Mastering Ranch Communication: Terryn Drieling’s Insights on Leadership and Connection
Passing down the ranch to the next generation is a goal for many cattlemen and women. Achieving this goal requires specific skill sets and teams to help the process run smoothly. Among the most discussed skill sets in transition planning are traditional business skills. Run the ranch like a business and know your numbers, right? But there is one universal business and leadership skill that isn’t emphasized enough: communication.
Terryn Drieling, a Nebraska rancher and Enneagram coach, uses her passion for the Enneagram to help individual ranchers and families improve their communication and leadership skills. In her unique approach, Drieling connects the fundamentals of stockmanship to communicating with humans.
“In 2016, I was moving several hundred pairs by myself. As I got a few pairs started through the gate, I rode to the top of a hill and watched the other cows start to pick up their calves and follow. In that moment, I realized that the stockmanship phrase, good movement draws good movement, can also be applied to people,” said Drieling.
Good communication skills on ranches not only improve workplace safety but also create a positive environment and culture for families and employees.
“If we don’t have open lines of communication and connection in family operations, it can create unfavorable environments between generations. Depending on how long this is neglected, poor communication could lead to the end of a family operation,” Drieling said.
Every person on the ranch needs to cammunicate effectively during both low- and high-stress times, and each individual may have a slightly different communication style. So, what does good communication look like?
“Good communication looks like maintaining calmness and regulating our own emotions, even during high-stress times, so everyone understands the next steps and what you are asking them to do,” Drieling said.
Additionally, good communication can be as simple as staying curious about every situation. This might involve taking a moment to breathe and analyze a situation using knowledge instead of assumptions. It also includes asking honest questions in a neutral tone.
Honest questions are open-ended questions for which you don’t already know the answer. Examples include:
- How have things changed compared to when you started ranching?
- What outcome were you expecting?
- I see we aren’t on the same page. Is there something I can do to help?
- Was there something you didn’t understand in my directions? How would you like me to present directions so we are on the same page?
- Do you want advice, or do you want me to just listen?
Drieling encourages people to start asking these honest questions when the stakes are low, so others become accustomed to hearing them when the stakes are high.
Improving how you communicate—and how others communicate—starts with yourself.
“The first step to drawing good movement is having self-awareness, and the second step is having social awareness,” Drieling said.
Self-reflection in action can look like asking others to repeat back the directions you just gave them and being approachable if they need clarification. Even something as simple as asking how someone prefers to be communicated with can help you improve as a communicator.
After gaining self-awareness, improving communication is as simple as trial and error. Try different approaches or imagine yourself in the other person’s boots by asking how you’d want to be communicated with in that situation.
If you or someone you’re working with becomes highly reactive to their emotions, the steps to improve the situation are the same. Bring yourself back to the present by touching the fence, noticing how the reins feel in your hand, or rubbing notebook paper between your fingers. Additionally, taking one or two deep breaths can help you regulate your emotions and adjust your tone before asking an honest question.
“Taking deep breaths allows you to regulate your emotions and adjust your tone when you ask an honest question,” Drieling said. Pausing before speaking is an important part of communicating with others, especially when tension is high.
You don’t have control over how others act, but you can control your own actions.
“If you can regulate your emotions and remain calm, they might still have their own reaction. But you will be less affected by it, and the overall intensity of the situation will decrease,” Drieling explained.
Humans learn best through imitation. Set the example for others.
Remember, communication is a skill, and like any skill, it takes time and practice to master. Be patient with yourself and others during the process.
You can learn more communication tips for the ranch by following Terryn’s podcast, Good Movement Draws Good Movement.
