People-focused culture pays dividends for dairy farm
At Stocken Farm near Princes Risborough, introducing more structure into the dairy business has strengthened team communication and leadership. In addition, it has built the next generation’s confidence when taking responsibility.
Working with Paul Harris at Real Success helped the West family step back from the day-to-day demands of farming and properly assess how the business operated as a team. Through personality profiling, leadership development and clearer management structures, the family created a more cohesive workplace across their 410-ha dairy, beef and arable enterprise.
Today, they milk around 420 Holstein Friesian cows three times a day, alongside running arable and beef enterprises, supported by a 16-person team ranging from full-time staff to part-time workers.
For Charlotte West, who runs the dairy side of the business as herd manager, the changes have helped create a clearer sense of direction not only for the farm, but for the people within it.
Previously, Charlotte’s father Richard oversaw the whole farm, while her mother Maxine, managed the office and administration. However, as the next generation became more involved, Charlotte recognised the need for clearer roles, communication and leadership.
“There was never a rota and I used to think, how does everyone know what they’re doing?” Charlotte says. “People did know, because they’d always done it the same way, but there wasn’t really any structure behind it.”
That’s when Paul stepped in, after Charlotte watched one of his webinars – encouraged by Maxine. “I rang him up and asked if he’d come and see us.”
Paul began by working with the family directly, asking difficult questions that had often been avoided in day-to-day farm life.
“He asks the questions you don’t really want to answer,” Charlotte says. “He asked us: ‘What do you want from this business?’ And you realise you don’t actually know, because you’ve never sat down and had the conversation.”
Those discussions became the foundation for major management structure changes within the business. Through personality profiling, the family discovered how differently they all approached work and decision-making.
Charlotte was identified as a ‘visionary investigator’, a personality type that is highly driven, detail-focused and naturally inclined to take responsibility.
“Mum and Dad are actually very similar, which apparently is quite unusual,” Charlotte explains. “My brother Robert and I are complete opposites, but that works really well in a team because you’ve got a bit of everything.”
“I like understanding why we’re doing something and where we’re trying to get to,” she says. “I can be quite blunt and critical at times, but it also means I’ll make decisions and push things forward.”
Robert, meanwhile, was identified as more of a ‘team maker’, with strengths in practical problem solving and supporting the wider team. “He hates conflict and he’s naturally quieter, but he’s amazing at maintenance and fixing things,” Charlotte says. “He has talents that just come naturally to him.”
Following the profiling work, the family established clearer leadership roles. Charlotte became herd manager, taking responsibility for the cows and dairy staff, while Robert stepped into a more defined arable management role. Their father remained involved across the business, but with a clearer management structure underneath him.
The next step was bringing the wider team into the process, so all staff were profiled, with Charlotte and Robert explaining the new structure and responsibilities. Despite initial concerns about how long-standing employees might react, the response was overwhelmingly positive.
“The old herdsman was in his 60s and I thought there could be some pushback,” Charlotte admits. “But actually, he really supported me. He took me under his wing and showed me so much, because he had all that experience.
“At first people would still just go straight to Dad,” she adds. “But gradually it became more normal for them to come to me or Robert, and if we didn’t know the answer, we’d go and find out and come back to them.”
Alongside the clearer structure, the business has also maintained the people-focused culture Charlotte values most. “One thing I’ve learned from Dad is to look after your staff,” she says. “I don’t think he’s ever denied holiday unless someone asks for something impossible at the last minute. If people want time off, we try and make it work.”
Looking back, Charlotte believes bringing in external support gave the family the opportunity to have conversations they may never otherwise have prioritised. “Having someone there asking those questions forces you to create the time to talk properly,” she says. “It helped us understand ourselves better, each other better and build a business structure that works for all of us.”
Farm facts:
- 420 Holstein Friesian cows milked three times a day
- Team of 16 employees comprising full and part time
- 410ha
- Mixed dairy, beef and arable system
- Around 12,000 litres/cow per year
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