In this Q+A series, we’ve asked our Coaches to share their insights into the work they do and how our services can support you. Whether you’re looking for guidance on Leadership, Succession Planning, or Business & Strategy, this series will give you a deeper understanding of how we help Rural New Zealanders navigate challenges and seize opportunities. Our goal? To provide the knowledge, tools, and support you need to move forward with clarity, confidence, and a strong network behind you.
Read Brett Robinson's, our Partner in Northland/Auckland/Waikato/ Taranaki /Whanganui Q+A below.
Who are your typical clients?
I get to work with clients from both ends of the spectrum from single people starting out in their farming careers, and looking for clarity around their futures, through to large corporate businesses. These customers aren't always farming either, so that makes it exciting and varied for me, and I get to learn so much along the way where I can then bring different perspectives to the table. Typically, the majority of my Succession Planning customers are Mum and Dad businesses, who have built up a business they are proud of, and are wanting to know what the next generation is thinking. From there they can start to make informed and communicated decisions. The leadership space is mostly around our Ignite Leadership Programme. We have identified there is a real need in the Agri/Hort industries for keen people who want to learn more about effective communication. These public 2-day programmes can be attended by anyone, or we run specific programmes for larger farming businesses that have sufficient numbers for an internal programme. I really enjoy facilitating these as the content is relevant to the participants' everyday jobs and life, and when you see the "light bulb" moment happen, that's pure gold.
Which Rural Coach services are most popular with your clients?
Succession Planning is very topical. Because each family and business is so different, there is not a cookie-cutter answer that you can get from the internet. It involves a lot of talking first, before the planning can be started. I think that's where the use of an independent facilitator makes sense. When you start with a blank piece of flip chart paper, and after a few hours of deep conversation, you get to fill it up with ideas, thoughts, and most importantly questions, that is where things start to happen. I love it when there are questions on the paper, as this is saying, WE (as in the family) need to talk about this stuff so the whole family can have a deeper understanding of what is important to each other, and potential pathways.
What are the most common challenges you see your clients facing?
Two themes in the Succession Planning space are 1) what are the parents going to do for the next 20 summers? This is hard because often their whole identity is connected to the farm. For some people this is a difficult conversation, for others, it's not so hard. 2) How can the parents support a member of the family onto the farm and at the same time treat the other non-succeeding children fairly. This conversation means different things to different families, and within families also. These two themes are linked back to the parents, as they are the most important people in the room, so we must consider them and their needs first. After all, they have created or grown what has come before them into the successful business they have today.
How do you get the clients’ good ideas out of their heads?
Ask them questions, lots of questions. Some really effective ones that I use are "What are your thoughts about...?", "Great idea, how will that work?", "What haven't we thought about in this space?" And if the conversation stalls or gets stuck, "What is the question we want to ask now?" The process that we use, where we start with the end in mind, is future-looking (goals). That's where the ideas can come out. The next bit, is what do we need to do, to achieve the goals or ideas.
What factors do you see commonly preventing clients from achieving their dreams/objective
With Succession Planning, sometimes the reality is the current financial position of the business. This needs to be considered when we talk about the needs of Mum and Dad as a priority. If they need to move off farm, can they raise the capital to do so? Where is their income going to come from? These are big topics to be discussed, and having open discussions within the family can identify solutions that are appropriate for that family.
What gives you the most joy when working with your clients?
Some of my important values are teaching, teamwork, and relatedness. Making connections with people gives me satisfaction, and if, after working with someone, I have contributed in some way that is meaningful to them, then that is cool.
Tell us about any recent client wins.
Numerous families have discovered a way forward to allow Succession onto the family farm, and all members are really happy with the outcome. But the best one was a recent catchup with a bloke that was on one of our Ignite Leadership courses, He shook my hand and said "Man, that stuff you taught us about communication has been life-changing." Boom, you can't get much better than that.
If you're ready to take the next step— whether it's gaining clarity on Leadership, tackling Succession Planning, or setting a long-term vision—we're here to help. Click here to find a Coach in your region.
