Business Buzz: Coaching benefits extend beyond sports

Formal coaching, on the other hand, is relatively new. There are a few providers that have offered a form of coaching for farming, but not in big numbers.

Formal coaching has placed a much larger emphasis on personal growth and looking after oneself. I think it's commonly accepted that if someone is aware of their own inner feelings and can get into a good headspace, they will invariably be more effective within the business.

I've written about self-belief a few times in the past. It keeps weaving its way back into the narrative, because it's crucial for long-term development and success.

There are some farming coaching programs that start with mindset before they launch into production improvements and optimising financial performance. In my view, this is the correct order to tackle things.

A farmer mate of mine also moonlights as a triathlon competitor. He sent me a link to his athletic club's information in respect to mindset and how that relates to athletic performance.

One quote from the article is a cracker, "Buddhists don't describe the weather as hot or cold, it's just the weather". Viewing weather through this prism takes some of the stress out of it.

As we all know, agriculture is highly climate-dependent, but there's not much point worrying about things you can't control. All you can do is mitigate weather events as best you can.

Related reading: Mind your business - Young farmers need mentors

Other issues raised in the article focus on how some people can put setbacks behind them, while others seem to be defined by them. That's a bit superficial, of course. Unless you can put yourself in someone else's shoes, you'll never really know what they are going through. Being kind and a good listener is a really good place to start.

I have seen some agribusinesses soar to extraordinary heights through the years. While there are many reasons for this, one that comes up constantly is the access to good ongoing advice and coaching.

I think the terminology has changed through the years, with coaching historically being associated with sport.

It can now relate to any field of endeavour, including personal coaching, and it's not uncommon today for people to say they have a life coach. There seems to have been a shift in how farmers source their advice and what sort of counsel they seek, including the one-on-one option. In some ways, this has always happened, such as when asking for someone else's help or opinion.

The really top-end agribusinesses I know have added this high performance ethos into their thinking.

This is following the well-worn path that elite athletes have taken with the use of sports psychology. Both groups are looking for an edge to get the most out of their business and to achieve their goals.

For the agribusinesses I am exposed to, the comprehensive approach seems to be working a treat.

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