When Small Jobs Make the Biggest Difference
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This week was another busy one, there were a lot of little things in between that don’t make it onto a list but still take up time and matter to the operation. Monday we got pairs shipped up to the BLM lease and fixed tank and water issues. Tuesday I monitored grass conditions, water systems, mineral consumption, and health. Wednesday pulled cleanup bulls from AI groups, put out block, and moved AI’ed heifers out of the river bottom and into a new pasture to prepare for strip grazing. Thursday I built hot fence around a low spot where cows kept getting back through, doctored cows for pinkeye, and treated calves for respiratory. Friday and Saturday were spent replacing hoses and nozzles on the sprayer, extending the hot fence, putting pairs back again, and getting more horses shod. That only scratches the surface of the week, but it shows the variety of jobs that have to be done to keep things moving.
A lot of this is preventing problems. When everything is working, we don’t think much about a tank, fence, sprayer nozzle, or mineral program. But when those things stop working, they suddenly scale to become everyone’s problem. Looking back at the week, a lot of time was spent on jobs that were really about staying ahead.
I also learned that there is value in paying attention to small details. Checking grass, water systems, health, and fence do not seem like major accomplishments at the end of the day. You may only get a couple calves doctored for a 30 minute haul. Missing one small issue can create a much bigger problem later. The people who are good at this seem to notice things before they become obvious, and that is a skill I want to develop.
This week made me challenge the idea that the most important work is always the biggest or most visible work. It is easy to think that shipping cattle, moving large groups, or building something new are the jobs that matter most. Those things are important, but I am starting to see that a lot of success comes from work that nobody really notices when it is done right.
For example, replacing parts on a sprayer is not exciting, and neither is fixing fence. But if those jobs are ignored, they eventually create bigger headaches. The same goes for treating health issues early. Some of the most valuable work on a ranch is the work that prevents future problems rather than solving current ones.
At this point I still have questions about how experienced managers decide what deserves attention first. Some issues need immediate attention while others can wait. I also want to learn more about what the older guys notice when they look at range conditions from their eyes, and how I can pick up on that better.
This week showed me that I need to pay more attention to the little things. It is easy to focus on the obvious job in front of me, but I want to get better at noticing the details that affect how things run down the road. If I can learn to spot problems earlier, I can help prevent them instead of reacting to them. Experience is often the ability to recognize problems before they become problems. That is something I hope to improve on throughout the summer. Good management is less about doing big things often and more about consistently doing the small things well.
Submitted by: Jace_Miller
Edits by: GrowinG Internship Team
