Getting your staff on board: How to build buy-in for farm decisions

Running a farming business means making big calls all the time — what to invest in, how to run the season, which opportunities to chase. Often, those calls get made by a single person or small group, then handed down to the staff to make them work. On paper it sounds efficient. In practice, it’s risky.

If your staff don’t understand why a change is happening, or if they feel it’s just dumped on them, they’re less likely to adopt it — no matter how good the plan looks to you. That’s when resistance creeps in, motivation drops, and suddenly the return on your investment starts slipping away.

Involving your team isn’t just about being “nice” or democratic. When staff are brought into the process early, not only do you get their buy-in, you also tap into knowledge and insights that can make the decision itself stronger.

The power of staff involvement

Bringing staff into the decision-making process pays off in four big ways:

• Retain good people. Skilled staff are hard to find and even harder to replace. Involving them makes them more likely to stick around.

• Boost motivation. When people feel valued and heard, they’re more invested in the farm’s success.

• Increase adoption and return on investment (ROI). Changes are far more likely to succeed when the people responsible for carrying them out are on board.

• Tap into insights. Staff often spot practical details or risks that aren’t obvious to management.

Making big changes work: A tech example

I recently worked with a farm owner weighing up a major farm investment. On paper, the business case looked good. But it was clear that success hinged on whether the farm manager and his team would embrace the changes the new tech would bring.

Instead of buying the tech and lumping it on the manager to implement, the owner opened the conversation with his farm manager early in the process. He shared the key parts points in the business case, asked for feedback, and listened to concerns. What could have been a source of resistance turned into collaboration. The manager not only backed the decision but suggested tweaks that made the rollout smoother.

When team members feel involved in the decision,, not just on the receiving end of it, they become champions of change. Involving staff early transforms change from something imposed into something owned. That’s when adoption sticks.

How to involve staff in farm decision-making

Here are some practical things to think about:

1.     Be open to not having all the answers

Thinking like a CEO means knowing when to draw on the expertise of others. Sometimes the best insights come from the person who works that paddock, machine, or herd every day. Their input can turn a good decision into a great one.

2.     Decide when and how to involve them

Not every decision needs a staff meeting. But if a change will directly affect their job, bring them in early. Share your long-term plan and the problem you’re trying to solve. They may spot risks or opportunities you’ve missed.

3.     Choose the right setting

Pick your moment. Maybe it’s a toolbox meeting, maybe it’s a more casual 1:1 chat. Avoid raising big issues at the end of a long day. You’ll get better input when people are able to focus.

4.     Understand their “what’s in it for me”

Every staff member sees change through their own lens. A farm manager might be worried about how new technology affects production targets or the way they run their team. A machine operator, on the other hand, might be thinking about whether the change means less machine hours or more maintenance load.

If you ignore those perspectives, staff can easily feel the change is just “more work for me.” But if you show how it helps them – as well as the business - they’re much more likely to back you.

5.     Be upfront about impacts and support

Change always comes with bumps in the road. Production might dip while people learn, or jobs might shift around. People handle change better when they know what’s coming and that you’ve got their back.

Lay it out clearly: what’s going to change, what they’ll stop or start doing, and what help they’ll get.

Staff buy-in delivers better results

Getting your team on board isn’t just about being ‘nice’—it’s a strategic choice. When you involve staff in decisions that affect their work, you show them they’re valued, their expertise counts, and their voice matters.

That buy-in means they’re far more likely to embrace change, adopt new processes or technology, and help you get the most out of your investments. Farms that make this part of how they operate build teams that adapt faster and deliver stronger results—boosting the ROI of every major decision.

Through AgCelerate, I help farm businesses turn their plans into action. If you want help getting your staff to back your strategy and make change stick, book a free 15-minute discovery call today.