Vulnerability is not a word you hear bandied around in farming circles very often.

Although it can be of immense importance to anyone in a business and personal sense.

Dropping one’s ego, and being willing to admit you don’t know everything, can be extremely rewarding.

In relation to business, it can be quite empowering to ask others for advice, this is much more common now than it used to be. I find that most people are more than willing to share their knowledge if they are asked.

Information seeking can be ad hoc or it can be formalised. For the latter method, there are many groups’ farmers can join, and there is a myriad of topic choices that are offered.

Some groups are production focused; others are more numbers focused, and others are holistic in nature and offer access to multiple topics.

Being in the right headspace is the key to being open to the information that you are learning. Being curious and also being willing to make some mistakes along the way is a path to growth.

Personal growth is a choice that some people make, while others seem to pick up personal development skills by osmosis. Whatever is right for the individual is okay.

In my case, I purposely seek out personal growth opportunities that work for me. I have a life coach, Steph, from Live Life Coaching. I have learnt a lot about myself over this journey and being vulnerable has been a key takeaway for me.

Vulnerability is a strength and not a weakness.

Another group I am involved in is called Soul Pleaser. These sessions are conducted over Zoom and it’s incredible that a cohort of rural blokes – who may or may not have met each other – are willing to be so honest about what they are dealing with on a personal level.

There is no judgement, and the sense of compassion to what others are saying is real.

The power of the group in my view is that it’s such a safe space, and anyone can – and do – talk about anything they want. It’s also a classic example of what is said in the group stays within the group.

Interestingly, in pretty much every session someone else asks a question you want answered. The credit for this group goes to the founder of the program, Tracy Secombe.

Being willing to learn more about yourself will not only benefit the individual, but also those around them.

Getting an understanding of what makes people tick and where the subconscious beliefs have come from will answer a lot of questions for people around their behavior.

If this work is done, it can be a catalyst for growth for not only the individual, but for others around them. This normally permeates through to the business as well.

As humans, we can’t be expected to know everything and seeking out assistance makes sense on every level. Being curious and open to new perspectives will help individual growth beyond what can be imagined.