In this episode of the Uplevel Dairy Podcast, we are gearing up for the Farm Forward Conference on March 27 with Kristy Pagel of Leading Edge Consulting speaking on navigating difficult conversations. This conversation previews Kristy's guidance for managers who avoid confrontation, emphasizing that hard conversations can strengthen bonds and improve retention. She outlines starting with root-cause identification, fact gathering, and objective measures, and shares an employee analyzer matrix (head/skills, heart/passion, capacity/time) plus an added column on willingness to reinvest with a timeframe, sometimes having employees self-assess. Kristy coaches three mindset skills—confidence, active listening, and forward-looking outcomes—and notes common sticking points are initial courage and follow-up.

Join us for the Farm Forward Conference

Friday, March 27, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center

7001 Gass Lake Rd, Manitowoc, WI

Register Here: https://pci.jotform.com/form/260474594709165

00:00 Farm Forward Invite

01:11 Why Hard Talks Matter

02:21 Find the Root Cause

03:19 Employee Analyzer Tool

04:46 Reinvest or Reassign

08:05 Manager Mindset Trio

10:38 Forward Looking Plans

11:58 Where People Get Stuck

13:36 Uplevel Five Q and A

19:09 Wrap Up and Contact