The belief that our people are best positioned to make decisions about what happens on their farms is at the heart of the Craigmore values. Giving them the space and support to do just that is the driving force behind the introduction of the High Performing Teams Programme launched in the farming business in 2022.

Run over 12-months, leaders in the business are taken through a programme of coaching and mentoring that equips them with tools to motivate and inspire their people and challenge their thinking to ensure they are getting the best out of their teams.

The programme began with a two-day intensive workshop in June and will follow with leaders reporting back to the cohort on a regular basis providing and update on their progress. They are taken through modules on Personal Leadership, Leading Others, Practical Management and Effective HR.

As a result, we hope to have managers who can run multiple farms, future leaders who are recognised and developed, and good succession management is in place. We want to see leaders who are capable of leading high performing teams, and that consistent HR processes and agreed practices for managing farms are common right across the farming portfolio.

The initiative is acting as a pilot with Rural Leaders to accelerate leadership right across the farming sector. The hope is that with government support, the programme will pathway farmers into the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme and Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship.

Published: 13 December 2022