About This Issue

Sorry, we couldn’t write the “About This Issue” about this issue, mainly because we’re on vacation.  We plan to enjoy our time away from the office and come back feeling refreshed.  In the meantime, though, please enjoy this month’s issue of the Animal Science Monitor, which, incidentally, has to do with maintaining an effective work-life balance.  Thanks for being a loyal reader of The ASM, and we’ll be back soon.

—Dan and Don

Tips for the Boss

Stressed?  Feeling burned out?  Are your people looking tired?  It’s mid-June as I write this article, and frankly, I’m a little tired and slightly burned out myself.  However, by the time you read this, I’ll be in the process of enjoying multiple weeks in the sun at my favorite beach.  As a result, I’ll return refreshed and ready to reach new heights.

In the United States, our culture of achievement creates many problems.  Sure, we might be able to boast the strongest economy on the planet, but look at the cost:

• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, stress costs U.S. businesses over $400 billion annually through employee turnover, absenteeism, presenteeism, workers compensation, and long-term and short-term disability. (Presenteeism is the feeling that one must show up for work even if one is too sick, stressed, or distracted to be productive.)

• According to The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, healthcare expenditures are nearly 50 percent greater for workers who report high stress levels.

Those are just two of the ways in which an unhealthy work-life balance for employees can adversely affect a company.  There are other consequences, as well, including lower morale; a less dynamic company culture; and less energy, passion, and innovation at every level of the organization.

Once-in-a-lifetime
A few years ago, I tried taking a long summer vacation.  It was at the end of the recession, and I had been working exceptionally long hours for months.  I desperately needed a break.  My wife and I took the first three weeks of July off, figuring it to be a once-in-a-lifetime big vacation.  I came back so energized that my overall production actually increased.  This summer sabbatical is now scheduled annually, and as you’re reading this, there’s a very good chance that I’m already on the beach.

Of course, there are two parts to this equation.  The first one involves you; the second involves the members of your team. Here are my tips:

• If the balance between your work and life is out of whack, fix it.  You’ll be more productive, and if your employer won’t provide the schedule to allow you to do so, then you should find one that will.  If you don’t balance your life and work, who will?  Furthermore, if you don’t, who are you shortchanging?

• If members of your team are overworked or stressed out, it will soon show in their work (if it hasn’t already).  As their coach, talk with them about getting the balance they need, and then actively help them to achieve that balance.  Not only will your team ultimately experience increased productivity, you’ll build greater employee loyalty and further reduce your turnover ratio.

A little ‘R&R’
A lot of different factors are involved in reaching your full potential, and in helping your employees reach theirs.  Talent, work ethic, and chemistry—they’re all involved, to be sure.  But a balanced life is something that is often overlooked, intentionally or not, in today’s workplace.  More and more, however, it’s something that employees are seeking out, either in their present employer or in their next one.

There’s no doubt that rest and recreation rejuvenate the mind, body, and spirit.  They improve creativity and elevate mood.  Look closely at your team.  Are there members you think could use some R&R?  Could you use some?  I’m getting mine now, and I look forward to your comments when I return to the office.  You can write to me at dan@consearch.com.

Hot Jobs

The ASM is pleased to publish information regarding exciting new opportunities.  If you’re interested in any of the positions below, please email Don Hunter at brg@charterinternet.com.

To Search all of our Jobs, click the following links:

Poultry Jobs
Dairy Jobs
Equine Jobs
Swine Jobs
Companion Animal Jobs

Swine Management Positions

Location: Rural Ohio

We're recruiting for three levels of management for a progressive swine management company. We're looking for Breeding Department Managers, Farm Managers and a Sow Production Manager. Competitive salaries, excellent benefits, relocation assistance and a reasonable workweek provided. For more details contact Don Hunter brg@charterinternet.com.

Dairy Nutrition

Location: Pennsylvania & New York

Three of our favorite clients are recruiting in PA & NY. In this role you will provide dairy nutrition advice and solve problems for producers while selling them their nutritional products. The compensation is outstanding the ability to work with LARGE HERDS only is there if this is your preference and you can even choose self-employment with one of these clients. We have 14 different territories available. Send your resume or an email expressing your interest to Don at brg@charterinternet.com and he'll follow up.

‘Species Focus’ in the Fall

We’ve received a lot of great reader feedback at The Animal Science Monitor during the past couple of years, feedback which has helped to shape our publication and make it the very best that it can be.  And now, we’re looking for even more feedback from you—our loyal readers.

Beginning in the fall, The ASM is going to run a new feature, one called “Species Focus.”  This new series of articles will highlight a professional working within a different species discipline (swine, sheep, goats, etc.), with an emphasis on what’s happening within that discipline and what things you should look for in the future.

We would very much like your help with this new feature.  What individuals or organizations should we contact?  What topics should we discuss and what questions should we ask?  Each “Species Focus” piece will be approximately 500 words in length, relatively brief but packed with solid content regarding current industry trends and possible future developments.

Please send your suggestions and feedback to matt@animalsciencemonitor.com.

We look forward to presenting this new feature within our newsletter and to providing the best and most up-to-date content possible.  As always, thank you for your input and for being loyal readers of The Animal Science Monitor.

Your ASM Calendar of
Upcoming Industry Events

Registration: The cost is $150 per person, and the deadline to register is Friday, August 3.  Click here for the event’s agenda and to register for the conference.

http://www.asi.ksu.edu/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=1154

Managing Your Career

Balancing the Big Picture
(By Don Hunter)

Everybody has career goals and ambitions, and everybody wants to achieve them as quickly as they possibly can.  But in order to do that, it’s a bad idea to go full-bore 100% of the time.  Work-life balance has become a very big issue for employees and employers these days, and the reason is simple: most people are experiencing difficulty attaining that balance.

If you’ve managed to achieve a satisfactory balance, let me congratulate you.  You’ve done something that many others struggle with—often on a daily basis.  If you count yourself among those who are currently struggling, then there’s no time like the present take the steps necessary to turn things around and regain control.

Seven-step checklist

The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to achieve more balance in your life.  Some of them involve the personal side, some involve the professional side, and some involve both.  Below are seven such steps.  See which ones apply most directly to your present situation.

• Figure out what matters to you—It’s always a good time to take a personal inventory of your life and your priorities. Today’s fast-paced society has a nasty habit of knocking them out of whack.  Conduct a hard analysis of what’s most important.  Make a prioritized list, if necessary.
  
  
• Learn better time management—Some people are naturals when it comes to time management. Most, however, are not.  Set concrete goals and timeframes for achieving them.  Procrastination is public enemy number-one.
  

• Drop unnecessary activities—This step is based in large part on the first one.  Once you’ve identified what’s most important, you can more easily eliminate activities that aren’t on that list.

• Solicit some help—Not acknowledging the fact that you need help and then not asking for that help is the equivalent of a self-inflicted wound.  Enlist the aid of a family member or friend.  It could be your wife, your husband, your mother, or a trusted neighbor, anybody who can help you to better maximize the time you have available.

• Plan your fun—Rest and relaxation is like everything else in your life.  If you don’t plan it, chances are good that you won’t actually do it.  Work will find a way to creep into that time slot instead.
  
• Talk with your current employer—If you feel as though one of the reasons you have a poor work-life balance is because of your employment situation, then a meeting with your immediate supervisor is most certainly in order.  Express your concerns and discuss ways in which you can increase your job satisfaction, not to mention productivity, through a more balanced work schedule.

• Find a new job—If, after you’ve discussed things over with your supervisor, the situation doesn’t change and you’re still frustrated, you might consider a change in jobs.  Although loyalty is an admirable trait, loyalty to yourself and to your family is paramount.

If you haven’t taken your vacation time yet this year—or even planned when you’re going to take it—you should do so as soon as possible.  (Remember, you have to plan your fun.)  When you work to achieve balance in your life—balance between your career and your personal life—you’re keeping the big picture in mind. In other words, balance in the short term will mean balance in the long run, and will increase your chances of achieving all of your career goals and ambitions.

If you have any questions about this topic, please send me an email at brg@charterinternet.com.  And if you’re currently engaged in a job search or are interested in advancing the scope of your career, be sure to send me your resume.  I’d be happy to discuss your career goals and ambitions, including ways in which I can help you to achieve them.  Any exchange of information, including resumes, will be kept in total confidence and handled in a discreet fashion.