Don Austin posted on Tue, 14 Oct:
<sniped>
>I only believe in change efforts which are motivated from within. So, I
>would ask the participants from the start to explore and specify their
>motivations and what measurements they were interested in, whether
>subjective or objective or both.
>Now, having heard these and possible discussed them, it's up to me to
>consider how I can or cannot engage with the changees on their terms. Will
>I expect them to see change as they are looking for it? If so, we're off
>and running. If not, then maybe I should back out, or consider changing my
>approach to better suit the situation.
>>Maybe they would surprise you, in your situation, if you were to proceed
>this way (maybe you already have?). Maybe they would actually show some
>interest in more subtle or longer term change? I only said maybe .....
Don, I appreciate the thoughts and feel I need to explain the situation in
more detail.
Most of the participants in our workshops are motivated to find "ways" to
increase the profitability and/or productivity of their business. For some
farmers, this may mean learning a process that may help them organize the
management tools they already utilize. For others, it means trying to take
a giant step from looking at themselves as laborers to seeing themselves as
managers and realizing the responsibilities that go with that.
We are dealing with people who have a rich history of hard work being the
primary criterion for success. For some to think about taking time away
from the technical and tactical applications of the business is difficult.
As one farmer, who now regularly takes time in his day to go in the house
to do management tasks, told me, "I started to get (my business) better the
day I quit worrying whether my neighbors saw me working around the farm."
It is easy as management educators to look at what we have to offer and say
"see how much easier it will be to meet the mission of your business if you
do ------". It becomes far more difficult when you have to get them to not
only understand why their business should have a written mission, but that
they need to address the values that cause them to do what they do everyday.
Your approach has merit, but I'm not sure how many farmers would commit to
the time needed to employ it. We have attempted to reach as many farm
participants as possible with a common message; to date over 3500.
Then again, maybe we are trying to accomplish too much with too many and
need to step back and try to work with fewer people on a more finite level.
Clint Young
R. Clinton Young -
cyoung@cce.cornell.edu
Ext. Spec./PR0-DAIRY
110 Morrison Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853 "In life, change is inevitable. In business,
change is vital."
Warren Bennis
Tel. 607-255-4802
Fax 607-255-1335