This article topic also appears in Progressive Dairyman. This article has been written specifically for dairy employees. The article in Progressive Dairyman is written for dairy owners and herdsmen. El Lechero recommends dairy teams read the articles and then discuss how to apply these principles on their own dairies.

Working together, being a team

by Dr. Lisa Holden

A quote from a popular book about teams says, “Wearing the same shirts doesn’t make you a team.” If you think about your favorite sports team and their successes, they didn’t win because they all wore green or blue or red shirts. Your favorite sports team wins because those players all work together, help each other each step of the way and are dedicated to winning as a team. Now think about the “team” on your dairy. Are you just a group who wears the same shirts, or do you truly work together as a team? Where do you fit on this team? What can you do to help the dairy team be successful?

To be a good member of a successful team, it is important to know what “winning” is. Is it getting the most milk per cow? Is it keeping cows healthy, productive and in the herd? Is it making the most profit for the dairy? Knowing what goal your team is working toward is important not only for the success of the team, but your success as well. All dairy team members have a responsibility to ask questions to make certain what the goal is, to know what is expected of them, and to work each day towards that goal. Stop and think about your dairy team today. What goal is most important?

Once you understand the goal, how will you best work towards achieving that goal? Many of today’s sports players have natural talents and abilities, but the most successful spend hours, days, and even years to build their skills to be the best competitor – for themselves and their teams. As a member of a team on a dairy, you need to learn new skills and build those skills to best contribute to the team. Look for opportunities to not just do the job, but learn more about the job that you have been asked to do – whether that job is milking cows, operating equipment, or mixing feed. Having a better understanding of biology, animal health and well-being, mechanics and dairy economics can help you to expand your knowledge and skills. Reviewing written procedures and asking questions makes you a more valuable team member. One of the best ways to strengthen your own skills in a job is by helping and teaching others on your dairy team. Learn from other workers whose skills are better than yours, and teach those workers who are newer or still learning.

Everyone on the team must understand the goal and develop skills to achieve that goal but without a real commitment for working together, the team is little more than a bunch of people in the same shirts. Encourage others on your dairy team. Recognize other workers who are doing a good job – praise doesn’t just have to come from the boss. Make sure that you are doing your best work and challenge others to do the same. Speak openly about the work that is being done and ways that the team might work together even better. Look at the progress that is made at the dairy and help your team to see their important role in that progress. Commitment to a team isn’t just about “showing up” but about working together and achieving more than each person could on his or her own.

As you think about your role on the dairy team, ask yourself these three things:

1. What is the goal for my dairy team?

2. What can I do to help reach that goal?

3. How can I help teammates to reach that goal?

As you finish reading this article and head out to work on your dairy team, don’t just look at the colors of the shirts around you. Look at the people, your team, and the great work that you can accomplish by working together and winning together. Go Team! EL