ADAPTED FROM THE:

Adapted from The “Systems” Approach to

Dairy Process Management

The HR Diva Corp.780 239 6495

To earn commitment,producers mustoffer a workplace witheffective performancefeedback and opportunitiesfor participation.

3 Dimensions to Commitment:Which one would you rather have?

• Commitment is a feeling of emotional attachment

• “I work here because the people are great and it is fun.”

affective

• Commitment is a feeling of obligation

• “I work here because they hired me when I needed a job so I owe it to them.”

normative

• Continuance commitment is a feeling that the costs of leaving are too high or it is too much trouble to go somewhere else

• “I’d leave if I knew I could get another job that paid as much.”

continuance

How do you compare?

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Human Resource

Management Practices

SOP’s

Selection

TrainingBenefits

Communication

Performance tests 17%

22 hours on farm. 5 hours off farm

50% housing40%health insurance40% farm vehicles25% food or meals25% retirement plan

Staff meetings 68%Bulletin Board 66%26% - other – one to one verbalOccasionally written notes with paycheque

All Dairy, 30%-50% pork?

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES

Work Process n Percent

Milking 94 73.4

Calf care 70 54.7

Fresh cow care 67 52.3

Feeding 50 39.1

Reproduction 36 28.1

Barn maintenance 23 18.0

Other 18 13.7

Use of Written Standard Operating Procedures by Work Process (n = 128)

Job descriptions

39%Incentive pay or profit sharing – 30%

Performance review – at least

once a year

OTHER HRM PRACTICES

3 Dimensions to Commitment:

affec

tive

• Commitment is a feeling of emotional attachment

• “I work here because the people are great and it is fun.”

norm

ativ e• Commitment is a

feeling of obligation

• “I work here because they hired me when I needed a job so I owe it to them.”

cont

inua nc

e• Continuance commitment is a feeling that the costs of leaving are too high or it is too much trouble to go somewhere else

• “I’d leave if I knew I could get another job that paid as much.”

affec

tive

•Level of off-farm training•Adequacy of initial training•Adequacy of continuing training

•Satisfaction with training•Informal feedback was provided

•Satisfaction with feedback•Satisfaction with performance reviews

•Employee participation norm

ativ e•Adequacy of initial training

•Adequacy of continuing training

•Satisfaction with training•Informal feedback was provided

•Satisfaction with feedback•Satisfaction with performance reviews

•Employee participation cont

inua nc

e•No human resource management practices were correlated to continuance commitment.

Best Predictors of Commitment

Employee Participatio

n

Satisfaction with

feedback

Satisfaction with

Performance Review

Why am I committed?The owners make me feel important, and they make an effort to care about me.

They also help me in any way they can and value my input and opinions.

WHY AM I COMMITTED

“I love working with calves and cows and other employees.”

WHY AM I COMMITTED?“I am treated with respect and made to feel like an important part of the farm picture. The owners make every attempt to do what they can for me and in return I try to do the same for them.”

Communications Are Key

Producers who want to increase commitment among employees should ensure that employees receive feedback about their performance.

No

• Providing no feedback to a person’s good efforts is extinction

• No feedback indicates that an action is unimportant or unnecessary

• Always provide positive feedback to support and encourage correct behavior

Is

Types of Feedback

Formal •Typically accomplished during a regular review period and consist of a closed door meeting between an employee and his/her manager

Informal •Varies in time and duration and is frequently casual and relates to timely topic

Business •The communication of business or unit performance: e.g. yield

How do I gather information for Individual Feedback

• Performance check– Check results of work after an assigned job is

completed (i.e. Are stalls cleaned and bedded properly?)

• Observation – Observe while completing work

• Real time information plotting

Examples of Individual Feedback Teat end cleanliness Total feed mixing time Free stall cleanliness Bulk tank weights? Status of calf bedding Reflective behavioral interview (+or-) of

decision making while following complex SOPs like calf delivery

How do I gather information for Group Feedback

Simple plotting and trend lines Control charts Group problem solving meetings to

address performance challenges Group recognition to build teamwork

and recognize successes

Examples of Group Feedback Milk quality measures Bulk tank weights (Could be individual

feedback in some cases) Pregnancy rate Maintenance of equipment and barns

Group WorkFormal Informal Business

Individual

Group

Relevant

Specific

Credible

Linked to a source of help

GROUP WORK: Performance feedback case example

What is the problem

behaviour. Be specific.? How does it

look to you?

How does it look to them – what

are responses that you have heard ?

How would you focus on

the facts?

Describe a criticism that you have received

in the past. How would you deal with

that?

Provide examples of steps to

address the problem

What should the outcome be?

What is a suitable time frame?

REFLECTIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVIEW1. Describe for me your role in the

incident? (good or bad)2. Tell me in detail about how you made

your decisions?3. What were the outcomes?4. What would you have done differently

if you could go back and change it?5. What have you done since?

To earn commitment,producers must

offer a workplace witheffective performance

feedback and opportunitiesfor participation.

The Test of Communication

I know how we

are doing

I know what to expect

I know what’s

going on

I know how I am

doing

780 239 6495

themgtmentor@gmail.com

www.themgtmentor.biz

www.roiinstitutecanada.com

Karen Gingras

ROI Institute Canada Associate

HAPPY ANIMALS

RESOURCES

http://www.das.psu.edu/dairy-alliance/pdf/people-in-ag-motivation-resources.pdf

http://www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca/Default.aspx?DN=f690722c-74cf-44c5-9380-e5237f2d6c20 (agriculture employer’s handbook)

http://www.das.psu.edu/dairy-alliance/

http://www1.extension.umn.edu/dairy/employees/

http://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7labor/001.htmhttp://www.pork.org/Resources/984/EmployeeCareToolkitVideo.aspx