Thursday, March 28, 2024

Working out different personalities

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Farmers attending the DairyNZ Ashburton employers’ workshop in mid-February learnt about different personality types and how to use this information to motivate employees and achieve farm goals.
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The New Zealand dairy industry is faced with the challenges of a staff shortage and having a 50% higher turnover than other industries. Farm profitability is linked to people management so the industry can step up as a group to identify the part it can play in making dairying in NZ a long term, enjoyable career to consider. Farmers at the workshop made the following comments as to why they believed farm staff turnover was so high.

“The hours we require our staff to work in some parts of the season are quite long.”

“You have to remember farm employees generally have no ‘skin in the game’, like us, so you have to try really hard to motivate and encourage them in other ways.

“We have found that too often we are forced into hiring someone through desperation and we overlook the fact they are not right for our business – short-term gain for long-term pain.”

At the workshop half of the farmers strongly expressed one of the four possible personality types during a session presented by facilitator Dana Carver, a developer and coach in the people team at DairyNZ. She explained that as a leader and manager they needed to work on having a balance of personalities or at least be aware that not everyone thinks the same and that everyone’s values differ.

Identifying what an employee’s primary personality type is, and more importantly what they value in their role, is best done by asking them: What is most important to you in your work environment?

• Results and achievements.
• Good relationships with others in the team.
• Enjoyable and flexible environment.
• Clear systems and knowing what is expected of you.

One of these is not more correct than another – each personality has both opportunities and challenges for any dairying-related role. The key is having better understanding of different employees’ personalities and tailoring your management style to suit.

DairyNZ’s employers’ workshops are coming up again in April and July. For more information visit www.dairynz.co.nz/events or contact your local consulting officer.

Juliette Lee is DairyNZ’s consulting officer, central Canterbury.

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