PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE

By Murray Sherk, CHAIR, DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO AND BOARD MEMBER FOR REGION 8, OXFORD AND WATERLOO

My four daughters, all of whom are now grown and married, joke about the Sunday night planning sessions we used to have when their mother would corral us around the dining room table to find out what was going on during the upcoming week. It would allow us, as parents, to plan how the week would unfold but we all tried to avoid this routine and instead focus on another activity for the evening. Planning, whether it’s for next week, month, year or generation, is much like this. We want to enjoy the present rather than commit to the work of figuring out how best to prepare for the future. The busyness and demands of daily life crowd out the non-urgent but important task. We cannot control the future, but we can devote some thought and energy so those who come behind us are set up for success. I think about this subject on three levels. One has to do with our own farm, the second at DFO and the third as a Canadian dairy industry of producers, processors and governments. At our farm, one of the things that made the transition successful from my parents to my wife and I, was that my father was willing to give up control and let us make the decisions needed to take the business in the direction we wanted. Additionally, we came to an arrangement where he continued to manage certain aspects of the business for many years after the initial transition. This resulted in a great working relationship. There are many counsellors, accountants and lawyers who can help families work through these transitions but one of the main hurdles is simply making it a priority. Now we are at the stage of preparing to transition to the next generation.

At the Board, we often refer to this as strategic planning. This is a time each year when the board and senior staff consider where we are and where we want to be in the future. The impediments to good strategic planning organizationally are really no different than in the family or business. Having the will

Murray Sherk

to set aside time, organize resources, allowing space for understanding and desires to be heard are applicable in both situations. At the industry level, it gets trickier. The larger the number of stakeholders involved in long-term planning, the more challenging the exercise gets. When we think about national or industry planning, the groups get large quickly. It is sometimes difficult to reach agreement on the issues and move beyond the status quo.

As we think about planning, it’s appropriate to remember the adage, “What is important is seldom urgent and what is urgent is seldom important,” until it’s too late.