Resilience was the theme of the Cultivate conference last month. Hugh shares his highlights of an outstanding event.
Across the land-based sector, change is perhaps the only constant.
This of course poses significant challenges for businesses and the individuals within them. While we may not have agency over these ongoing changes, we can control our subsequent actions.
Speaking at the Cultivate conference, Paul McGee – also known as 'The SUMO guy' shared his insight and thoughts on resilience and adapting to change.
SUMO stands for 'shut up and move on' but its direct translation is also 'change'.
It's important to remember that outcomes are not only determined by an event or change but also by our response to them. It's this part of a change or challenge – the elements we can control – that we should focus on, he said.
Paul explained the neuroscience behind the human response to change, including the 'fight or flight' response initiated by the amygdala in the brain. We are likely to have little control over this knee-jerk reaction. However, the rational part of our brain (the prefrontal cortex) is then able to take over and it is this that will determine what happens next.
The human brain is designed to prioritise our survival and therefore homes in on bad news and negative experiences, he explained. It is perfectly natural to need to 'wallow' while processing bad news, but it's important to dust yourself off and move on.
He encouraged delegates to consider failure as a vital part of success – he defined fail as a First Attempt In Learning – and suggested we ask ourselves seven questions when faced with a difficult situation:
- How bad is the situation on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being death/the end of the world?
- How important will this be in six months?
- Is my response appropriate and effective?
- How can I influence or improve the situation?
- What can I learn from this? Be your own coach, not critic.
- What would I do differently next time?
- What can I find that is positive in this situation?
Finally, he reminded us that our own perspective is not the only view of a situation. Using the analogy of a beach ball he said that every person will have a different view. Looking at the coloured beach ball some will see its red and blue segments, others blue and white. Everyone's view is correct – just different.
Other speakers included Tom Warner of Warner's Gin who described his journey to creating a successful and market-leading artisan gin business. He described his four 'non negotiables' in life and work: exercise, nutrition, authenticity and quality. To succeed as a small business, you have to have a clear point of difference and be persistent, he said.
"Stay in the game until the magic happens."
Warrendale Wagyu's Jim Bloom spoke about his own journey from first generation farmer to owner of a food business with a £70 million turnover. He encouraged fellow entrepreneurs to 'sweat their assets' making them work for them, and to keep a constant eye on future growth.
"Start with the customer and what they want, rather than what you have got."
Finally, Sammy Kinghorn shared her experiences of her recovery after a farm-based accident as a teenager and how she built her physical and mental resilience to become a paralympic athlete.
"If you don't believe you can, you won't," she advised.
These inspiring sessions were just one reason Cultura Connect was keen to sponsor Cultivate 2024. Unlike other conferences which focus on technical content, Cultivate offers motivation and insight aimed specifically for those with high aspirations in our sector.
Follow Cultivate's social media platforms for advance notice of next year's offering – you won't want to miss it!
