Greg Lahaie is retiring from Red Wing Software this week. You’ve most likely spoken to Greg if you’ve called our support team in the last 20 years. Greg has been employed with Red Wing Software since 1994, was away for a couple of years, and has been back since 2000. Greg and his wife, Jean, have been married for 42 years. They have three children that live in England, Virginia and Minnesota, and five grandchildren. Their grandchildren keep them busy watching their softball and soccer games, going to concerts, etc. They also love to travel. Having traveled to all 50 states, over 30 countries, and four of the seven continents, Greg is our go to person if we have a travel question.
Retirement plans include traveling to more national parks and monuments and convincing his wife to go to Antarctica. They will continue to be Minnesota Twins season ticket holders and will go watch them in different cities to add to the 11 they have seen them at so far. Grandkids, reading, riding bicycles, occasionally playing golf, and fishing will fill in the rest of the time.
We’ve tried many different ways to get Greg to come in and work occasionally or even provide his cell number to call so we can ask him questions, but so far he hasn’t agreed. We will miss his professional expertise and his friendship. Hopefully he will have some free time to stop in or go to lunch. Best wishes in your retirement Greg!
Good internal communication is important to the success of any organization. How often does someone know something that should really be common knowledge, but for some reason that information is not shared with others in the organization who could benefit from it? Obviously, there are some things that need to be kept confidential, like personal employee information protected by HIPPA laws, etc. But most information, while not necessarily public, should be shared within the walls of the organization so everyone has an opportunity to contribute to the success of the business.
At Red Wing Software, we use a weekly internal newsletter to provide employees with the happenings inside the organization. Leaders of each department contribute information from their respective areas that they feel the rest of the team should, or would like to, know. In addition to structured departments, we also operate many teams that are specific to a particular project and include members from multiple departments. This is where communication can break down.
In the team meetings, ideas for new features, changes, or even new products are created. As these ideas are discussed, requirements are defined and refined, user interfaces are designed, test scenarios are determined, programming and documentation are completed, and voilà, the project is complete. The only problem is, sometimes everyone on the team becomes so involved in the process and has spent so much time talking about every detail, that they assume it is common knowledge to the entire organization, so they occasionally, and unintentionally, forget to share an important detail. I only use this as one example of how information can unintentionally be kept secret, when it should be shared with the entire organization so they can be included in the excitement about new happenings in the organization. Does this happen in your organization?
- Ken Hilton, President
Vir-Clar Farms, featured in Progressive Dairyman
Vir-Clar Farms was featured in the December 12, 2016 issue of Progressive Dairyman. In the story entitled “Visitor Center Gives Modern View of Dairying”, Katie Grinstead shares details about the farm’s new visitor center.
Yorek Farm, featured in Dairy Star Magazine
Yorek Farm was featured in a story in the December 10, 2016 issue of Dairy Star Magazine. In the story, “A Fine-Tuned Dairy”, the entire Yorek family helps explain their progress in expanding their operation.
SunBurst Dairy, featured in Hoard’s Dairyman
SunBurst Dairy was featured in a story in the November 28, 2016 issue of Hoard’s Dairyman. In the story, “Nutrition Sets up Reproductive Success”, Brian Brown of SunBurst Dairy explains their nutrition program and methods to increase reproductive success.
Shrimpf Farms, featured in Dairy Star Magazine
Kristin Schrimpf of Shrimpf Farms was personally featured in the November 12, 2016 issue of Dairy Star Magazine. In the story, “What is the Value of Networking with Other Women in the Industry?”, Kristin shares her background in dairy farming.
Dorrich Dairy, featured in Dairy Star Magazine
Dorrich Dairy was the subject of the story, “A Novel Bedding System”, which appeared in the November 26, 2016 issue of Dairy Star Magazine. The story elaborates on Dorrich Dairy’s new composting system.