the left or to the right, and I make constant little corrections to stay on track.
If I stop paying attention to keeping the car on track - if I decide to send a text, or to check my email - suddenly a few seconds can go by and I’m waaaay off track, with potentially disastrous consequences. Constant monitoring and small corrections keep me on the road; when I stop monitoring and correcting, I’ve stopped managing, and suddenly things can careen crazily out of control.
(I went cold turkey on texting and emailing while driving over 18 months ago, and I’m still going strong. Nothing’s that urgent.)
I want to monitor the right things at the right intervals. I don’t need to check the fuel gauge as I drive down the road, and I don’t need to check the oil every time I get in the car (at least, not in this car. I’ve had cars where it was prudent to do so).
If something happens that’s very much not to plan - I miss my turn on Baldwin Street, or I run over a nail - I go back to square one and replan. This might mean that I need to turn someplace else (if I missed my turn), or that groceries are off the list of things to do today entirely (if I run over a nail).
Here are some monitoring schedules you might think about applying to your farm business (these are by no means meant to be exhaustive. Sorry.):
Crops
Daily - Do the transplants need water? Do freshly seeded or freshly transplanted crops need water?
Weekly - What needs to be done on the farm? Scout for pests. Scout for weeds and weeding opportunities. What’s ready to harvest this coming week? In two weeks? What needs to be seeded or transplanted according to the plan? Did the transplants or seeds do what I expected them to do?
Yearly - How did the crops do? Did we perform according to plan? What went right, what went wrong? Do we need to plant more, or less, or earlier, or later?
Finances
Weekly - Are there bills to pay? Do I have money in my bank account? What’s my credit card balance?
Monthly - Are there any outstanding receivables? Does the bank think I have as much money as I think I have? How is my financial plan working out?
Quarterly - What do I owe the government?
Yearly - What do I owe the government now? How have my assets, liabilities, and equity changed in the last year? Did I make progress last year?
People
Daily - How is the work going? Are staff meeting standards? Is heat or cold an issue to be addressed?
Weekly - How are my people doing? Are staff meeting standards? Are there people on the crew who shouldn’t be? Do we need extra help? What’s coming up for family events?
Monthly - Do people know how they’re doing? What adjustments do we need to make? Am I spending enough time with my crew, my kids, my partner?
Yearly - Do I need more staff or less staff? Do we need to change the staff structure?
Yourself
Daily - Am I hydrated? Am I eating well? Am I giving attention to the things that need attention?
Weekly - What am I trying to accomplish right now? What do I need to do next? Am I getting enough sleep? How’s my healthy? Is my allergy season coming up? Would a visit to the chiropractor now prevent a bigger problem soon?
Yearly - Am I doing what I want to be doing? Am I heading in the right direction?
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