Dairy Australia, the national body and research and development corporation for the Australian dairy industry, is committed to fostering a profitable and sustainable dairy sector. By offering a comprehensive array of services, Dairy Australia supports and advances dairy farm businesses and the industry as a whole. With a strong presence across eight dairy regions, the organisation ensures effective and efficient delivery of these vital services.
This program was developed as part of The Dairy Progression Framework project, funded by the NSW Dairy Industry Fund in collaboration with Dairy NSW, Murray Dairy, Sub Tropical Dairy, and Dairy Australia.
Focusing on improving staff engagement and retention, the program addressed gaps in leadership training, particularly for on-farm leaders. Recognising that employee satisfaction is linked to effective management, the Dairy NSW project team aimed to enhance leadership skills to retain a skilled workforce.
Research with employers and employees identified key leadership traits crucial for engagement and retention. It also highlighted a need for improved leadership skills among farm owners. Thus, Dairy NSW selected a partner to design, develop, and deliver a targeted leadership program.
Due to the geographical spread of the target audience, it was decided to deliver the program as facilitated live online sessions using Zoom.
The Farming With My Team program was delivered through 6 x 2-hour live online workshops, exploring fundamental perspectives of leadership: leading self, leading a team, and leadership in practice. Each session built on the previous one, delving into different leadership capabilities.
The program was supported by a range of pre- and post-program activities, including psychometric profiling tools and access to microlearning videos aligned with each module’s content.
Participants were encouraged to actively engage in online group discussions and reflect on their learning and how they planned to apply it back on the farm.
Following an extensive scoping phase with Dairy Australia key stakeholders, subject matter experts, and the PD Training instructional design team, PD Training designed, developed, and delivered a program that built essential leadership and management skills for on-farm leaders. The program offered participants the chance to learn collaboratively through online workshops and apply theory and concepts in the workplace through targeted post-course activities.
We developed a program delivered through 6 x 2-hour live online workshops using Zoom. Through their participation in the Farming with My Team program, on-farm leaders were better equipped to build more effective, communicative, and resilient team structures, which led to improved farm performance and productivity.
On successful completion of the program participants were able to:
"The Trainer really knows her subject and presents it with confidence but makes all the group feel engaged and not afraid to ask questions or answer those she poses. It has been interesting to see the group grow in confidence to share or engage with each other, and I think break out rooms helped."
"Farming is hard, physical work and can be mentally challenging. You want to be a workplace where people are eager to come to work. Good staff are essential, and achieving positive outcomes from their efforts is crucial. As an employer, you must manage risks to the business, its owners, and your employees, being mindful of both legal and ethical responsibilities for their wellbeing. My advice for improving farm team engagement and performance is to start by better understanding your own leadership style and identifying opportunities for your farm staff. I would highly recommend starting with the Farming with My Team program."
— Kara Ussher, Bowralea Dairy Farm
Book a 30 Minute Training Planning Session
*We care about your privacy and will never share your details with any third party
1300 121 400
LOGIN
Book a meeting
Request a quote