Be the Diamond

I remember a John Anderson song from years ago called “I’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal” with the refrain “but I’m gonna be a diamond someday.” That’s a great vision metaphor for all our lives…to be a diamond someday. But it takes years for a diamond to develop; along the way, diamonds have to endure lots of pressure, heat and stress. Fortunately for those in the ag industry and for most callings in life, those ingredients are readily available, which means there truly is potential in all of us to become a “diamond.”

Are you striving to become a “diamond”? Achieving excellence is never easy and becoming a trusted professional your clients, co-workers, family and friends respect takes time. As a recruiter, almost daily we hear where agriculture is losing valuable “diamonds” to retirement. Professionals with decades of experience formed over the past half century plus close out their careers and head to retirement.

For our industry to thrive, the next generation of “diamonds” must continue to develop.  However, the process cannot be forced, nor can steps be skipped.  Those “diamonds” nearing retirement must do everything possible to help maximize the next generation’s development.  Intentional mentoring, patience, and learning to “let go” are key, as next generation peers need to learn while there is still someone there to help them navigate new skills and responsibilities.

On the surface, every generation thinks, operates and responds a little differently.  But at the core of essentially every human being in every generation is a heart that desires to belong, to be loved, to experience growth, and to be appreciated.  Seasoned veterans, are you impacting the younger people in your organization (and life) in a positive way?  Are you taking time to explain things and to share mistakes you’ve made and how you have overcome them?  Younger professionals, are you asking questions, listening to the voice of experience being shared, and valuing the input and wisdom of the “diamonds” in your company who can teach you so much?

One cannot google and find the experience our senior level industry veterans carry in their heads, and Siri can’t answer the toughest internal business questions.  But we do have a choice, and an opportunity, to become a “diamond”.  In this newsletter, the article “Be the Diamond” offers insight that will help you become a “diamond” in the difficult times of life and learn how to encourage the development of new “diamonds” around you.

July 1, 2002 was my first day on the job as a Recruiter for AGRI-SEARCH. Prior to that, I was on-the-air as a radio Farm Broadcaster for nearly 20 years. When not on the air, I was on the farm helping my Grandfather and Uncle. Joining AGRI-SEARCH shifted my focus from reporting on the events and news that impacted our industry, to finding the people who will impact our industry.

On my first day, I was given a sheet of open searches. Nearly all of them were in the agronomy retail and seed industries. While I knew of these industries from the producer perspective, I had no idea of what took place inside the fences of an agronomy retail plant or seed production facility. My reporter intuition gave me the perspective to ask the right questions and to learn how these industries functioned and the types of people it took for a company to be successful. I also learned the importance of being involved in the industry trade associations. These associations have proved to be such an invaluable resource for learning and networking.

Flash forward to July 1, 2020 and nearly 380 placements later. I have learned a great deal of this ever-changing industry, and I am continuing to learn. Both agronomy retail and seed are excellent industries to be a part of. Yes, there are long hours, but none hold the close relationship to being on the farm as do agronomy retail and seed. Demand for quality people is high. We have excellent growth opportunities open right now. Nearly all agronomy and seed companies are seeking people to show up on time and put in the hours to serve the farmer. Our candidates and companies play a key role in feeding people around the world, and I consider it an honor to play a part in this process.

“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.” – John Maxwell

There are times in life, both personally and professionally, where circumstances can change at such a rapid speed that our opinions, perspectives, and course of action can change by the day, if not by the hour. When faced with such circumstances, there are generally three groups of people:

Those who take reflective but action-oriented responses to do whatever can be done to mitigate the challenges and seize opportunities
Those who simply panic and overload themselves and others with reactions that may be reasonable but tend to only exacerbate the challenges
Those who are simply bystanders; the proverbial “deer in the headlights”

As leaders, we have an obligation to do all we can to put ourselves in the first group. When there is so much we cannot control, we can control being the loudest voice in the room.

How can we capitalize on chaos and emerge stronger, both as a leader and as an organization?

At AGRI-SEARCH, our mission states that we “are committed to serving the agricultural industry with integrity, passion and excellence by assisting our candidates to reach their career goals and helping our client companies build successful teams.”

If you are competitive; have a strong sales mentality and don’t mind being told no; love connecting with and helping people; have a strong agricultural industry background in agronomy, grain, banking, equipment, or other areas and would enjoy the challenges of a recruiting career, contact Dave Allen. We would enjoy having a discussion with you.