K-State Research and Extension

“Think Safety this Summer, Agriculture is a High-Risk Occupation”

By: Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist

Most of you reading this are likely involved in agriculture in some capacity. Do you think being a farmer or rancher is a high‐risk occupation?

The reality is that farming and ranching is a high‐risk occupation. A 2019 report from the U. S. Department of Labor contains some staggering statistics and emphasizes the need for safety. There were 5,333 fatal work‐related injuries in 2019. Farmers, ranchers, and agriculture managers were the second greatest civilian occupation with regard to fatal work‐related injuries; with 291 reported fatalities in 2019. Nearly 1 out of every 5 fatally injured worker was employed as a driver/sales worker or truck driver. The leading cause of injuries was transportation incidents (2,122). These statistics are sobering. Agriculture is a dangerous occupation, and many times our daily activities put us on the road hauling commodities, equipment and livestock. Summer is “go time” for those of us involved in agriculture. However, the need for safety is real. Don’t be complacent about your safety and the safety of those around you.

The full report from the U.S. Department of Labor may be accessed at:

https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/cfoi.pdf

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

“Failure”

By: Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist

Leadership and management are evaluated by an organization or operation’s successes. However, the path to success often involves failure. Everyone hates to fail. However, failure is an excellent teacher and the simple truth is that we learn more from our failures than we do our successes. One of the traits many successful people possess is that they did not let fear of failure exceed their desire to succeed. History is full of leaders who were quite familiar with failure. However, when they made a mistake, they learned from it, moved on and didn’t let it happen again. Additionally, great leaders in the business world recognize that department or unit managers don’t always succeed and that failure is an unfortunate, but necessary component of empowering and cultivating good managers within the organization.

“Winners are not afraid of losing. But losers are. Failure is part of the process of success. People who avoid failure also avoid success.” ‐ Robert Kiyosaki, author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work”‐ Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

“Winter Safety”

By: Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist

January and February are some of the coldest months of the year and often bring extreme weather conditions that can be challenging for agricultural workers that work in the elements.  Falls, slips, and trips continue to be one of the leading causes of workplace injuries (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2019) and although falls and slips can occur anytime, extra precautions are required during the winter months. Hypothermia is real, especially for those that work outside for extended periods. Safety experts suggest that clothing be worn in layers to retain body heat. However, how and what type of layers those clothes are made of is important. At least three layers are recommended, cotton or other breathable synthetic fiber should be the first or base layer. Wool or down is suggested for the middle layer, and the third or outer layer should be composed of material that will block the wind, such as the nylon outer shell found on many ski‐jackets.

Portable heaters are often used as heat sources in many shops and barns. Portable heaters are one of the most common causes of carbon monoxide poisoning and structural fires. If heaters are used in confined spaces, always remember that ventilation is required to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.

Additionally, the areas where heaters are used should be checked for combustible materials and heaters should never be left unattended.

The U. S. Department of Labor, OSHA website offers other tips and resources for working outside in the winter and may be accessed at https://www.osha.gov/winter‐weather/preparedness.

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

“Leadership…What’s Your Style?”

By: Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist

The most commonly recognized leadership styles are authoritarian, democratic and laissez‐faire. However, there may be 7‐12 different leadership styles that include styles such as transformational, transactional, servant, charismatic, and situational. Although some of these leadership styles are unique, there is also some degree of similarity or overlap as well and in some situations, a leader may change their leadership style(s) to fit the situation (situational).  The concept of situational leadership was first recognized by Paul Hersey and Ken Blanchard (author of the “One Minute Manager”).  They recognized that successful leaders often adapted their leadership style or styles to the individual or group they were leading.  Collectively, these different leadership styles remind us that not all leaders lead the same way and some leaders even change leadership styles. There is no one way to lead, motivate and inspire individuals or groups to succeed.  Leadership is complex and we still have a lot to learn about leadership.

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

“Reflection”

By: Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist

The current year will soon be ending. This is a great time for individuals and organizations to reflect back on the events of the past 12 months. The value of reflection within an organization dramatically increases if it is used as a tool to evaluate not only where the organization has been but also where it is headed. A few basic questions may be used to guide the process.

What did you or the business succeed at?
What were your failures?
What was learned from those successes and failures?
What would you like to do more of or what generated positive outcomes for the organization?
What should you stop doing?

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

“Organizational Culture”

By: Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist

Organizational or corporate culture is one of “buzzwords” in today’s business world. Although not a new term by any means (originating in the 1960s), the term has undoubtedly received more attention as many companies have created unconventional employee centered environments. What does corporate or organizational culture mean? What is the role of a leader or manager in an organization’s culture? Many different sources define corporate culture as the shared beliefs, values, standards, systems, policies and perceptions held by employees. Informally, the culture of company may be characterized by asking the company’s employees a few questions. What words best describe the organization? What behaviors or efforts are rewarded? What is the company’s number one priority? In some cases two very different cultures may exist within an organization: a formal corporate culture (i.e. mission statements and core value statements) and an informal corporate culture (views of the employees). Corporate culture is generally regarded as progressing from the top down, where leadership initiates and stewards the corporate culture by hiring and promoting individuals who represent/embrace the corporate culture. More importantly, managers and leaders must model the corporate culture in their interactions with both customers and employees. Corporate culture may be healthy or unhealthy. Is the culture of your organization positively contributing to the business? As a manager, does the corporate culture align with your values and beliefs? Are you incentivizing and rewarding employees for doing the right thing?

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.

“Video Conferencing Fatigue”

By: Justin Waggoner, Ph.D., Beef Systems Specialist

Video conferencing fatigue (i.e. Zoom Fatigue) is unfortunately become a term that many in the workplace have become familiar with. In today’s business environment, we are meeting more virtually than ever before. What exactly is it that makes a two-hour remote meeting more tiresome than the same meeting in person? Experts suggest that video conferencing is more difficult because we have to work harder to stay engaged and some aspects of video conferencing are more stressful than we think. The most common source of distraction is multi-tasking while on a video conference. The platform lends itself to reading emails, and do other things at the same time, but these distractions are more stressful than most realize. Another source of stress is that we become more aware of what is behind our cameras, that pile of papers that need filed on our desk or all the other stuff that accumulates in an office. The third common source of stress is simply that technology often lets us down and the fear of an unstable internet connection or mic failures during a meeting is real. So what can we do to make video conferencing less stressful?

1. Stay engaged in the meeting, take notes just as if you were in a real face-to-face meeting.

2. Don’t be afraid to turn off your camera and mute your microphone. Just because it is a video conference does not mean you have to be on camera or that everyone needs to hear your dog barking. Do your part to minimize distractions.

3. Organizers should schedule breaks. We all need mental, physical and visual breaks from our workstations and screens.

4. Have an agenda for the meeting and attempt to make conferences held remotely as short as possible. Consider what you can get accomplished during a 30-minute session when everyone is actively engaged.

5. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Things happen – internet connections become unstable, microphones quit working and cell phones still drop calls.

For more information, contact Justin Waggoner at jwaggon@ksu.edu.