Planning For the Future … the Difficult Conversations

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Annabel Candy (FCG WhiteAvon)

Last month’s FCG training day was on the topic of succession planning, run by Heather Wildman, director of Saviour Associates.  We delved deep into conversations that are crucial for families and directors to have when looking to plan the future of their farming businesses.

When looking at this from a consultant’s side of the table, it can be very challenging and sometimes feels as if we are stepping over the boundary of comfort within our meetings.

The future, especially succession, can be an emotive and sensitive subject to broach for many reasons.

  1. It can involve thinking about deaths within businesses and families, and how we carry on when this occurs.
  2. It can involve taking into account the thoughts, feelings and aspirations of all individuals within the business.
  3. It can involve conflict within families and businesses.

Working closely with friends and business partners can be highly challenging but working with family … that is a whole other entity.  Every family is different, which inevitably means every farming business will have to run in slightly different ways in order to avoid arguments that harm the efficiency and operations of the farm.  As children become older and decide if they are interested in the farm or wish to continue to run the farming business, it can cause friction in so many ways.  The key to dissolving this friction and allowing new ideas, goals, and outcomes to occur is communication!

Heather explained that our job, as a consultant, is to assist and encourage you to communicate your aspirations, goals, and feelings by asking the ‘tough’ questions.  This can be quite daunting for all parties involved, but once that barrier is broken, it will allow businesses to adapt and grow according to the views for the future of all individuals.

So, if your farming business is struggling to look to the future, or plan for the next generation who will take on the business, please contact your local FCG office for help and guidance from one of our consultants.

For more information on succession planning and our role as your farm consultant, please contact Annabel at annabelcandy@fcgagric.com or your local FCG Office.

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