While enjoying game drives, a lion breeding farm, and cheetah research facility in South Africa, I realized wildlife and our industry have some things in common. A few of the parallels that can be drawn between today’s agribusiness and a South African safari:
Run too fast too long and you’ll overheat.The cheetah can run up to 120 km/hr, but only for up to 3 minutes. Otherwise, they get so hot that they collapse and die. Are you running so fast you’re at the risk of burnout? Don’t forget to pace yourself as we move into the most hectic time of year!
Keep your eyes focused on the horizon and at close range. When sighting wildlife, the key is to look for animals closest while scanning the distance for the hard-to-find animals. Are you looking both at your current customers and how you can satisfy future customers? At the end of the day, you need to know who is the ultimate customer of what you’re producing, processing, or pawning.
The hardest to find are the most distinctive. We’ve all experienced it; the customers easiest to win over are the first to go. Those you have to work for are the most rewarding. It’s not too different after you’ve seen 50 elephants while searching for an elusive rhinoceros; it’s all the more special when you discover a rhino staring at you! The same can be said of the white corn contract you’ve managed to land after five years of working at it.
You risk it all if you get distracted. Predators are always on the hunt for the weakest, just as your competitors will focus on your weakest areas. Herds of zebras actually circle their young as a protection tactic. Keep your eyes peeled for competitors “hunting” so distractions can’t lure you away from protecting customer relationships. In my mind, the nastiest predators that agriculture faces today are activists.
Image matters. Most people wouldn’t guess that cheetahs are amongst the most fragile creatures, but few actually still exist in the wild. A cheetah’s skull weighs less than a sheet of paper and their jaws are so weak that they have to turn their head to use their teeth like scissors when chewing meat. Realize the “weak” can appear to be very strong, and those with a “strong” image can be very weak. What does your image say about you?
Reach above the crowd for the best forage. Ever watch a giraffe eat? They don’t worry about the older leaves at the base of the tree; it would probably give them a stiff neck to bend over for that long. Giraffes go for the good stuff up as high as they can reach. Are you letting go of the old “stuff” and going for the best?
[…] agriculture has the tools to help bring food to those without. Read more about this experience at South African Safari Yields Agricultural Insights. Feeding a lion cub, having a giraffe block traffic and seeing the speed of a cheetah was amazing, […]