Meeting Rhythms and Team Reporting

As we are not fully ‘hands-on’, we like to keep in touch with our staff. We have found the best approach is to have structured meetings. We set the meeting days and times in advance to ensure that our staff (and we) can prepare.

The table below represents the meeting rhythms of the Ditchfield Group. Staff do not need to attend the first two meetings in this list. We have also listed the reporting we expect from our operational management team (Farm Manager and 2IC).

MEETING / FREQUENCY / ATTENDEES / SUPPORTING REPORTS / DETAILS OF REPORTS PREPARED BY STAFF
Advisory Board Meeting / Quarterly / Directors
Advisory Board /
  • Agenda
  • Manager’s report
  • Cashflow reports
  • Quarterly topic related
/ Manager’s report
Template report completed quarterly. Emailed to Admin 12 days prior to scheduled meeting.
Governance Meeting / Weekly on
Sunday / Directors /
  • Agenda
  • Action list

Operational Meeting / Weekly on Wednesdays / OperationalDirector
Farm Manager
2IC (every 2nd week) /
  • Agenda
  • Weekly Pasture management worksheets
  • Action list and Purchase requests
  • Daily records sheet
  • Inventory stocktake
/ Agenda (Weekly Operational Meeting)
Template agenda that once completed becomes the weekly report. Emailed to Admin 2 days prior to scheduled meeting.
Weekly Pasture Management worksheets
Template worksheet emailed to Admin 2 days prior to scheduled meeting.
Action list/Purchase requests
Completed at the meeting. Records the actions arising from the Operational Meetings and documents any requests for supplies for the farm (to be signed off by Director).
Daily records sheet
Covers the operational detail of the farm. Detail recorded daily. Emailed to Admin by 10am every Tuesday.
Inventory stocktake
Stocktake of inventory on hand (minerals, drugs etc). Completed monthly,submitted to Farm Manager with purchase requests in time for monthly operational meeting.
Financial Analysis & Operational Meeting / Monthly
(2nd Wednesday of each month) / Operational Director
Financial Director
Farm Manager /
  • Agenda
  • Farm comparison data
  • Actual vs Budget Financial Performance Update*
/ Agenda (Monthly Operational Meeting)
Template agenda that once completed becomes the monthly report. Supplied by Managerat meetingandInventory Stocktake report from 2IC (above).
*Managers to be prepared to discuss variances against budgeted financial performance.
Discussion Group / Quarterly / Full Team /
  • Quarterly topic related
/ If staff have attended specific courses then a brief overview of their learning is presented to the Ditchfield Group.
Staff catch up / Daily / Farm Manager
Team on the day / Calf records
Emailed to Admin every 3-4 days during calving.
Timesheets (all staff to complete and give to 2IC)
Submitted to Admin fortnightly.
Rosters (Farm Manager and 2IC)
Emailed to Admin by 3rd of month (last month’s actual roster and this month’s planned roster).
Herd and Shed Records
Emailed to Admin by 3rd of month.

Colour key to main reporting: Director; Farm Manager; 2IC