Page 57 - strategicfactbook

STRENGTHS
We found the Michigan Farm Bureau to be a strong and thriving organization. In fact, the list of strengths is almost as long as our recommendations. We hope this list will help you appreciate your organization and take pride in your strengths.
• Focus on the Grassroots. Farm Bureaus across the country pride themselves on being grassroots organizations. But we found the emphasis on grassroots in Michigan was very real. It is clear that farmers are making decisions here. We appreciated the ways you have used study committees to explore key issues. We were impressed at the number of leaders involved in policy development, and the number of members who attend events and participate in the young farmer competitive events.
• Emphasis on the Member Experience: We asked many people what they thought were priorities of the organization, and also what the organization did well. A common response to both those questions was “deliver a great experience to our members.” It is unusual to hear such consistency across an organization, and it was especially noteworthy that delivering a great experience was also cited as one of the strengths of the organization.
• Quest for Excellence. We found that both staff and volunteers seem open to feedback and constantly strive to improve. People did not seem content with simply continuing to do things well. They want to do things ever better. This was especially evident in the CEO and management team.
• Committee Volunteers: We were very impressed with the volunteer leaders we met during this process. They were committed, thoughtful, proud of the organization and felt a strong sense of ownership. They recognize and value the friendships they have made in the organization and the opportunities they have had because of their involvement in Farm Bureau.
• Outstanding Staff: Everyone we met with recognized and appreciated the organization’s staff. They were described as committed, remarkable, positive, creative and professional. Volunteers also appreciated that the staff knows them and welcomes them by name. We appreciated the mix of seasoned staff and fresh faces and noted the low staff turnover rates. We also noted that staff felt like a part of the Farm Burau family, and there was a sense of loyalty to each other and to the board. The field representatives were valued by home office staff, and they seemed to be kept in the communication loop.
We wanted to give special thanks to the staff who coordinated the Lansing Legislative Seminar. The peer review team got to attend portions of that event, including the Vice President’s speech, and it was an outstanding event.
• Innovation: We were impressed at the organization’s ability to evolve and innovate to meet changing member needs. We saw several examples of this that we’d like to highlight:
o YF&R and P&E Committees changing their structure in response to the recent redistricting.
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