The Angus Journal® is a monthly magazine known for in-depth coverage of American Angus Association® programs and services; the Angus business; herd management; and advertising reflecting genetics and herd philosophies.
Issue link: http://angusjournal.epubxp.com/i/776781
14 n ANGUSJournal n February 2017 Trust is a cornerstone At the conclusion of his presentation, I had the opportunity to join Tom on stage as part of a panel discussion, which was moderated by Larry Corah of Certified Angus Beef LLC. I made the point during the give-and-take of the panel discussion that an organization's culture is not just an important aspect of its business; rather, it is the most important aspect of any organization and that it cannot be overstated. Great organizational cultures are built by empowering employees. Yet how does an organization, or for that matter a family cattle operation, empower its employees? It does so by first creating a work environment that is built upon trust. While we all understand the importance of establishing trust within the workplace, too often managers look at trust only from their position of authority. I contend it's just as important to consider trust from an employee's perspective. Employees want to trust that when they come to work each day they'll be treated with respect and dignity. In addition, they trust that their role is important and will contribute to the collective success of the organization. That trust can only occur if the employee's role has been clearly defined and performance expectations are in place that are understood and accountable. Creating an environment of trust is the first step of building a sense of empowerment within a team. Transference of power Along with trust, however, must also come the transference of power and authority. The willingness to transfer power falls solely upon the leadership of an organization. As Tom Walter said in Indianapolis, "The real power of a leader is the transference of power to others." When leaders are willing to transfer authority and power to employees, those employees become empowered. By becoming empowered, they become emboldened. Emboldened to make decisions on their own that they inherently know, based on their experiences, will be right for the organization. By being empowered, they can make decisions without risk of being second- guessed. It's not just about making decisions. Emboldened employees are able to voice their differences, when they occur, to their manager without fear of repercussion. I spend a significant amount of my time focused on creating a culture of empowerment. My friend Tom Walter spends all of his time nurturing and growing his organization's culture. In fact, he's so focused on building the right kind of culture at Tasty Catering that his role is titled chief culture officer. Our core values — honesty, respect and integrity — serve as the foundation for the culture of the Association. While those three pillars define our organization, they also serve to create an environment of trust and empowerment that makes the whole greater than the individual parts. 2017 OFFICERS Charlie Boyd II, president and chairman of the Board, Kentucky; cell: 606-584- 5194; cboyd2@maysvilleky.net • Kevin Yon, vice president and vice chairman of the Board, South Carolina; cell: 803-622-4140; kyon@pbtcomm.net • John Pfeiffer Jr., treasurer, Oklahoma; cell: 405-880-0862; pfeiffer@agristar.net 2017 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terms expiring in 2017 — Jerry Connealy, Nebraska; phone: 308-544-6552; jsconnealy@gmail.com • David A. Dal Porto, California; cell: 925-250-5304; dplangus@aol.com • John F. Grimes, Ohio; home: 937-764-1198; mcfarms@ cinci.rr.com; grimes.1@osu.edu James W. Henderson, Texas; cell: 940-585- 6171; jwhenderson@bradley3ranch.com • Dave Nichols, Iowa; phone: 641- 369-2829; dave@nicholsfarms.biz Terms expiring in 2018 — James S. Coffey, Kentucky; cell: 859-238-0771; james@branchviewangus.com • Chuck Grove, Virginia; cell: 816-390-6600; chuckgrove64@hotmail.com • Mike McCravy, Georgia; cell: 770-328-2047; mmcattle@yahoo.com • Don Schiefelbein, Minnesota; cell: 303-324-5149; dschiefel@meltel.net • Mick Varilek, South Dakota; cell: 605-680-2555; varilekangus@midstatesd.net Terms expiring in 2019 — Richard M. Dyar, Alabama; cell: 816-390-6601; rdyar@ farmerstel.com • Dave Hinman, Montana; cell: 406-654-4656; hinmanangus@ hotmail.com • Alan Miller, Illinois; cell: 217-840-6935; pvfangus@gmail.com • Jonathan Perry, Tennessee; cell: 931-703-6330; jjperry@deervalleyfarm.com • Barry Pollard, Oklahoma; cell: 580-541-1022; barry@pollardfarms.com Industry appointments — CAB Board, Dwight 'Kip' Palmer, Palmer Food Services, New York; office: 585-424-3210; kpalmer@palmerfoods.com • AGI Board liaison, Larry Kuehn, U.S. Meat Animal Research Center, Nebraska; office: 402-762-4352; larry.kuehn@ars.usda.gov • Foundation Board, Mark Duffell, Whitestone Farms, Virginia; cell: 703-930-1841; whitestoneangus@gmail.com • Angus Productions Inc. Board, Mitch Rouda, Farm Journal Media, Illinois; office: 847-318-0785; mrouda@farmjournal.com ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Allen Moczygemba, CEO; Richard E. Wilson, CFO; Diane Strahm, executive administrative assistant; Milford Jenkins, Angus Foundation president; Dan Moser, AGI president; Eric Grant, API president; Terry Cotton, vice president of sales; John Stika, CAB LLC president; Chris Stallo, vice president of operations DEPARTMENTAL STAFF Lou Ann Adams, director of information systems; Crystal Albers, director of communications; Jerry Cassady, director of member services; Jaclyn Clark, director of events and education; David Gazda, director of field services; Eric Grant, director of public relations; Ginette Gottswiller, director of commercial relations; Jason Kenyon, assistant director of information systems; Ladena Keuhn, director of human resources; Clint Mefford, executive marketing associate; Kenny Miller, director of finance; Stephen Miller, director of genetic research; Kelli Retallick, director of genetic service; Ryan Ruppert, director of special projects; Chris Stephens, Angus Foundation assistant director of development; Brenda Weigert, operations coordinator for member services AMERICAN ANGUS ASSOCIATION 3201 Frederick Ave., Saint Joseph, MO 64506-2997; phone: 816-383-5100; fax: 816-233-9703; Office hours: (M-F) 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Central) email: angus@angus.org • home page: www.angus.org • facebook.com/americanangusassociation • twitter: @AngusAssoc The Front Gate @ by Allen Moczygemba, CEO, American Angus Association ASSOCIATION Internal culture This past November I had the good fortune to become acquainted with Tom Walter. Tom was one of the featured speakers during the 2016 Angus Convention in Indianapolis. If you were able to attend the convention, you had a chance to hear Tom speak on the importance of culture within an organization. In particular, Tom addressed how changing the culture of his family organization, Tasty Catering, had paid dividends exponentially — by improving employee satisfaction, increasing employee performance and ultimately growing their catering business. EMAIL: allenm@angus.org