I just reviewed the latest milk price forecast. As an ever-optimistic person, it’s hard to conclude that there is just not much for good news in the dairy industry out there. Milk prices have been adjusted downward again for the short run, meaning grinding through another few months of tight cash flow. Combine that with any number of other frustrations – increased regulation, foiled expansion plans, family conflict, etc. At least grain prices seem to be holding steady at relatively low levels, (as we hold our breath waiting to see what the weather brings this cropping season).
Instead of writing another article about strategies for periods of low milk prices, I’m going off on a tangent to ask you about your P-PC balance. No, this has nothing to do with “political correctness” but for those who have read Dr. Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, you may recognize this term.
The seven habits Dr. Covey describes in his book contribute to effectiveness. Effectiveness lies in the balance of Production of desired results and the Production Capacity to achieve those desired results. In the book, he illustrates this balance through Aesop’s fable of the golden goose. Surely you remember it: A farmer, going through tough times, finds out that one of his geese lays golden eggs. Each morning the goose has a golden egg waiting for him. The farmer sells the eggs and gets rich but it turns out, that’s not enough for him. One day he decides to kill the goose so he can get all the golden eggs out at once. Once he killed the goose though, he opened it up and found nothing. Effectively, he destroyed his production capacity.
As dairy producers, we are well aware of the P-PC balance when it comes to our cows. Our desired result is quality milk production. We know that if we try to overcrowd or push the cows too much, it can backfire on us in terms of stress, herd health, reproductive issues, etc. This in turn impedes our ability to obtain the quality milk we desire. Thus finding the balance or “sweet spot” for making milk from healthy cows as efficiently as possible is a perennial goal.
The same principal can be applied to owners/managers. What are your own personal or professional desired results? Do you have the capacity to reach them? Are you burnt out, downtrodden or just plain tired? What will it take to refresh or restore that diminished capacity? Those things we do for ourselves tend to get shuffled aside especially during the busiest of times; but it’s those times that we need to be most effective. For some it might be easily found throughout the day – a morning cup of coffee, a short visit with a son/child/grandchild, a cat nap in a quiet corner. It may be taking a bigger break to exercise, go out to dinner with a spouse or significant other, maybe even taking the long way home from town.
However you find it, whatever works for you, it’s important.
I saw a quote the other day that brought a sheepish smile to my face, “Dairy Economists all agree: The milk price will go up…sometime.” It will!
