𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨 𝐏𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝐆𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐩 𝐆𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐬… 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐨𝐲𝐬

This morning, I’m enjoying my cup of coffee as the sun peeks over the horizon. My thoughts are muddled, turning over a mix of things, most of them about the unfairness we all seem to run into: unfair rain coverage, unfair communication, unfair impressions.

Yesterday brought scattered rains to our area. At our place, we received three-quarters of an inch. The plants looked like they were breathing a sigh of relief this morning. Not everyone nearby was as fortunate, but we are grateful for what we received.

Lately, I have been thinking about how our industry is shaped by news, rumors, and “information” that comes from outside sources. Often, it lands hardest on the people actually doing the work. The ones raising pigs or planting crops are left reacting to decisions made far away.

A post circulating in my network this week outlined the characteristics of bad managers; it struck a chord. So did a conversation with a friend who shared how he approaches one-on-one meetings with his team. His consistent, open style made me reflect on how little of that I experienced in some of my past roles.

And more personally, I keep replaying a conversation with a former boss where Executive Team gossip somehow became truth. The lack of communication between us gave those rumors a foothold; it turned assumptions into conclusions.

With all those thoughts cooking in my head, I do not have a tidy message today. I am just doing what needs to be done, working through the hurdles in front of me, and keeping my eyes on what is next.