Two questions you need answers for

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Every farm is unique. And every change that is made on a farm has its own unique story.

But every farm, and every change that happens on it, is also the same.

There are patterns, similar journeys, common traps that people get stuck in when making change on the farm. I’ll highlight three.

The first goes something like this:

You started out with an idea, a plan, and the best of intentions. But change is hard. Some time after starting into that change, you realized it wasn’t going how you expected. You knew you would likely lose some production, or some money, or some time, but not this much! You decided it was better to cut your losses and quit. Been there, done that, bought the T-shirt!

There’s a second journey:

After setting off and suffering through things not working, your determination, grit, and sheer willpower saw you through to the other side. You managed to pull things together—kudos! Only problem is, once you got there, you realized you now had to keep holding it together, and holding it together proved to be too much. You relapsed and went back to the way things were before. Old habits die hard.

The third journey is less common, but perhaps you’ve managed it before:

You had a change to make, and you knew it was going to be hard, so you made sure you were well-prepared—not just you, but everyone on the farm! So when you started into it, sure, it was hard, but it was manageable. What’s more, you knew you needed a strategy to keep it going once you had made the transition. Once you had reached the other side, you were prepared to sustain the change. A true success!

Why are we doing this?

Seeing a decline in performance after starting into a change is very typical. In fact, it’s so common that change management professionals have given it a name:

The Valley of Despair.

What happens in the Valley is your doubts start to get the better of you. You begin questioning everything—especially yourself.

There’s one fateful question that gets asked right before decision to quit:

Why are we doing this?

If you’re the one leading change on the farm, hearing people on your team ask this question can make your blood boil.

“What do you mean, why? Isn’t it obvious!?”

Well, clearly not.

What the people on your team asking for is called your Case for Change. An unclear Case for Change is one of the most common threats to change initiatives in businesses of all types. A strong Case for Change answers three simple questions:

1. What’s happening now? A judgment-free observation of how your farm runs, what makes it tick.
2. What’s the problem? The pain points that you’d like dealt with.
3. What’s the cost? The value lost by doing nothing—quantitative and qualitative, facts and feelings.

Your Case for Change is the spur in your side; it’s what drives you to abandon the status quo and set out on making change.

But it’s not enough on its own to get you through the Valley of Despair.

What’s in it for me?

When people start questioning the change they’re involved in, they’re probably not looking for a kick in the pants. Beyond the Case for Change, people are looking for a positive vision of where they’re headed.

This is called your Vision for Change. It answers another important question that people ask in the bottom of the Valley:

What’s in it for me?

What will you/your team get out of this on the other side? Everyone needs a vivid, compelling picture of the future state that calls them forward. A compelling Vision for Change answers three parallel questions:

1. What’s happening in the future? An aspirational description of the new and improved normal.
2. What’s better about it? The ways that things have improved compared to the current state of your farm.
3. What’s the benefit? The value of having successfully made the change—quantitative and qualitative, facts and feelings.

Together, your Case for Change and Vision for Change form the bookends of your journey. Both are essential. Vision without a case won’t motivate, but a case without a vision won’t inspire.

So next time you hear someone ask, “Why are we doing this?” or “What’s in it for me?” you know what they’re looking for.

Navigating the chaos of change

Knowing where you’re starting and where you’re going is just the beginning.

That’s why I’ve been writing Farming Curious: The Key to Making Change and Future-Proofing the Farm.

It’s a practical, how-to handbook so you can successfully navigate your way through that Valley of Despair and make the change you’ve been stuck on.

If that’s what you’re looking for, I hope you’ll subscribe to my podcast and my newsletter. For more ideas from the book and updates on its release, CLICK HERE to get this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox.

If you know someone else who’s on the same journey, please share this with them! I hope it helps.

Stay curious.