Assessment Center for Dairy Farm Owners and Managers Management Assessment Center Team

Dairy Farm Owner/Manager Assessment Center Developed in Developed in Grant from University of Wisconsin Dairy Initiatives - USDA Funding Grant from University of Wisconsin Dairy Initiatives - USDA Funding Modeled from Ohio State University program Modeled from Ohio State University program Training from Ohio State University staff Training from Ohio State University staff Gail Gunderson Gail Gunderson Bill R. Hayes Bill R. Hayes

Trained Assessors Jerry Clark Associate Lecturer, Chippewa County Bob Cropp Professor, Pepin County Carl A. Duley Associate Professor, Buffalo County Gregg Hadley Assistant Professor, UW-RF Tim Jergenson Associate Professor, Barron County Randy Knapp Professor, Chippewa County Jenny Vanderlin Senior Information Processing Consultant, CDP Jonathan Zander Associate Professor, Trempealeau County

History of Assessment Centers 1. An Assessment Center is not a building, a group of people or a location. 2. It is an assessment approach different from most other methods of measurement and assessment approaches. 3. Characterized by: Multiple assessment techniques Multiple assessment techniques Multiple assessors Multiple assessors Situational tests Situational tests Structured procedures for making observations Structured procedures for making observations

History of Assessment Centers Early 1900’s German military officer selection Adopted by British, American, Australian, and Canadians around WWII Adapted by AT&T and becomes the model used for business and industrial applications

Why Assessment Centers? To help select qualified people for management positions To help select qualified people for management positions To diagnose an individual’s work related strengths and weaknesses To diagnose an individual’s work related strengths and weaknesses To identify areas of need for improvement in managerial and teamwork skills To identify areas of need for improvement in managerial and teamwork skills

Attributes for Assessment Center are derived from a thorough Job Description.

Job Description- Duties and Responsibilities Management of dairy herd Management of dairy herd Herd health and reproduction Herd health and reproduction Feed supply management Feed supply management Management of facilities and equipment Management of facilities and equipment Employee supervision Employee supervision Business and financial management Business and financial management

Nine Attributes Selected for the Dairy Farm Manager Capacity Assessment

Attributes for the Dairy Farm Manager Attributes 1. Communications – the extent to which one can communicate orally, listen and respond effectively, or express effectively his/her ideas in writing. 2. Planning and organizing – the process of establishing a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. 3. Leadership – the ability to influence others to move toward the attainment of a specific goal using techniques such as delegation and motivation.

Attributes (Continued) 4. Decision making - the process of identifying problems, securing relevant information, developing courses of action, and making a decision from information gathered. 5. Managing resources – the extent to which one maximizes and monitors the use of all resources (e.g. personnel, financial and material) to obtain effective outcomes. 6. Empathy – the ability to respond/react to a problem considering the feelings, emotions and needs of others.

Attributes (Continued) 7. Teamwork – the degree to which one is willing to work cooperatively with others. 8. Initiative – the ability to begin actions without stimulation or support from others, the capacity to see courses of action and to discover new means of goal achievement. 9. Creativity – the capacity to generate or recognize novel courses of action that are useful in making management decisions.

Participant Self Assessment of Attribute Skills Participant___________________________ Rating scale: 1=Poor; 2=Fair; 3=Average; 4=Very Good; 5=Excellent AttributePre-Center Participation Post-Center Participation Communications – the extent to which one can communicate orally, listen and respond effectively, or express effectively his/her ideas in writing. Planning/Organizing – the process of establishing a course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a specific goal. ECT

Assessment Activities Background Interview Performance Discussion

Assessment Activities In-Basket Case Study

Assessment Activities Group Discussion Non-Assigned Roles Assigned Roles

Individual Report

Participants Participants

Evaluation Survey format: Phone survey Phone survey Re-assessed themselves on attributes Re-assessed themselves on attributes Asked a number of behavioral questions to determine changes in management style since the workshop Asked a number of behavioral questions to determine changes in management style since the workshop How has program enhanced your awareness of managerial skills? How has program enhanced your awareness of managerial skills? How has the workshop affected your professional development plan? How has the workshop affected your professional development plan? To what degree has your managerial behavior changed? To what degree has your managerial behavior changed?

Evaluation Results Pre Average: 2.9 Post Average: 3.6

Evaluation Results Post Average: 4.2 Pre Average: 3.1

Evaluation Results Pre Average: 3.0 Post Average: 3.6

Evaluation Results Pre Average: 3.5 Post Average: 4.1

Evaluation Results Pre Average: 3.0

Evaluation Results Pre Average: 3.0 Post Average: 3.8

Evaluation Results Pre Average: 3.0 Post Average: 3.8

Evaluation Results Pre Average: 3.0 Post Average: 4.2

Evaluation Results Pre Average: 3.2 Post Average: 4.2

Evaluation Results Enhanced awareness of managerial abilities? “MAC makes you aware of your weak and strong points.” (3X) “It gave me confidence in my leadership abilities.” “I realized that communication was my biggest issue to improve.” “It made me more aware that I need to listen and be empathetic to employees.”

Evaluation Results Affected your professional development plans? “Keep in mind my weak points and look for opportunities to improve.” (2X) “Keep in mind my weak points and look for opportunities to improve.” (2X) “I have attended educational meetings (or will) to address weak points.” (2X) “I have attended educational meetings (or will) to address weak points.” (2X) “Read newspapers and articles on FBM.” (3X) “Read newspapers and articles on FBM.” (3X) “Ask peers for advice, etc.” “Ask peers for advice, etc.” “Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Flight of the Buffalo.” “Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Flight of the Buffalo.”

Evaluation Results Changed your managerial behavior? “I discovered that I’m empathetic and I now use it where I can” “I discovered that I’m empathetic and I now use it where I can” “I am better at talking to and confronting employees” (2X) “I am better at talking to and confronting employees” (2X) “I delegate tasks better.” (6X) “I delegate tasks better.” (6X) “I hold more employee meetings to get input.” (3X) “I hold more employee meetings to get input.” (3X) “I don’t let things get to me as quick.” “I don’t let things get to me as quick.”

Evaluation Results General comments: “The Management Assessment Center could make or break a farm.” “Important to see how others see you.” “This report would carry as much weight to me as a loan officer as the farmer’s cash flow.” “MAC nailed down who I am… I see my weaknesses and where to improve.”

Where to From Here? Continue to offer at least two centers annually for dairy producers in Wisconsin Continue to offer at least two centers annually for dairy producers in Wisconsin Develop long-term evaluation program Develop long-term evaluation program Received requests for Received requests for Adaptation for Agribusiness application Adaptation for Agribusiness application Use in other states Use in other states

Web Page

References Thornton, George C. and Byham, William C. Assessment Centers and Managerial Performance. Academic Press, Inc Thornton, George C. and Byham, William C. Assessment Centers and Managerial Performance. Academic Press, Inc Thornton, George C. Assessment Centers in Human Resource Management. Addison- Wesley, Thornton, George C. Assessment Centers in Human Resource Management. Addison- Wesley, 1992.

Contacts or Questions? Bob Cropp Bob Cropp Jenny Vanderlin Jenny Vanderlin Jon Zander Jon Zander

Assessment Center for Dairy Farm Owners and Managers Management Assessment Center Team