The Little Things -- September 2016

Back in May I waxed lyrical about how I always strive to put a good team together, about filling the workplace with enthusiastic people who smile and make my life easier. Fine words indeed, but it’s not until the pressure really comes on that you find out whether or not you’ve actually succeeded.
Last month I was laid up for a few days with an injury, the timing was terrible as calving was just starting. My 2IC had booked that weekend off in the North Island well in advance and my calf rearer was away on a fishing trip and not due to start work until the following week.

What a scenario: 1060 cows to look after, over 30 calves a day to pick up, the farm manager is in hospital, the 2IC is away and there are only  3 staff members left to sort it all out
The first thing that happened was Paul, my 2IC, offered to cancel his trip. No big deal he said, that’s just farming. Of course I assured him I’d be back at work the next day once I’d been stitched up and he should take his scheduled break, but in the end I was out for four days and it was a lot longer until I was operating at full capacity.

So how did they cope? They all stepped up.  Alison, a very confident young lass, took over the springer checks and feed allocation. Kishor, a hard working Nepalese man, did what Kishor always does: he kept working until all the jobs were done and then went looking for more with a smile on his face.  Carlos, the Argentinean chef turned dairy farmer who was rostered off that weekend, gave up his days off and joined in the fun.
My neighbours Todd and Alex brought their kids around and fed the calves twice a day, and looked genuinely horrified when I suggested they send an invoice for their time.

Everything was running smoothly when I got back and I mentally congratulated myself for pulling together such an awesome crew, but I noticed that one team member wasn’t his normal enthusiastic self. He seemed off and I constantly had to ask him to improve.
Finally I pulled Carlos aside and asked if there was a problem, maybe something I could help with.
“Craig,” he said, “Can I be honest with you? I’m feeling very sad.”
I feared the worst ¬– a death back in Argentina or a sick family member.
“While you were in hospital I came in to work on my days off, and I was very happy to do this, but you have never even said thank you to me.”
I was mortified; all I could do was apologise and thank Carlos for letting me know what was troubling him.

I do all the usual things to keep people’s spirits up: I buy dinner and beer during calving, I thank them at the end of the day and I make sure they get plenty of time off to recharge their batteries. My 2IC bakes a cake every week and leaves it in the shed for all to enjoy. Staff members are valuable assets, as my team proved, and it takes no effort at all to recognise that and thank them for it, but not recognising their hard work can be detrimental to them, your relationship and ultimately your business.

You don’t have to make grand gestures to your staff, you just have to be genuinely appreciative and let them know you’re thankful when they go the extra mile. I forgot and I feel terrible about it, so here’s a test to see if Carlos reads my articles: come and see me, I’ve got something for you by way of apology.