1. Managing Stress and Change: Focus on Farm Financial Crisis
Larry D. Sanders
2016
Oklahoma State University

2. How do we as educators find ourselves involved with emotionally stressed farmers?
Respond to a query about financial situation by farmer
Respond to a query about financial situation by lender/attorney/minister
Observe a stressed farmer/family
Contact by family friend/business

3. How do we as educators become relevant in a farmer’s stressful life situation?
Be sensitive to privacy boundaries
Recognize your own limitations
Engage in active listening
Reflect acknowledgement of dimensions of problems
Don’t judge
Maintain confidentiality
Leverage other helping hands
Follow up with farmer
Recognize your own stress, acceptance of your responsibilities, and what you cannot do; HAVE A SAFETY NET

4. What is stress? The reaction of the body to any demand placed on it
Eustress is positive stress
Distress is negative stress
Stressors are factors with the potential to cause stress

5. Stages of stress Stage 1: Alarm Fight or flight Stage 2: Resistance
Body tries to adapt
Stage 3:
Exhaustion
Energy is gone

6. How is farm stress manifested?
Financial stress
Emotional stress
Tight business and family budgets
Falling behind on bills
Delaying purchases and financial decisions
Inability to make decisions
Increased interest rates
Laying off farm hands
Kids can’t go to college
Vacations delayed
Loss of farm
Elevated blood pressure
Muscle and bone pain
High cholesterol
Stomach problems
Heart disease
Poor eating habits
Drug/alcohol abuse
Abuse of others or self
Anxiety
Depression
Suicide

8. Intervention Recognize problem Identify priority solutions Set goals
End distractions
Improve nutrition
Sense of humor
Social support systems

9. Change and its links to stress
Alteration
Transformation
Modification
Make over
Remake into something or someone different
Level of stress
is indicator of
magnitude of change

10. Managing Change Reduces Stress
Characteristics of farms and firms that thrive in periods of change
Committed to shared goals
Understand their strategic intent & competitive advantage
Become improvement-driven
Trained & empowered personnel
Personnel work hard, have great job satisfaction & HAVE FUN!

11. Managing Change Assumptions about change:
1. Pressure will be exerted to keep the status quo.
2. Those who passionately want to change are often impatient for it to begin & continue.
3. Disagreement & conflict in the change process is normal & inevitable.
4. Those changing often make 3 steps forward &1 backward in progression toward change.

12. Managing Change
3 factors needed to make change happen:
1. Disatifaction
2. Energy
3. Insight
What’s needed to maintain change?
1. Satisfaction
2. Internal control (commitment)
3. Change
4. Reward

13. Managing Change Recognition of defenses against change
Denial
Distortion
Delusion
Recognition of causes of resistance to change
Perceived lack of control
fear of unknown/losing face
uncertainty of results
Lack of information/participation in decisions
Habit
Tired of rapid change
Loss of benefits, status, friends, self-esteem

14. Managing Change Thriving through change requires resilience.
A resilient person/farm/ firm/organization is:
1. Positive
2. Focused
3. Flexible
4. Organized
5. Proactive

15. Managing Change --Thriving through change
1. Ambiguity will be an essential part of the planning process. 2. Share the information that steers or guides the business. 3. Make full use of the many people and their talents (on the farm & your resource team). 4. Develop a vision of what you want for the future.

16. The key…
Managing the risks associated with change increase the likelihood of success of the person/farm/firm/organization
Thus, risk management is an essential part of any business or organization
Acquiring more education is a form of risk management
So, you are engaging in risk management and coping with change in the world around you

17. Moving toward farming based on problem resolution

18. Educator roles may include:
Be aware of farm financial stress. Understand indicators from markets, lending data.
Listen to producers who may be sending signals that they need help with recordkeeping, marketing, & managing finances.
Encourage producers to take action sooner rather than later.
Direct producers to appropriate resources (Extension assistance, educational programs, lenders, attorneys, consultants, mental health professionals).

19. Introduction of panel Nathan Anderson, Payne County OCES
Stan Fimple, Pawnee County OCES