Farm succession fails on communication, not legal or financial mechanics, Master of Management in Agribusiness graduate William Crofskey says.

His Lincoln University research found that reliance on implicit, indirect communication leaves the owner and successor each assuming the message being conveyed.

“These comments imply succession without having that direct conversation about it,” he says.

Crofskey says the fix is talking early, bringing in a third-party communicator, and starting with what each person wants from the farm before bringing all parties together.

For the Rural Coach’s Thriving Farming Familes E-Book to help guide succession planning visit: www.ruralcoach.co.nz/thriving-farming-families-ebook-series/

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