Motivation: why farmers do what they do

Dylan and Sheree Ditchfield's workshop is themed, 'Answering the why for your business: the key to sustaining team engagement and culture.'

It focuses on people as the integral part of the farming business, with the aim of creating a work culture onfarm that captures the staff's hearts as well as their minds.

He believes an engaged team is one working together with purpose. A team heading in the same direction develops resilient staff enabled to grow with a business. That in turn means staff are motivated, staff turnover is low, trust is high and farmers are more in control of productivity and profitability for a sustainable business long-term.

But to engage staff you need to make sure they share your long-term vision, and this requires understanding it clearly yourself, and sharing it with your spouse or partner. But pinning down the vision can be hard.

Ditchfield says making improvements requires that you start by questioning why you are here. 'Stepping outside the box' is a useful way of fine-tuning a business to make it stronger and more sustainable, he says.

"Look beyond the surface of the business to discover what really motivates you to do your best work every day.

"Understanding why you do what you do is a personal question for a business leader. The answer lies beyond making money or acquiring assets; it requires understanding the fundamental beliefs that lie at the heart of the business and the core purpose that gets you out of bed; it is about the legacy you leave.

"Your core purpose will remain part of who you are; it will apply to dairy farming or to any other business you are involved in."

Ditchfield has developed a process that helps farmers look at their business beyond cows and grass. He and fellow Southland business advisor Brendon Harrex will speak about their experiences of using the process to identify their bigger purpose and transform their businesses. Looking hard at motivation is crucial.

As Simon Sinek, Apple Computers, puts it, "People don't buy what you do; they buy why you do it." For example, people buy Apple computers not just because they are great products but because the company stands for challenging the status quo.