Danielle Ware-Dreier once managed the office as Shiloh Dairy in Brillion, Wis. Today, she has traded in paperwork for empowering people.
With more than 50 employees who look to her as their leader, Ware-Dreier knows each one by name. She knows their stories, their hardships and their shortcomings. But most importantly, she knows their potential and holds tight to the core belief that it is possible to “build good people.”
The proof of this high-performing team shows up in the parlor, where Ware-Dreier’s people skills and background in milk quality come together. Since stepping into the role of parlor manager three years ago, she led the efforts to reduce somatic cell counts down to 70,000, all while adding cows and switching bedding sources from sand to digested solids. As the dairy has grown, so has her influence, from managing milk harvesting to overseeing outside teams.
“If we can build good people, we can have a good team,” Ware-Dreier says. “If we can make them start over today and become a good person and learn respect and trust, that’s going to show in how they take care of the animals.”
She shares these foundational steps for building a culture rooted in respect at Shiloh Dairy:
1. Treat people with dignity. Give respect in order to build respect. “My big thing is getting to know every employee. I want to know their name. I want to know where they came from,” Ware-Dreier says.
2. Make clear rules. “We are very protocol-driven,” Ware-Dreier says. “There’s one way to milk cows here. There’s one way to calve a cow in here. And there’s no negotiating that.”
3.Hold people accountable. This is where dignity and clarity come together. With relationships built upon mutual respect, and clear, non-negotiable protocols in place, Ware-Dreier is strict about upholding the rules. A breach of protocol is met with reprimand, conversation, retraining and, in some cases, reassignment or releasing that employee if it becomes clear their intentions are not to follow the rules or respect others.
4. Cut hard, cut fast. For those employees who do not fit the culture of respect, there is low tolerance for keeping a team member simply to fill a spot. The parlor is the training grounds for new employees. Performance is evaluated at the end of the first day and the first week. Ware-Dreier looks for team members who show potential for being a culture fit and the capability of handling the work. Rather than invest in training a low-potential employee, she makes the hard cuts promptly.
5. Show appreciation. Whether it’s a holiday party or ice cream on a hot day, Ware-Dreier believes simple gestures that acknowledge hard work, extra efforts and accomplishing goals go a long way.
“I love watching people grow,” Ware-Dreier concludes. “I’m hoping when they leave here, their life is better because of us.”
From the Uplevel Dairy Podcast: The Making of a Manager: Danielle Ware-Dreier, Shiloh Dairy (Ep. 268) (https://open.spotify.com/episode/6xOLqhl5Bd4oUsUfVpIcp5?si=CIUBCaA8QyeqaY9-lz5qQA)
