GRAND FORKS, N.D. - When people hear the word "resilience," they sometimes think "tough" or "grit." Dennis Hoiberg says that's a mistake.
"Resilience is the ability to bounce forward, not back, through change and adversity," says Hoiberg, who's billed as "The Resilience Whisperer."
He also says farmers, who sometimes like to think of themselves as resilient, are in fact stubborn, a trait that can work against them, especially in tough times.
Hoiberg, from Melbourne, Australia, spoke with Agweek Dec. 12 on the first day of the two-day Prairie Grains Conference at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks, N.D. Hoiberg gave presentations on both days.
Upwards of 900 people attended the annual event, considered by some to be the unofficial start of the farm meeting season in northeast North Dakota and northwest Minnesota.
ADVERTISEMENT
Prairie Grains was sponsored by the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers, North Dakota Barley Council, Minnesota Barley Council, Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, Northland Community & Technical College, Minnesota Farm Bureau and the North Dakota Grain Growers Association.
The event provides specific information on wheat, soybeans and barley, as well as general information on weather, marketing, politics, finance and more. This year, with concern growing about tough economic conditions in area agriculture, Hoiberg was brought in to provide his perspectives on overcoming adversity.
Hoiberg, who grew up in Australian agriculture, said he lived through tough times, both economic and emotional, in his country's dairy industry. Those experiences encouraged him to help others in ag survive and thrive through tough times.
Too often, people going through tough times, or know other people who are, stress the importance of "thinking happy thoughts" or other feel-good efforts to keep up their spirits, he said.
A much better approach is to be proactive, reaching out to people such as lenders, friends or clergy members who can provide concrete help, he said.
"Resilience isn't about being happy or sad. It's about doing something to make things better," he said.
Hoiberg, whose humor-laden presentation included lessons from cartoon TV star Homer Simpson and legendary Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, offered a number of "guiding principles" in resiliency. They include:
• "It's far better for you to do something than nothing at all."
ADVERTISEMENT
• "It's all about relationships. When you have good, effective relationships in the workplace, you can talk through stuff."
• "Remember there's a thing called 'the line'" - which means "you can't be responsible for another person."
His suggestions on what to say to friends and acquaintances enduring tough times include "I'm here for you," "If I can help, just tell me how," and, perhaps most usefully, "I'm not quite sure what I can do for you, mate, but together we can sort something out."
Hoiberg also recommended HOPE - consisting of habit, optimism, plan and enacting - as a realistic approach in building and maintaining resiliency.
Look for articles on other speakers at this year's Prairie Grains Conference in the Dec. 24 issue of Agweek.
