In the Midwest we are waking up to another round of winter today. I recall as a young girl living on an Oklahoma farm how if snow fell on the level we seldom missed school and Dad always managed to keep the cattle fed and the numerous chores of a farmer done.
Life on the farm rapidly changed if the wind began blowing with the snowfall. Our road would drift shut in a hurry and caring for the cattle became not a chore but a true challenge. I vividly recall my father making three trips from the barnyard to our enclosed porch that ran the length of one side of the farmhouse, each time carrying a baby calf in his arms. Mom moved swiftly into action to dry off the little ones and get them warm and dry using a space heater, no less. My brothers and I were tasked with bottle feeding the calves that day.
Leading our teams can feel like this some days. We must remain vigilant to storms coming our way and plan for them to the best of our ability. Storms will come and just like my Mom and Dad did on the farm, we must be ready to move swiftly into action when we identify a problem, calling on other team members to jump in and do his/her part.
What storms are you anticipating?
Farmgirl Sensibilities 