Feeling overwhelmed with the pressures of a family business that seems stuck? Your business needs a succession plan ...but first you need to talk.
Elaine Froese works with people who want to clearly communicate their expectations and timelines for successful transition of their farm business. She specializes in conflict resolution and coaching families to talk about tough issues. As a farmer herself and certifed coach, Elaine has helped farm families become more profitable, better communicators, and more certain about their farm business future.
Elaine's new action guide "Do the Tough Things Right...how to prevent communication disasters in family business" is a practical tool for family business.
Elaine's work helps families run their own business meetings which makes them more profitable and more harmonious. Some folks are sure that Elaine has been at their kitchen table because she really understands the family dynamics of farming, her stories really "hit home." Elaine holds a degree from the University of Manitoba, certificates from Mediation Services, and the Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara. She is the award-winning author of "Planting the Seed of Hope" and is a regular columinst with Grainews, and succession expert guest on AgVision TV. The Canadian Farm Management Council (CFBMC) hosts her webinars.
Audiences enjoy her common sense and practical tools for identifying the resistance issues common to farm families. She has spoken and coached across Canada and in the U.S. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Farm Advisors, and the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers.
Elaine's Most Requested Speaking Topics:
Who Wants the Farm and When? Leaving a Lasting Legacy
Many farm businesses, worth millions, are stuck with the process of sound succession planning. They need to communicate, identify resistance issues, and work out a timeline for action. Elaine deals with the emotional factors affecting planning and coaches families to have regular business meetings that will make them more profitable and successful in actually getting certainty for the future of the farm business.
Discuss the UndisscussabullTM
As a certified coach Elaine has coined the term "undiscussabull"TM This session identfies the key tough issues that need to be talked about, and how to start courageous conversations for change. Elaine's practical tools for conflict resolution help the audience embrace conflict, rather than avoiding it. She makes it fun with her bull, wrench, and slinky, as practical reminders that you have to face the bull in the meeting of your farm business boardroom.
Planning for Change: Fixing your time stress mess
Change is like a slinky, lots of curves and stretching points for us all. Elaine's training as a certified Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara coach is key to outlining the cycle of renewal and how to navigate the 4 chapters of change. She addresses the generational issues that keep families challenged to manage the right task for the right age group. This session will greatly increase your understanding of where your life and business stage sits, and what steps are necessary to get aligned with your purpose and goals for the future. There are also things that you will need to "unlearn."
Encouraging the Heart of Your Business: Coaching
Lack of appreciation is one of the key stumbling blocks in succession planning. Elaine coaches farm family businesses on-site, with confidential meetings of each family unit, and then a 3 hour intensive family meeting with her flipchart. Families find this a good kickstart to making family meetings a habit, and more profitable as communication is greatly improved, with the element of accountability to the coach. Coaching can be done at the farm or via the phone.
Partial Client List:
- Egg Farmers of Canada National Conference 2010
- International Succession Conference 2007
- CRI: Cooperative Resources Intl. AGM 2010
- Farm Leadership Council, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta
- Institute of Advanced Financial Planners
- Keystone Ag. Producers Young Farmers
- University of Montana and U of Washington State
- Rock the Farm, Future Ag.
- Business Builders, Red Deer
"Elaine has a wealth of knowledge she can relate to every registrant, she can empathize with their situations, and other possible solutions to the obstacles they are facing."
- Don Ross
Farm Leadership Council
"Elaine Froese is authentic in what she's doing, she's a farmer, and she's knowledgeable about her topic. We have her speak, come to our workshops, run webinar sessions and people love her."
- Kay Grulich
Canadian Farm Business Management Council
"I have attended many seminars and conferences over the years and your presentation had the biggest impact that I have ever experienced."
- Don Forbes
Financial Planner
"We do a lot of business with farmers -- estate planning, disability insurance, etc. -- and Elaine works in the industry and is very knowledgeable. She works with farm families and shows them how to solve their problems. We liked her human approach - she's aware of the stress issues that a lot of farmers have and felt that she was the right person to talk to us. Many of my clients had already used her services and before and were in love with her and I've heard so many good things about her. We were really impressed with what she had to say."
- George Malstrom
Faith Life Financial
"Our involvement with Elaine was fantastic. She brought a lot more of the emotional side to the issue. A lot of the issues you tend to ignore or put to the side, she brings to the forefront. To address those tough areas was important to our clients... During the seminar, Elaine would be speaking and you'd see the wife elbowing the husband saying 'This is something we've got to do.' They left the seminar inspired and motivated to take action."
- Mark Verwey CA CFP
BDO Partner
"Elaine came to our community and talked about how rural communities could be vibrant communities by working together. In her workshop she made us really think about who we were and who we would like to be. It made us realize that what a community becomes is really within itself. People can get together and talk about their visions for their community and make it happen. It was a really positive experience and she did an excellent job of leading us in that discussion."
- Harold Penner
Canadian Food Grains Bank
