Managers: sometimes, it’s hard to be soft

Our education is dominated by learning hard skills, yet it’s the soft skills that make for great managers. How well-balanced are you?

Measure profits first, walk later

How the struggling can thrive and the successful can boost profits even further.

Understanding our differences

Without a shared vision, success is impossible. We simply have to achieve it, despite the special difficulties we face in Africa.

‘Ja, but…’ is just not good enough

A host of excellent organisations are on hand to help farmers institute ethical practices. Yet sometimes standards are truly abysmal.

Lose the swagger!

The truth is, whether you’re a politician or CEO, there is only one route to true leadership, the kind that makes a real and lasting contribution to the lives of...

Ignore it, and pay the price

If you don’t yet have a vision statement for your organisation on paper and if you haven’t agreed upon the ethics which apply to your business, do it soon. And...

Integrity – a very precious possession

Integrity is a delicate jewel. It takes years to build, and only a few seconds to destroy.

Management lessons from Madiba

What gave Mandela such great influence? What unique lessons can he teach us about management?

No budget, no future

Follow these steps and benefit from the power a professional budget process brings to a business.

The power of numbers

Its impossible to plan properly without using numbers. But make sure you get them right!

Have you got what it takes to be great?

There are many good managers out there, but few really great ones. Here are the traits you’ll need to reach this exalted status.

Need help? Get a business coach

The level of management skills in our farming community is generally low. The average farmer can change this by getting himself a good business coach.

Make 2014 your year!

Great business managers don’t simply do what comes instinctively. They think deeply about the impact of their behaviour and actions on the people around them – and train themselves accordingly.

Money does not motivate

Amazingly, paying someone a ‘little extra’ to build loyalty and motivation may have the opposite effect – so beware.

As a farmer, you cannot go it alone

If your industry organisation is not delivering value, get to the heart of the problem, and fix the leadership and management. As a farmer, it’s part of your job.

Obeying the law of the land

Regardless of your farming method, take the ‘law of the land’, add some modernity, and you’ll farm forever.

Measure the success of your business

To measure the performance of your business, you need a target. Get yourself one by benchmarking against the best in the business.

Business teams must have objectives

Imagine musicians in an orchestra trying to make music without music sheets! But we expect members of a business team to perform without any clear written objectives. It makes no...

The balanced scorecard system

Improve your bottom line by developing clear objectives for managers and employees, and monitoring how these are achieved.

Improving poor performance

A good management system will improve performance and motivation. But in order to achieve this, focus on the result, and never on the person.

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Managing for Profit