b'CONTRA-SEASON PRODUCTIONHarnessing Coveys 7 Habits to Build Stronger RelationshipsNICOLS SAHLI CEO, CIS Agronsahli@cischile.clcischile.clCIS AgroI AM ALWAYSstriving to become a better person. In myconcept Covey outlinesthe importance of win-win in every journey to become a better father, husband, leader and boss, Inegotiation. If we have win-lose, or lose-lose, one or both parties look for books and podcasts that offer guidance. One resourceare going to leave feeling depleted and not feeling understood. that deeply impacted me is Stephen Coveys 7 Habits of HighlyNeither of these negative outcomes are beneficial. Effective People. I have been reflecting on how these concepts apply to our What stood out to me the most is the concept of the emo- contra-season services.tional bank account. Covey explains that every interaction isWe are honoured when clients trust us to multiply their seeds, either a deposit, by delivering trust and transparency, or a with- and we honour that with full transparency. In agriculture, there is drawal when we do the opposite. Any human has at some pointalways the chance that despite best efforts something doesnt go felt the sting of having someone mislead us, and we know howcompletely as expected. We are always going to be 100% honest depleting that is.with our clients so we can problem solve together. We want to Building on this, Covey emphasizes the importance of seek- keep the emotional bank account full. ing first to understand and then to be understood. This can beWe also take the time to understand potential clients needs a challenge in our distraction-filled world, but whether with aand ensure we can meet those needs before we sign any con-family member, client or colleague, we build relationship when wetracts. With that understanding, we arrive at the desired win-win.actively listen. This allows us to ask clarifying questions, and whenAs the CEO of a family-owned company, Im committed to we truly understand their perspective, we can offer our own. building long-term, genuine relationships. Incorporating these When we are in tune with idea of the emotional bank accounthabits is key to achieving that goal.and understand and then be understood, it leads well to anotherHave you read Coveys book? What resonated most with you? PRODUCTIONMAHA: Threat or Opportunity for Seed Companies?JIM SCHWEIGERT President, Gro Alliancejim.schweigert@groalliance.comgroalliance.com@GroAllianceTHE MAKE AMERICAN HEALTHY AGAIN(MAHA) initia- lower margins, and left US producers subject to global market tive is making waves up and down the entire seed, ag, and foodprice fluctuationsand political winds. Seed companies have supply chains. Health and Human Services Secretary, Robertbeen stuck in the middle between input suppliers looking to F. Kennedy, Jr., has proposed wide-ranging and far-reachingextract as much from farmers as possible and farmers looking to changes to food, feed, fuel, and fiber production that couldpay as little as possible. The squeeze is real.have significant impacts on seed companies and farmers. ManyIs there any reason to be optimistic, though?wonder if such transformational ideas are actual goals or justAs of 2006, U.S. corn acres were under 80 million, and only anchor points from which the administration will work toward64 million acres of soybeans were planted in 2007. This rapid more modest changes. increase in acreage is striking. At a recent ag reception in DC, This uncertainty has companies and farmers uneasy. someone remarked, You dont have to ban HFCS to get rid of it. Agriculture can struggle to pivot quickly. Farming, movingJust reduce crop insurance for corn or tweak the subsidies and grain, crushing oilseeds, and handling billions of tons of com- cane sugar looks a lot better. Current farm bill negotiations are modity products requires huge capital investments that typicallyunpredictable, and small adjustments to government support have low margins. These investments take years to complete andcould significantly impact commodity crop acreage in 2026.decades to pay off. My advice is worth about as much as you paid to read this That explains why talking about eliminating seed oils or ban- article! But I would take a wait-and-see approach before making ning high-fructose corn syrup will get you thrown out of justany major capital investments in commodity crops. Also, start about every small-town diner! Demand for billions of bushels ofhaving conversations with suppliers and breeders of smaller acre soybeans and corn would vanish overnight. Catastrophe. crops. If a few ideas come to fruition, diversifying could pay off. In The glass half-full perspective is intriguing, though. Producingshort, an industry that plans in 10-15 year cycles may need to be undifferentiated commodities has led to farm consolidation,more nimble.42/ SEEDWORLD.COMJUNE 2025'