Focus on What We Can Control
When the US Air Force Thunderbirds perform a formation roll maneuver the slot pilot is surrounded on all sides in close formation by other aircraft. He maintains his position by intense focus on a point of the aircraft next to him. He can’t be distracted by watching the aircraft behind him. The pilot focuses only […]
Read MoreFall is Planning Time
As fall work wraps up for most in cow country, now is the time to start planning for next year. Here are a few essential pieces of that plan: Gross Margin projections and analysis of key enterprises Overhead projection and analysis Profit target setting and how profit will be used Grazing plan for next year […]
Read MoreThe Power of a Plan
We are currently in a time of financial stress in agriculture. The past few months, as we have been conducting our Ranching for Profit Schools all over the U.S. the stress has been palpable from many of the operations that are attending. The hands-on afterhours work sessions we facilitate at the school have been busy. […]
Read MoreIrresistible Change
I reviewed articles in Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Fast Company on resistance to change. The articles laid out the 12 reasons, the 10 factors and the 5 keys to resistance. The more I read, the more convinced I am that they have it ALL wrong! I encounter my fair share of people who are […]
Read MoreTwo Mornings A Week
Several weeks ago I included a WOTB quiz in a ProfitTips column in which readers could score the extent to which they work ON their businesses. Click here to read that column. The column was picked up by some other publications and wound up generating conversations on several other popular blogs. Most of the people making comments said that […]
Read MoreThe WOTB Test
Most people blame things beyond our control like the weather, government regulation, low commodity prices and increasing costs for their failure to make a healthy profit. These are the things most often discussed at producer meetings and in the coffee shop. These are also things we can do little about. Making them the scapegoats for […]
Read MoreTop 10 Challenges In Ranching
In the last ProfitTips I asked you to share the challenges you face in ranching and share you did. Here is your list of the top 10 challenges facing your ranch: #10: We have a victim attitude We will never succeed if all we do is blame others for our failures. Self-proclaimed victims abdicate […]
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