Elaine Froese advised families to create learning plans for young farmers to develop their skills and prepare for succession.
Succession remains a difficult subject for many farm businesses, with communication often a barrier to achieving a successful transition.
However, farmers are being encouraged to start broaching these conversations now, before a time of crisis.
Speaking at a recent AHDB event in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, farm family transition expert and coach, Elaine Froese, from Manitoba, Canada, said the industry needs to change the way it thinks about succession, as the ‘old way is not working'.
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Mrs Froese, also known as ‘Canada's farm whisperer' said conversations around succession often involve discussions about finances and death, which are two topics most families tend to avoid.
Mrs Froese said this avoidance was not only impacting the families themselves, but also the future of agriculture.
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She added: "The avoidance of conflict is killing agriculture all over the world, as is procrastination."
Therefore, Mrs Froese advised farmers that conflict in the context of succession was not always a bad thing, and that conflict resolution was a business risk management strategy and could lead to ‘good arguments'.
She said: "You can have really good arguments, because when you have better, robust conversations, you can have clarity."
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As a result, Mrs Froese said farming families needed to start having these conversations on succession now, and advised it was important to remain transparent in the process.
"You have no idea what your family is thinking, needing or wanting, because you have not had these conversations yet."
She added: "The more you want family harmony, the more you are going to have to open the box and stop keeping secrets."
When looking at the younger generation coming through, Mrs Froese advised young farmers to harness ‘the power of a letter' and write a letter to their parents, prompting conversations about the future.
She said: "Think about what you need your parents to understand. Do they know what you really want?"
She added: "And when was the last time you showed your parents some appreciation? But that also works both ways."
Mrs Froese said lack of appreciation in farming families was killing family harmony, with pride and stubbornness side lining farm businesses.
Looking to the older generations, Mrs Froese said some family members may struggle with succession planning due to fear of losing their identity or their wealth.
She said: "Ask your parents what a good day on the farm looks like for them going forwards and what does stepping back from the farm look like without stepping away?"
She said in some cases the younger generation's inexperience can also be a reason for older generations' reluctance to let go of farm equity.
In this case she advised families to create learning plans for young farmers to develop their skills and prepare for succession.
She said: "The gap between willingness and readiness is growing and part of the reason is due to personal development. Know what you do not know and figure out what you want in your learning plan. The stuff you do not know outsource, such as farm accounts."
She also advised families to consider their farm culture, especially around making mistakes.
She said: "What is the culture on your farm? Is there a culture on the farm that mistakes are okay? We are all lifelong learners but is there a fear of passing the baton to the inexperienced?"
