When we attended NGFA’s 2023 Country Elevator Conference, we asked participants to tell us about their HR pain points, as well as the trends and themes they were tracking. Since succession planning came up time and again as both a theme and a pain point, we’re dedicating three blogs to this important topic.
For context, we heard that many ag businesses have long-term employees in key roles who are no longer able or willing to perform at the level needed for the business to thrive. It’s a common complaint and a tricky situation for leaders who want to grow the business yet also want to recognize and honor the employee’s hard work and dedication over the years.
Here are three strategies to help you tackle this challenge.
Watch your word(s)
During countless conversations on this topic, the word we heard repeated time and again was “but.” As in, “Our employee isn’t meeting our standards BUT we want to honor their decades-long contributions to the company.” The first thing you need to do is change your language. The word “but” creates an either/or scenario in which you, as a leader, can EITHER have a successful individual in this key role OR recognize and honor this individual.
This is a false and limiting paradigm. Try consciously replacing “but” with “and.” You’ll realize you can both make necessary changes in the business AND recognize and honor this person. By shifting the language, you change the paradigm—and change your perspective.
Put yourself in their shoes
As a leader, you sometimes have to make hard decisions about other people’s futures. It can feel a lot easier to ignore, avoid, or work around the problem. But before you opt for inaction over action, put yourself in your employee’s shoes and imagine knowing …
- Your leader felt you were under-performing but didn’t tell you
- Your leader was letting you “coast” into retirement, even though it was negatively impacting the business
- Your leaders were figuring out how to “work around you” or shift responsibilities to other people until you retired
Good intentions aside, all these scenarios create a big feeling of yuck, right?
Now, imagine if …
- You and your leader discussed the future of the business together
- You and your leader had open conversations about your performance and how you could best support the business
- You and your leader spoke honestly about how you could work together to meet both business goals and your personal goals
This type of conversation feels a lot better, doesn’t it? So, be honest with your employee about the future of the business. Be honest about how their contributions help (or hinder) the company’s progress. And be honest about how much you value their hard work and dedication. When you do this, you make it possible to collaboratively balance the needs and goals of the employee with the needs and goals of the business.
(These ten key phrases might help you start and navigate this important conversation.)
Be clear about your intent
One of our favorite quotes is, “People don’t question your words; they question your intent” (Joseph Grenny, Crucial Conversations).
In conversations where you feel your message may be misinterpreted, it’s important to be clear on your intent. A great way to provide clarity is to use contrasting statements. Contrasting statements are two sentences. First, say what your intent is. Then, say what your intent is NOT.
If you’re speaking frankly with a long-term yet under-performing employee, your contrasting statements may sound like this:
“My intent is to talk about the future of the business. My intent is NOT to minimize all the work you do and have done.”
(Read more about the importance of making your intent crystal clear, and discover the often-overlooked power of the words, “I expect.”)
Is it easy to have this type of candid conversation? No. But frankness can be kind. Thoughtful. Respectful. And if it allows you to honor and recognize both your employee and your business, it’s definitely the right way to go.
Next month: Our second post about succession planning will focus on how to structure and recruit (or develop) others for the roles as leaders retire.