It’s Just Professional to Communicate in Ways That Avoid Stuff Ups

We rely too much on a quick chat at the paddock or a phone call while on the way to a job.

Our memory can be shocking with everything we have going on in our day-to-day life.

We might have said, or been told, “Spray Paddock 4 starting at the north,” but the contractor or operator heard, “Spray Paddock 4.”

When you put it in writing, whether text or email, there is less room for miscommunication.

It is not about not trusting the bloke. It is about giving him the tools to do the job without second-guessing himself, and him doing the best job he can.

I did a planting season over in Western Australia. Large country, crazy paddocks. I am talking rocks on rocks, and some rocks that were as big as a quarter-acre block. Unbelievable stuff.

Every arvo shift I clocked in, the grower had every paddock map on paper in the cab.

He would show me our current location, what had been planted, show me the rocks on the map, and talk me through ways to attack each part of the paddock.

I listened, but I found myself going back to the map often.

His instructions just flowed so bloody well, and it all came together from what he explained and what was on the map.

It got to the point where I actually learnt very quickly how this grower wanted me to do things, and it made me a bloody good, productive asset to his business.

Don’t Ruin All of Your Hard Work or the Neighbours, Mate

Spraying is a bloody risky task. A fair few things can go wrong.

We set a header up wrong, we throw grain on the ground or a load gets rejected.

You get spraying wrong and she can be show over for you and the neighbours, for who knows how far.

After all, if it is an inversion, the coarse droplets have made contact, but all that fine product is just locked in, getting ready to send it 1km up to 60km.

One mistake and the season is done.

The GRDC spray drift resource is worth reading if you want more detail on hazardous surface temperature inversions and spray drift risk.

This is not a legal document, and we are not lawyers. This is a checklist so you can give a clear set of instructions that leaves zero room for guessing.

PADDOCK: [Insert Paddock Name]
HECTARES: [Insert Ha]
TARGET: [Weed/Pest Type]
PRODUCT 1: [Name] @ [Rate mL/Ha]
PRODUCT 2: [Name] @ [Rate mL/Ha]
PRODUCT 3: [Name] @ [Rate mL/Ha]
PRODUCT 4: [Name] @ [Rate mL/Ha]
PRODUCT 5: [Name] @ [Rate mL/Ha]
PRODUCT 6: [Name] @ [Rate mL/Ha]
PRODUCT 7: [Name] @ [Rate mL/Ha]
PRODUCT 8: [Name] @ [Rate mL/Ha]
WATER RATE: [L/Ha]
FILL UP POINT: [Location of water & fitting type/size]
MIX ORDER: [If critical, list here]
AGRONOMIST: [Name & Phone Number]
NEIGHBOURS: [Watch out for the house/cotton on North boundary]
WIND TRENDS: [E.g., Wind usually shifts East at 2pm]
OBSTACLES: [E.g., Watch out for the washout in the NW corner]
PADDOCK CONDITION: [E.g., Boggy in the middle, stick to the edges]
WEATHER LIMITS: Stop if Delta T is > [Number] or Wind is > [km/h]
OTHER DETAILS: [Any other specific instructions]
CONTRACTOR NOTES: [Reply with confirmation or questions]
UHF CHANNEL: [E.g. Channel 17]
EMERGENCY CONTACT: [Name, Number, Job Role]

The Less That Goes Wrong the Better, Let’s Harvest Some Crop

Harvest is a bloody unreal time.

The adrenaline we all feel, the excitement, and being thankful we all get a chance to do what we love for another year.

But out of all that, there are a lot of moving parts.

Trucks getting held up at grain receival, breakdowns, fires, and all the other situations that come with the game.

At this time of year, planning, prior preparation and communication prevent piss poor performance.

Here is a checklist that hopefully helps with communication.

PADDOCK: [Insert Paddock Name]
ENTRY GATE: [Location/GPS Pin]
PADDOCK CONDITION/HAZARDS: [E.g., Watch out for the washout in the NW corner / Boggy patch in the south, washouts, rocks, powerlines]
CROP TYPE: [Wheat/Barley/Canola/Etc.]
VARIETY: [Insert Variety Name]
STUBBLE HEIGHT: [Cut height requirement]
MOISTURE LIMIT: Start at [x]%, Stop at [x]%
NGR NUMBER: [Insert Number]
DELIVERY LOCATION: [On-Farm: Silo/Bunker Number / Off-Farm: GrainCorp/Cube Location]
UHF CHANNEL: [Channel Number]
FIRE FIGHTER LOCATION: [E.g., Parked at the main gate / In the corner of the paddock]
HYGIENE: [Blow down requirements before entering]
OTHER DETAILS: [Anything else]
IN AN EMERGENCY: [E.g., Call 000 first, then call me on UHF 15]
EMERGENCY CONTACT: [Name & Mobile Number]
CONTRACTOR NOTES: [I.e. Concaves, header settings, feedback]

Have a Good Reputation, Be the Place Everyone Wants to Work

Our world is small and word gets around.

Being good at communicating and just being organised drives contractors to want to work for you and make you a priority.

By using these simple templates, you are showing a clear line of expectation and respect for everyone working for you.

So the question is, what is your standard?

At the end of the day, the standard you set is what you will get.

At Broadacre Contracting, we work on Respect, Reliability and Responsibility.

We set pretty decent standards and are proactively helping growers and contractors be better.

We are simply removing the rubbish. We do not babysit bad behaviour.

We will be the first to admit it is bloody hard, but it is a lot better in the long run.