Efficiently managing a dairy's assets, such as cows, feedstuffs, equipment, farmland, facilities and machinery, is critical to surviving in today's economic conditions. Managing the people assets, however, may be the most important job a dairy owner or manager performs.

Employees use all of these other assets to help produce a profit; how effectively they do so may be the difference between success and failure. What are the key factors in employee management that allow a dairy to excel and profit?

That was the question we posed to José Campos, manager of two Visalia, California dairies: Rob Van Grouw Dairy and Elbow Creek Dairy.

Employee motivation and training  
José says he tries to make daily contact with all of his workers while they are on the job, not just at the office. Managing from behind a computer doesn't work, and he has gained the respect of his employees by being out on the dairy with them. His goal is to set an example with everything that he does and make sure employees know how valuable they are to the dairy. They know that José knows how to do the jobs that they are doing and they can rely on him to answer questions or help streamline the work.

José first makes sure each employee has a good understanding of the job (from the employee handbook and the job description). He then spends time over several days demonstrating key areas of the job (for example, cow preparation in the parlor) so the employee knows the correct routine and what is expected of him or her.

Meetings
In addition to individual training, José conducts monthly meetings with employees to discuss areas where they want to improve, performance goals, production, and herd health issues.

Right person for the job
At both dairies, José feels that the cows are easy to manage. People, however, are the key to managing the cows, and he stresses the importance of having a good crew. Finding the right person for a particular job is essential. Not everyone can be a feeder, a milker or a breeder. When he took over as the manager, he and the dairy owner had a wish list of things they wanted to accomplish. The first year was a bit stressful for José because it took time to make some of the adjustments that would lead to better performance and profitability. He points out that you must not be afraid to change people when necessary. He also looks within the employee ranks for certain talents that fit particular jobs and makes changes accordingly.

Efficiently managing a dairy's assets, such as cows, feedstuffs, equipment, farmland, facilities and machinery, is critical to surviving in today's economic conditions. Managing the people assets, however, may be the most important job a dairy owner or manager performs. Employees use all of these other assets to help produce a profit; how effectively they do so may be the difference between success and failure. What are the key factors in employee management that allow a dairy to excel and profit? That was the question we posed to José Campos, manager of two Visalia, California dairies: Rob Van Grouw Dairy and Elbow Creek Dairy.

Recognition and reward
The question is often asked, "What incentive or reward can I offer to employees to improve?" It may be based on lower somatic cell count, lower feed shrink or more cows through the parlor in a shift. The problem we run into is that there are numerous things outside of the employees' control that may affect the outcome positively or negatively. The incentive can become a de-motivator or something that is expected all the time. José says that employee recognition is No. 1 for him in helping motivate, not cash or some other incentive. He makes sure that he tells his employees when they are doing a good job. He also works hard to project a positive attitude, even when he is not having a good day. The attitude of the owner or manager can easily affect employee morale, and he knows that he can lead better when he has a good attitude. In his case, the owner projects a good attitude and it easily filters down through the manager to the employees.

Freedom to manage
One thing that becomes very clear in talking with José was that he has a lot of freedom to run the dairies like they are his own. José says that the owner has a high level of trust in him. He knows that José will think and act like the owner when he is away. José literally and figuratively has the keys to the business and the latitude to make the decisions necessary to make these dairies better. In José's words, "The owner has let him open his wings and fly." Being able to do what needs to be done and focus on employee management, José has been able to reach or exceed many of the goals that were on the wish list, including putting together an exceptional employee team. That means success in areas that contribute directly to the bottom line – milk production, somatic cell count, herd health, reproduction and satisfied employees.  EL

Contributed by John Miller, M.S., Regional Sales Manager, Diamond V. Reprinted with permission from Diamond V's Nutrition Line e-newsletter. Click here to subscribe to the newsletter.