It is a challenging time on dairy farms and building a culture where all staff members are prepared for calving will have payback to the success of any farm business.
Empowering staff to be motivated, switched-on and engaged in the whole farm business can help everyone’s lives onfarm, DairyNZ People Team developer Dan Schmidt says.
It’s important to have staff who are focused on all the factors farmers need to keep an eye on during calving.
When considering how to motivate and engage staff, start by thinking what motivates you, he says.
Hygiene factors, such as enough sleep, good food, exercise, good working conditions, pay, and job security all tie into a person’s motivation. Getting these things right can really help keep people motivated through calving.
For example, if somebody is worried about not being paid enough, they are going to be concentrating on their finances and their mind won’t be fully engaged with what’s happening on the farm.
“If they don’t feel they have enough to pay the bills, or if they are not getting enough sleep, all they can focus on is when can I get home to have a break,” Schmidt says.
Calving is an intensive period and it’s often the simple things that matter most, including communication, rest and nutrition.
“We know calving is a pretty difficult time, six to eight weeks flat-out.”
It’s important people get into a routine of going to bed early, having powernaps, and letting someone know if they are struggling.
“Sleep has an impact, not just on you but everyone around you. If you make a mistake or have an accident it affects everyone else,” he says.
There are two types of motivation – external motivation and inner motivation.
External motivation is using money as a driver, such as a performance bonus. People need to be careful about using money to incentivise staff, because it tends to only work for simple tasks, but most farm jobs are complicated, Schmidt says.
For example, picking up calves in a paddock is not a simple task because people can be faced with different challenges every day, from weather to terrain, to missing calves, or down-cows to treat.
Inner motivation is something money can’t buy, such as how much people enjoy the job they do.
How to inspire inner motivation in staff comes down to three components – autonomy, capability, and the social component.
Autonomy is about giving people control over their day or flexibility over some tasks onfarm.
“Give staff some control on how they structure or plan their day or let staff choose how they carry out a particular job,” he says.
You can’t give everyone the choice over the tasks they have to do, but if you give people parameters to work within that allows them to make some choices about how they do that job, they will still have a feeling of control.
“Everyone likes to feel they have some control over their day, having an aspect that’s theirs to be in charge of. It’s not necessarily the control, it’s the feeling of control.”
Capability is ensuring staff have the skills to do a job so they don’t feel they’ve been thrown in the deep end. Part of building a person’s capability is giving staff the opportunity to do all the jobs onfarm and working alongside them to train them and improve their skills, or send them to off-farm training courses.
The social component is about building relationships with staff so they are more engaged in the farm business. Saying good morning and taking time to have a coffee break with staff is part of building those relationships.
Connecting with people can help employers understand what drives people in their personal life, which can also be applied to their career goals.
Having weekly meetings or opportunities to give positive reinforcement to staff is also key.
“Make sure people have awareness that what they do fits into the wider scheme and it matters. If you’re working in isolation all the time it can be hard to understand that your work is appreciated.”
Get yourself and staff prepared for calving
• Stock up on nutritious food to last six weeks. Make extra food leading up to calving and freeze it.
• Eat healthy, balanced meals multiple times a day. Keep snacks in the shed or on the bike.
• Drink at least eight cups of water a day.
• Make sure getting eight hours sleep is a priority.
• Let your friends and family know you will be busy for six to eight weeks.
• Do a budget and automate any bill payments you can.
• Tell someone if you’re struggling – it’s a team effort.
• Communicate regularly and honestly.
• Remember you can control how you react to situations. Try to keep control of your emotions – getting angry will not help anyone.
