International adventures…love them or hate them, they’re sure to provide a story. Fresh on my mind after returning from Ireland, there are many lessons to be learned while working around the globe. Every country presents a few interesting cultural challenges, even when English is the common denominator.

Driving on the left hand side of the road is one of the most noticeable differences that we “yanks” deal with in any of the British ancestral countries. My approach involves staying as far as possible from the center line – a tactic frequently not appreciated by passengers who become close acquaintances with shrubbery. It makes for some entertaining experiences, particularly when combined with sheep wandering across 10-foot wide roadways that make our farm lanes seem like interstates and random signs that switch between English/Irish/Gaelic.

Have you ever tried to drive the wrong way down a road? When it’s in our own land, it’s downright embarrassing. However, when it’s the law to drive on the “wrong side,” you’re forced to re-think most of what has become habit since those days in driver’s ed class. Before I digress further, let’s just say it’s time for agriculturists to take a drive on the other side of the road and review some of our age-old habits.

The analogy is simple; agriculture has been contentedly sticking to the “right side” of the road with very little attention to traffic flow. Events like BSE in North America have caused emergency reactions, rather than proactive planning for an infrastructure that makes sense. We’re on a crash course and this a critical time to open our eyes to what direction the rest of the world is going. While our industry hasn’t literally been pushed to another country (yet), I liken it to an international adventure.

My other articles reviewed the importance of identifying strategic target audiences that need to learn more about agriculture. The next step is to determine which side of the road is that target audience driving on. In other words, what’s their terrain like? What’s important to them?

“Hot buttons” is a phrase I’ve coined for these areas of personal passion or pursuit. Finding and connecting with hot buttons is a surefire way to at least get on the same roadmap. Yet, how much time does our industry spend focusing on yield, ROI, commodity prices, and other areas important to agriculture?

Consider how your business can take a few minutes to find out what your customer’s hot buttons are – without making assumptions. As business experience has probably taught you, asking questions is the best way to find out what really matters to people. Finding these hot buttons doesn’t have to be time consuming or difficult; it’s simply about having a discussion. Quality of family life, food safety, convenience, and environmental protection are just a few examples of hot buttons cited by most consumers. Votes, power, and media attention are hot buttons common amongst legislators.

After all, there are several “outside” groups driving agriculture. Consumers ultimately drive demand and therefore, prices. Legislators drive policy and regulation. The popular press drive perception. While agriculturists have a right to continue being drivers in our own business, we have to understand what else is happening on the road. Foreign territory for many, yet these hot buttons of others will be crucial to navigating the future terrain in agriculture.