Opening up older generations to doing thing different?

[Son of Butch]

I'm a younger guy. 29. How do I get my grandpa and dad to listen to me a little bit about certain things I think they could improve on. They are kind of stuck in their ways because "that's always how it's been done".

You really need to be more specific to receive any useful advice.
My gut reaction is "What we have here is a failure to communicate." [Cool Hand Luke}
Maybe start by listening to them about why 'we' do things the way 'we' do.
Sounds like you divide certain things into being they vs me, rather than all pulling together towards a common goal.
Perhaps think about...
What are my goals?
What have I done today to help me reach that goal?
What have I done to entitle me to give them any advice?
How have I earned that right?
Establish your priorities, go to work, learn to pick your battles and know what is a mountain and which is a molehill.
My guess is for whatever reason,
failure to effectively communicate within your family has been an ongoing problem for much of your life.

 

[jerry27150]

here in mo, like ok probably, these people here do stuff one way because grampa did it that way & they have no idea why grampa did it that way

 

[Tim/South]

If you live in the southeastern U.S. never ever suggest taking out Ag terraces for any reason. They saved the topsoil back in the day and are pure gold.
They also make cutting a hayfield or clipping a pasture much more challenging.

 

[Black and Good]

This thread brings memories back. This is why, when my father sold his cow herd and retired. I went to the special cow sale they had for the herd. But, I just sat there with my hands in my pockets and watched them sell and answered a few questions. That fall I started building my own herd from the ground up. We always got along great. I just felt like I would be better off to start over from scratch. But, I use things he's taught me every day! :compute: B&G

 

[Supa Dexta]

You just gotta get meaner and more hot headed then they are.. Then when you blow up at something, they know to take you serious.

 

[backhoeboogie]

30 years from now you're going to wish you remembered how they did it. Their way was easy...........They never had this high tech equipment that keeps going out etc.

 

[backhoeboogie]

30 years from now you're going to wish you remembered how they did it. Their way was easy...........They never had this high tech equipment that keeps going out etc.

Those old tractors and implements last longer and are pretty simple to fix too.

 

[bigbull338]

boogie them simple old tractors can get costly to fix as well.weve got a 37yr old tractor thats retired because it needs a new front axel.the price for a used axel installed is over $2500 installed.thats a tad much.thats why we run basically new 4x4 tractors now.

 

[Brute 23]

30 years from now you're going to wish you remembered how they did it. Their way was easy...........They never had this high tech equipment that keeps going out etc.

Those old tractors and implements last longer and are pretty simple to fix too.

The best of any thing combines the old and the new. If your doing it just one way or the other, your missing out.

 

[Jake]

I try my best to go the path of least resistance. Our set up is a good example of what not to do when it comes to building a family business. Too many stubborn people and too many years of labor and $$ that each side seems to think are worth a different amount of equity. Not sure if thats the kind of issue your having but a sit down to line things out is in everybody's best interest and the sooner the better.

As far as day to day operational changes if you're not paying the bills its going to be real hard to implement change. Building something on your own is the only way really. It's always funny around here when they go and pull some move that was convenient for them at that time that makes a huge head ache for you and the reasoning usually sounds something like "some times I'm going to do what the **** I want and you're just going to have to deal with it"

 

[TexasBred]

30 years from now you're going to wish you remembered how they did it. Their way was easy...........They never had this high tech equipment that keeps going out etc.

I never heard my dad talk about anything htat was easy back in those old days. Everything was manual labor and plenty of it.

 

[ChrisB]

boogie them simple old tractors can get costly to fix as well.weve got a 37yr old tractor thats retired because it needs a new front axel.the price for a used axel installed is over $2500 installed.thats a tad much.thats why we run basically new 4x4 tractors now.

That's only 1-2 months of payments on a new one. What make and model is it?

 

[bigbull338]

its a 7700 cab with over 20,000hrs on the 2nd motor with fel .

 

[Jogeephus]

I'm a younger guy. 29. How do I get my grandpa and dad to listen to me a little bit about certain things I think they could improve on. They are kind of stuck in their ways because "that's always how it's been done".

I recently had a conversation with someone who went to college and specialized in cattle production. He is young and knows more than I will ever know about cattle and doing things right. He is going it on his own and was telling me how he has drained all his money and had to turn to his family for another loan to float his program. He IS doing everything right. Has great cattle, great genetics but he is losing his arse and would be bankrupt had his family not bailed him out with this recent loan. I explained to him that doing every thing RIGHT may not always be RIGHT. It might pay you to put down your knowledge a little and pay closer attention to why they are doing it the way they are doing it and like said go it alone with your money and show them your idea works .... if it truly does. Net profit is an excellent way to keep score.

 

[Nesikep]

Who's signature here was it that said "The easiest way to lose money is to do it the way grandpa did, the easiest way to lose ALL your money is to not do it how grandpa did"

 

[jedstivers]

Who's signature here was it that said "The easiest way to lose money is to do it the way grandpa did, the easiest way to lose ALL your money is to not do it how grandpa did"

I think Iso.

 

[Brute 23]

There are a lot of people who know a lot about cattle but nothing about business.

 

[rjbovine]

I started a small cow/calf operation after dad passed. Wish I had his knowledge to draw from. I think Brute 23 summed it up about right . rj

 

[backhoeboogie]

30 years from now you're going to wish you remembered how they did it. Their way was easy...........They never had this high tech equipment that keeps going out etc.

I never heard my dad talk about anything htat was easy back in those old days. Everything was manual labor and plenty of it.

With less overhead. No overhead. If we only would have had T posts back then!!!!

If someone wants to do something new - do it.

I think what we're hearing here is someone wants to do something new, with Dad or Grandad footing the bill.

It's still a free country. They can do anything they can afford.

 

[backhoeboogie]

There are a lot of people who know a lot about cattle but nothing about business.

Plenty of people exactly the opposite too. They are highly successful in business but fall flat when they get into cattle. A whole lot of them don't last very long in the cattle business.