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If I were forced to either forget everything I learned in college, OR forget everything I learned on the farm as a child, I wouldn’t think twice. Early lessons on the farm were far more valuable.
Things that seemed like common sense as a kid now seem profound. Here’s a simple example.
Planting and Harvest.
When I was young, my favorite time of year on our farm was harvest season. I loved riding on the combine with dad. The combine is a massive, powerful machine. Corn fields are harvested six, eight, even twelve rows at a time. The stalks are cut, the cob is removed from the stalk, the corn is stripped from the cob. Trucks and trailers are quickly filled to the brim with corn.
Part of my joy in harvest season was gazing through the large glass window and watching the combine work its magic. But the part I loved most was the mood of my dad and the whole family. It was the well-deserved payoff after months of hard work.
As I look back, I realize that planting season felt different. Farm families invest a fortune on seed, spray, fuel and labor. When dad would first plant a field, the field still looked empty. There was very little to show for his work. But something was happening under the surface. We would pray for the right combination of rain, dry conditions, and then more rain. We wanted occasional rains in the summer, followed by heat. We wanted cool nights in the fall. If everything went perfectly, the return on investment was huge. But I remember years when we had too much rain. Other years we had none at all.
Farming is risky. I know these risks were always on dad’s mind when he planted in the spring. But, can you imagine the satisfaction when it worked?
You make the investment, you do the hard work, you wait, and you get results. This is where the joy of farming comes from.
Planting Season in a Small Business.
Organizations that stand the test of time have leaders who recognize the importance of “planting” before “harvesting.” Here are four guidelines for establishing profitable planting seasons in your organization:
Whether you want to start a business from scratch, or squeeze another 10% out of a large company, leaders must schedule time for planting. The work won’t get the results you need today. But many of these seeds will bring exponential returns later.
You make the investment, you do the hard work, you wait, and you get results. This is where the joy of being an entrepreneur comes from.
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