Cyndi's Two Cents
And have fun
Commentary.
I’m penning this column as I get ready to board an airplane for Dallas, Texas where I will join other employees of Learfield Communication for a 40th anniversary celebration. Learfield is the parent company of Learfield Sports, which is headquartered in the Lone Star State, and of Brownfield Ag News, where I have spent the past 15 years of my career.
Clyde Lear, who founded Learfield Communications, always believed the greatest strength of the company was its employees. He treated us like family, encouraging and motivating us through teamwork and servant leadership.
I believe we all have to stop giving lip service to teamwork and ask ourselves, “What can I contribute?” Each of us must take responsibility and be accountable for what we do, whether I am speaking about the audio product and written works we produce, or making a contribution and making a difference in any area of our working or our personal lives.
My husband reminds me that some people live to work while others work to live. I cannot and do not expect everyone on my team to have the same level of commitment to Brownfield that I have. However, if you recognize that your work is not up to snuff and you are not trying to improve upon it, my assumption is that you either don’t care or are too darned lazy to fix it.
Several years ago, I was embroiled in a “situation” with an employee. I went to the Chief Operating Officer of the company and asked his advice on how to handle it. It was simple, concise, and most of all, it was effective. He said, “Don’t over think this.”
The bottom line is that most of us know the right thing to do. Achieving personal best is simply doing the right thing. So often we take ourselves too seriously, procrastinate, think like a victim or blame someone or something else. If you’ve done the right thing that is all that you can do. It is my job to make sure that everyone on my team knows what it is that is the right thing to do.
Several years ago, prior to my coming to work for Brownfield, then-company President Clyde Lear explains, a group of managers locked themselves in a conference room for two days to come up with a mission statement. “Every company had a mission statement, so we thought we should have one, too,” said Clyde.
They came up with a mission statement, alright. Nothing was left out. They printed copies to proudly display that lengthy mission statement in every Learfield Communications Office. Clyde said, “Nobody read it. It was long and boring.”
Months later, three or four Learfield employees were enjoying a social hour, discussing the company and why it “works.” They wrote nine words on a cocktail napkin. Those nine words became our mission statement:
Build the Team
Grow the Company
And Have Fun!
That is a mission statement you cannot over think!
Cindy, I did not see that my comment was posted so I am resending. Thanks and hope you have a good trip!
Karen Hudson
Illinois
Comment from K Hudson…….
May 3, 2013
Dear Cyndi,
Symposia like the one you described in your column last week are occurring everywhere and more are planned! Farm Bureau and other like minded organizations are ingraining their perception of agriculture with Ag in the Classroom Series and more. The industry is now “talking to moms” and giving tours of select farms. There is a battery of expensive PR attempts to erase the dirtied image of intensive livestock production and more. Years ago when the Museum of Science and Industry introduced their “farm exhibit” we visited and there was no indication of animals growing in confinements. There was a sow with her litter on straw in a very large pen, no photos of confinement barns or waste handling facilities and techniques, which come with the territory of “modern production livestock agriculture”. It is a shame that the thousands and thousands of children who visit the exhibit do not have a balanced sense of what changes have really occurred behind closed doors in livestock production agriculture. There are so many pro industry Land Grant University professors and researchers funded by corporations interacting with our children and future farmers that our “children” are christened with a pro-industry slanted view from grade school right on through college. However, symposia like the one you attended with Dr. John Ikerd as a keynote is the public’s way of tipping the balance the other direction- away from a “me first” attitude of livestock corporations who bully their way into rural communities and diminish public health, property values and more. I am not talking about people who “move from the city” who don’t understand agriculture.” I am talking about farm families who live on century-farms who are forced to live next to intensive animal confinements and are prisoners on their own property because they just cannot pack up and move their farm. You seem to repeat the same dialogue each week with a very defensive attitude that many feel adds to the public relations problems of agriculture today. Food safety issues, public health, water, air, neighbor relations and yes, good animal husbandry practices – all need to be considered when discussing this issue in a rational manner. I communicate with people across the Unites States on many aspects of this issue and many have polluted wells, properties, broken friendships, and health problems after intensive animal confinements locate near their homes. We have collected so much “sound science” on the negative impacts that the public doesn’t even hear the industry ask for it anymore! Others I talk to have other problems, like contract producers with issues, and even professors and/or researchers who are threatened if their AG research does not follow a certain agenda. Everyone needs to keep the dialogue with one another-in a respectful, not intimidating manner. There is always strife before real change can occur. I am a meat eater and I believe that the worst day an animal should have should be it’s last and Cyndi, there are many many more out there with the same philosophy! I don’t have all the answers, but current production models are causing more problems than the industry will admit. Change for the better is on our horizon. I have faith in our farmers and want meat production in America to continue in a way that is socially responsible for us and for our future generations. I thank you for allowing people to share thoughts and ideas in response to your writings.
Sincerely,
Karen Hudson P.S. I also live and work on a 5th generation farm in Illin