The Kinds of People You Don't Want Working for You

Many of you face the challenge of hiring and keeping the right employees on your farm. You look for loyal, hard-working people who know something about farming which allows them to jump right in. Sometimes you're so strapped for help that anyone with a pulse will do. That often turns out to be the hiring decision you regret long-term. 

I read an article a few weeks ago that will give you a different perspective on this. The title was something like "Three Kinds of People You Need to Get Rid Of." First on the list were victims. Victims are people who are unable to accept personal responsibility for their actions. So every problem or mistake that involves them is someone else's fault.  We can all get caught up in victim thinking. But these people make a habit of this and it's a dynamic that can cause a lot of problems on the farm or in any workplace.  Personal responsibility is a big deal in our company. We've had the whole staff read a book called QBQ by John G. Miller. It explores this concept, and I highly recommend it.  Victims cannot lead. They drain the life out of you as you try to manage them because you will be the one having to take on and solve all of their problems.

The second type of person you don't want to pay is the know-it-all. Ever have a know-it-all work for you? Boy is that annoying! What I've found in life is the more a person learns the more they recognize how much more they have to learn! Know-it-alls never see their need to grow. They do not get better because they know they are already at the pinnacle.

The third type of person to get off your payroll is the nonbeliever. If you have an employee that doesn't believe in the farm that you're building, how can they truly be committed? How can they really help?

It is hard to get rid of people. I have struggled with this in my own business, especially after I have invested a lot of time and training into someone. Think about other people that you have working for you who are the right people. The wrong people get into the mix and tend to make work less fun for everyone. This can cost you big time because then you risk losing your good people. So take a long look at your team and get rid of the victims, the know-it-alls and the nonbelievers. When you finish – bask in the relief you now feel.