Stepping back allows others to move forward 

I’ve been on the road for the last three weeks attending meetings and conferences, as well as chasing hockey! While it was incredibly valuable for me to attend in person, it also meant I had to say no to some other invites and opportunities that came across my desk. 

I’m getting better at delegating tasks related to farm operations. However, I’m also learning that, as a leader, it’s okay to delegate speaking opportunities, industry conferences and vendor meetings to others on our team. This doesn’t mean that these events aren’t important; rather, it’s a realization that you can’t be everywhere at once.

I can be much more effective by spending my time on big-picture decisions, vision setting, and strategic initiatives rather than attending every meeting or event personally.

My business partner and CFO Evan Shout loves public speaking and has really stepped into that role with gusto and enthusiasm. He’s now our lead speaker on farm management issues (BRM, benchmarking and HR) and most recently seized an opportunity to speak publicly on another topic he’s passionate about – autism advocacy. Weaving the lessons of being an entrepreneur and the parent of autistic children together into one presentation is pretty compelling. Read more about it here.

So, when I received an invite to a large chemical conference in a tropical location, I encouraged our COO Jeff Warkentin to attend instead. This made a ton of sense as Jeff is more involved in the day-to-day operations on the farm and has more intel on how we’re using the products, application rates, efficacy, etc.  Sometimes, it’s hard to admit it, but I’m not making many of the operational decisions on the farm anymore. Sending Jeff was the right call.

Delegating some of these opportunities to other members of the team is beneficial for a number of reasons:

• Empowerment – it allows team members to grow, represent the company, and build vital relationships with other producers, customers, and suppliers. 
• Learning/education opportunities – the conference agenda and speakers are only half of it.  The conversations and networking are where the magic happens. There aren’t a ton of these opportunities working on a farm in rural Saskatchewan.
• The company can cover more ground and seize more opportunities without overextending the leader
• Fresh perspectives – I know that Jeff will come home from this meeting having talked to a very different group of people than I would have. He’ll have new and practical ideas that we can implement in our day-to-day operations
• Reward – it’s always great when you can turn a business trip into a personal trip by taking a few vacation days or bookending it with weekends. I strongly encourage my team to do this and make the most of any opportunity to escape a Saskatchewan winter. We work hard enough during seeding and harvest.
• Avoid burnout – it’s really important for all of us to guard our schedules carefully. It’s easy to get caught up in saying yes to everything but sometimes you need to say no. It is crucial for leaders to schedule “thinking time” rather than jumping from meeting to meeting.
• Every time I improve my delegation, the rest of the team has to do the same.  To watch my executive team, as well as the managers below, take on the responsibility with pride and thrive in the changed role has really been one of the things I enjoy watching take place.  I have learned that empowering people and watching them succeed drives more of my passion than doing it myself.

When I tell these companies that someone else will attend, I get a mixed response. Some are fine with it, while others really try to change my mind.

Their reaction tells me a lot about who I want to do business with. It might mean they lack flexibility or don’t trust my decision. It could also mean it’s more about the optics rather than true engagement. Either way, I sure hope Jeff has a great time in Mexico. Hope he has a cerveza for me!