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• Time Management

Time Management

Improving time management on a dairy farm enables better control over the business in addition to the obvious benefits of improved productivity and reduced waste and frustration.

The People in Dairy program has simple time management tips for dairy farmers.

Program leader, Dr Pauline Brightling, said it’s very easy to become time-pressed by the daily demands of dairy farming.

“It’s not hard to turn that around by taking a little time to think ahead about what needs to be done, who is going to do it and when it needs to be done by,” she said.

“Planning ahead helps you prioritise the more important tasks so that they get done first and time isn’t wasted on unimportant tasks.
Having confidence that the important tasks will get done in time reduces stress and creates a calmer, more controlled environment for everyone involved.

The People in Dairy website has a series of practical tips from farmers who manage their time well. Their ideas include preparing seasonal calendars, using a wall planner, using technology such as mobile phones, SMS messages for reminders and identifying tasks that could be done by someone else, for example time-consuming jobs that prevent other jobs getting done.