Continuing on last month’s theme from Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, this column will explore the second and third habits as they pertain to highly effective pig producers.
The first habit was, “Be proactive.” Covey’s second habit is, “Begin with the end in mind.” It is a habit of personal [and professional] leadership that requires the discipline of defined missions, goals and roles.
Covey suggests that all things are created twice: first mentally, then physically. We use blueprints to build pig barns. We use schematics to project pig flows. The actions that we take are physical manifestations of our mental creations. Simply taking time to plan out sow movements can spare the need to move some twice.
Just as being proactive permits us to choose our responses to circumstances according to our values, we can define our values beginning with the end in mind. Additionally, beginning with the end in mind requires “re-scripting.” It is easy to get into routines, especially with work. Our responses to challenges and circumstances become seemingly automatic: If this, then that. If conception rates decline, check semen and breeding technique. If an employee quits, hire another. But what if employee turnover stems from a mismatch of employee and employer values and expectations? Would a change in hiring approach influence employee success?
Often automated responses can serve us well, but sometimes they can be a trap that prevents us from clearly observing and constructively contributing to the circumstance. Consider a disease outbreak in a nursery or finisher. The automatic response may be to apply intensive treatment. Beginning with the end in mind, that is, knowing your objective (i.e. to raise healthy pigs in a healthy environment), will require you to consider your balance of treatment and preventative measures for the herd and site.
Another important component of beginning with the end in mind involves a statement of mission or purpose. Whether for an individual or an organization, an effective mission statement provides direction by specifying values and principles.
The following are the stated core values of a Minnesota dairy: committed to providing a culture of opportunity for passionate people and innovative ideas: integrity, candor, keep it simple, spirit of humility, and strong work ethic.
By putting their values into writing, the farm’s stakeholders (employees, owners, customers, and neighbors) have a clear sense of its purpose. However, missions can change and develop over time. For example, as opportunities arise, herds may shift from producing weaned pigs to finished hogs.
Covey’s third habit is, “Put first things first.” It is essential for the effective management of time and resources.
According to Covey, we can categorize all of our responsibilities and activities in a 2x2 matrix. On the horizontal axis, we have two columns: “Urgent” and “Not Urgent.” On the vertical axis, we have two rows: “Important” and “Not Important.”
Activities that are both urgent and important can be likened to fighting fires. They are a form of crisis management and tend to address problems only from the surface. Activities that are both urgent and not important tend to be lowly productive. Urgent activities generate reactive responses.
Activities that are both not urgent and not important tend to be “feel good” activities but have little impact on the bigger picture. Alternatively, activities that are both not urgent and important tend to generate proactive results. Highly effective people and pig producers are able to spend most of their energy on these activities. To be effective, people and organizations need to be able to concentrate their time on activities that are not urgent and important.
Consider again the disease example. When a herd is experiencing a disease outbreak, energies and resources are focused on issues that are both urgent and important – for the near term. If these activities can be delegated to appropriate people within the organization, then leadership can focus their energy on proactive, long-term health management that is highly important, but not urgent.
Covey describes the first three habits as those of personal (and organizational) effectiveness. They allow individuals and organizations to move from states of dependence – on the events and circumstances around them – to states of independence with the ability to influence events and circumstances.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Stephanie Rutten-Ramos is an independent consultant. To visit with her, send her an e-mail at: rutt0011@umn.edu
This commentary is for informational purposes only. The opinions and comments expressed herein represent the opinions of the author--they do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Farms.com. This commentary is not intended to provide individual advice to anyone. Farms.com will not be liable for any errors or omissions in the information, or for any damages or losses in any way related to this commentary.