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Oct. 16, 2024

Ep192 Mark Farmer - Why Leadership Development Is Critical

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Get Unstuck & On Target

In this episode of Get Unstuck & On Target, host Mike O'Neill sits down with Mark Farmer, a decorated Air Force veteran turned HR leader, to unpack the often-overlooked strengths military veterans bring to civilian leadership roles.

Mark reveals the intense leadership training military members receive before taking on management positions - a stark contrast to many civilian organizations. He shares how this rigorous preparation equips veterans with invaluable skills in communication, accountability, and crisis management.

But the insights don't stop there.

Mike and Mark dive deep into the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life, offering practical advice for both veterans and the organizations looking to hire them. Mark emphasizes the importance of finding a strong cultural fit, noting how veterans often seek purpose-driven work environments that align with their values.

The conversation takes an unexpected turn when Mark drops a bombshell statistic: 69% of people say their manager has a greater impact on their health than their doctor, therapist, or even their spouse. This revelation underscores the critical importance of effective leadership development programs.

Drawing from his experience at Grain Craft, Mark outlines a comprehensive approach to leadership training that goes beyond surface-level skills. He stresses the need for ongoing coaching and mentorship, explaining how these practices can dramatically reduce turnover rates and boost employee engagement.

Mike contributes his own insights on the distinction between consulting and coaching, highlighting how the right questions can unlock hidden potential in employees. 

Whether you're a veteran looking to transition to civilian leadership, an HR professional seeking to improve your organization's leadership development program, or a manager aiming to have a more positive impact on your team, this episode is packed with actionable advice and thought-provoking ideas.

Tune in for an episode that might just change the way you think about leadership, veterans, and the power of asking the right questions.

Transcript

00:00:00:00 - 00:00:06:01
Mark Farmer
the average veteran transitioning out of the military into the civilian workforce,

 

00:00:06:01 - 00:00:18:19
Mark Farmer
they're coming out with bachelor's degrees. Some have master's degree. They mean they've been in leadership roles for many years. They've led teams in some really hostile environments to where there's there's chaos,

 

00:00:18:19 - 00:00:20:20
Mark Farmer
they're looking for a place to fit in.

 

00:00:23:09 - 00:00:33:05
Mike O'Neill
welcome to Get Unstuck and On Target, the weekly podcast that offers senior leaders insights and strategies to not only lead with competence and vision,

 

00:00:33:09 - 00:00:36:05
Mike O'Neill
but also to achieve groundbreaking results.

 

00:00:36:16 - 00:00:46:16
Mike O'Neill
I'm your host, Mike O'Neill. I coach top level executives on the power of ethical leadership to forge teams to be as united as they are effective

 

00:00:47:15 - 00:00:48:17
Mike O'Neill
in each episode.

 

00:00:48:22 - 00:00:58:24
Mike O'Neill
Join me for insightful conversations with leaders just like you, providing practical advice to help you get unstuck and propel you and your company forward.

 

00:00:59:22 - 00:01:00:23
Mike O'Neill
Let's get started.

 

00:01:05:17 - 00:01:32:15
Mike O'Neill
Welcome to Get Unstuck in On Target. I'm your host, Mike O'Neill. And today we're diving into the world of leadership development coaching and the unique perspective that military veterans bring to the civilian workforce. My guest is Mark farmer. He's a senior manager of HR at Green Craft. Mark's journey from the military service to corporate HR leadership offers valuable insights for leaders of all sectors.

 

00:01:32:17 - 00:01:57:14
Mike O'Neill
As an executive coach, I'm particularly excited about this conversation because it touches on several critical aspects of effective leadership. The power of structured leadership development programs. The transformative impact of coaching in the workplace, and the untapped potential of military veterans in civilian roles. One key takeaway that I hope you'll gain is the importance of intentionality and developing leaders.

 

00:01:57:16 - 00:02:24:16
Mike O'Neill
As Mark shares his experience creating green class leadership program. Notice how he emphasizes need assessment, cross-functional collaboration, and measurable outcomes. As you listen, I encourage you to reflect on your own leadership journey. Are you investing in your development and that of your team? Are you leveraging coaching techniques to empower your staff? Remember, great leadership isn't just about authority.

 

00:02:24:19 - 00:02:36:05
Mike O'Neill
It's about inspiring others and driving real results. So let's dive into my conversation with Mark and explore how we can all become more effective. Inspiring leaders.

 

00:02:36:05 - 00:03:02:22
Mike O'Neill
Joining me is Mark farmer. Mark is a senior manager of HR at Grain Kraft. In that role, he serves as part of the organization's leadership team. As a coach and consultant on all areas of human capital. In addition, Mark is a highly decorated 20 plus year retired U.S. Air Force veteran. He served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolved.

 

00:03:02:24 - 00:03:27:09
Mike O'Neill
You'll see why I've invited Mark on the podcast, because he's passionate about leadership development and coaching, and how it impacts the lives and the cultures around him. He loves giving back to the military, and that way he works with the community to help them guide, particularly those transitioning who are trying to find their next mission and purpose in the civilian world.

 

00:03:27:11 - 00:03:29:08
Mike O'Neill
Welcome, Mark.

 

00:03:29:10 - 00:03:32:01
Mark Farmer
And thanks for having me. Like, good to be here.

 

00:03:32:03 - 00:04:01:14
Mike O'Neill
You know, Mark, we have had opportunity to meet in person. We've had lunch together. And it was really kind of it's enjoyable just to have one on one with Tom, someone who who has the same kind of strong beliefs about, from a work setting, the importance of leadership development and coaching and, it's there. Therefore it's what I wanted to kind of have you on the podcast and to kind of set the stage.

 

00:04:01:16 - 00:04:20:23
Mike O'Neill
Mark, I introduced you as a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, and you've transitioned out of the military world into the civilian world. Many people might not be real clear on what is that transition like for most.

 

00:04:21:00 - 00:04:49:10
Mark Farmer
Yeah, yeah. Great question. Because, you know, you hear a lot of stories, Mike, in terms of that transition being very hard, for military veterans. You know, regardless of the branch they're in, doesn't matter if it's Air Force, Navy, Marines, and now the Space Force, of course. It it but I tell you, you know, for me, there were some challenges, looking back on it, you know, I've been retired from the Air Force for six years now.

 

00:04:49:10 - 00:05:16:04
Mark Farmer
It's gone by really fast. I mean, I think you and I've met several years ago at a conference, and then we've we've continued that, that relationship since then. But, yeah, it's, it's different for everybody. Number one. Number two, I will say that the military in general is doing a much better job on preparing, transitioning military individuals, to the civilian sector.

 

00:05:16:06 - 00:05:38:13
Mark Farmer
And what I mean by that is, you know, years and years ago, I mean, I'll look at even my dad when he was in the Army, you know, there was there was no class that you went through to to prepare you for the transition. I think that, you know, now, no matter what base you go to, there's something called the Transition Assistance Program, otherwise known as Tab.

 

00:05:38:15 - 00:06:06:05
Mark Farmer
They they may have possibly changed a name since I've been out, but, there was a one week course that was mandatory for you to go through. Normally a transitioning military, remember, will go about 12 months out, and then they even recommend going a second time, probably about six, 6 to 4 months out. And what that class is designed to do is it's it's everything from a hero.

 

00:06:06:05 - 00:06:31:22
Mark Farmer
Your options when you get out, here's, you know, how to write a resume. And I'll go into that a little bit more here. Just a second resume job hunting, getting your medical records in order. And just an even just the psychological side. Let's not forget that because, you know, in the military, it is it's an identity.

 

00:06:31:24 - 00:07:06:00
Mark Farmer
Your your career in the military literally becomes your identity forward or that tenure that you're in. And so it's a lot of veterans struggle as they move from that military over to civilian sector. And they're trying to find their new idea. Right. And that's that's even, you know, for employers. Think about it from the employer side. That's why, you know, I just, last month I was in Austin, Texas, at, at a leap hr offered speaking about leadership development coaching there as well.

 

00:07:06:02 - 00:07:28:11
Mark Farmer
And the veteran stuff always gets brought up in employers. They've got a tough job, you know, how do we handle these veterans. You know, how do we speak to them and how do they communicate to us. And do we understand them? What drives them? What motivates them? And so there's some big there's some big question marks, around that, even from the employer side.

 

00:07:28:13 - 00:07:52:19
Mike O'Neill
What Matt picked up on that. And that is, you know, you've spoken publicly on this topic, as you know, the listeners to this podcast are leaders. These are often times leaders in decision making position people choosing who they bring into the organization. Yeah. What are the kinds of things that you advise leaders in the civilian world to be aware of?

 

00:07:52:19 - 00:08:04:20
Mike O'Neill
For those folks who are coming out of the military into the workforce, what are those folks who are coming in? What are they needing from us as employers, and what do they need from us as leaders?

 

00:08:04:22 - 00:08:33:13
Mark Farmer
Sure. I think culture is a big deal. You know, I go back to every branch has their core values. You know, normally they're about three core values. And, you know, like the Air Force was, integrity first service before self and excellence and all you do. So, as a military members come across, I think you're going to look for that same flavor, you know, is the culture strong?

 

00:08:33:15 - 00:09:02:15
Mark Farmer
Does the company stand for something? Where can I fit in? Because the average veteran transitioning out of the military into the civilian workforce, I mean, now they're they're coming out with bachelor's degrees. Some have master's degree. They mean they've been in leadership roles for many years. They've led teams in some really hostile environments to where there's there's chaos, and ops tempo.

 

00:09:02:17 - 00:09:22:20
Mark Farmer
Right. And so they're looking for a place to fit in. And and I think that's one of the, one of the big can they relate to the organization and they find their new person, their new identity. You know, look at me. You know, I, I come from a military career, where I focused in two areas.

 

00:09:22:20 - 00:09:48:02
Mark Farmer
One was highly classified space operations, right? No satellites in space and some crazy stuff. Very technical. I was also a leadership development instructor in Germany for years. And if you would have asked me, hey, would you be, you know, six years ago when I transitioned, would you be working for a food manufacturing company? Like what? Manufacturing.

 

00:09:48:02 - 00:10:03:01
Mark Farmer
Right. But it was a good fit because I dealt with people a lot. My passion was people. And so that fit into HR at Brain Craft was, I almost got about natural feeling in transition.

 

00:10:03:03 - 00:10:27:05
Mike O'Neill
I know you have a passion for leadership development and coaching. You and I share that passion. I think we also share some other, similar, core values. I think we've talked about that over lunch. But as you have been with Grain Craft and you're providing HR leadership with the emphasis that you actually, do, what is it about leadership development?

 

00:10:27:05 - 00:10:42:09
Mike O'Neill
What is it about coaching that just kind of speaks to you and why it's so important? Not just to you, but why is it so important for leaders to be mindful? Don't overlook this.

 

00:10:42:11 - 00:11:08:03
Mark Farmer
Yeah. I think, you know, leadership development, as a whole, you know, we throw those words around, right? And again, the Air Force sent me to Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama. Thought for a while just to learn how to facilitate leadership development and I think what I love about it is, is same with the coaching, right. I compare it to landscaping.

 

00:11:08:04 - 00:11:26:03
Mark Farmer
Let's talk about landscape for a second. So, you know, you're you're working on your landscaping beds at your house and it doesn't look good. Term appeal is not there. But then you spend days and days, maybe a whole weekend, new mulch, put some nice plants in it. Hedge it really? Well, and you kind of can sit back and go, wow, look at em.

 

00:11:26:08 - 00:11:57:12
Mark Farmer
And, you know, being able to help someone get unstuck or, move across into different areas for their career or just anything going on in their lives. And I think that's what I love, sitting back and kind of just looking at the growth someone can make and saying, for a leadership development side, you know, in the Air Force, the average age of someone coming into the military, a recruit is 18 to 23.

 

00:11:57:17 - 00:12:23:19
Mark Farmer
Somewhere around there. We're talking young, right? And there's a lot of responsibility. And as they move up and running into the noncommissioned officer realm, or, you know, even if it's an officer coming straight in from from the academy or ROTC, they are required to go through a leadership development course. It's somewhere around 6 to 8 weeks, depending on the branch.

 

00:12:23:21 - 00:12:40:05
Mark Farmer
And you cannot be assigned a direct report and become a manager of others until you've gone through this course. And so military does a really good job of prepping. Their members. And I think, you know, moving over to brain, we kind of took that same mindset as well.

 

00:12:40:11 - 00:13:07:23
Mike O'Neill
So more gothic. I've shared with you, I think regular listeners know, my business bench builders, we offer leadership development. And the reason why is our clients, they want to instill these leadership understandings, but they don't do a really good job with that. They promote someone because they're really good, but they never really spend the time to help them become effective supervisors and beyond.

 

00:13:08:00 - 00:13:20:21
Mike O'Neill
Walk us through a little bit about your experience when you joined Grain Craft and the process, the grain craft kind of went through to develop, its leaders.

 

00:13:20:23 - 00:13:48:17
Mark Farmer
Yeah, sure. You know, when I arrived again, been there six years. We didn't grow. I didn't have a formal leadership development program. Right. Something that was missing identified with it pretty early on, since that was I just, you know, came from the military in that realm. And I think that, you know, we had our learning management system and everything, some courses you could take, like no actual formal program.

 

00:13:48:17 - 00:14:05:02
Mark Farmer
And I think that's, one of the things that, Karen, you know, who I report to, which, you know, director of H.R. Which is great. And she, heard I talked and she's like, hey, what we think about making that one of your goals for the years, right? And she or and I teamed up together.

 

00:14:05:05 - 00:14:27:21
Mark Farmer
We did use a third party consultant for, for some stuff, but, I was able to pull from all of my leadership development stuff from the Air Force. And same for her previous, companies that she had been a part of. And we started developing that. And you know, one of the things that I was taught early on, I'm certified instructional systems design as well.

 

00:14:27:21 - 00:14:51:01
Mark Farmer
And so I-s-d, I'm, you know, one of the first things you're going to do is a needs assessment, right? And so I knew my plant managers out in the field because, you know, we have plants stretching from Georgia East Coast all the way to Los Angeles, California, West Mims. And I think, you know, I solicited Bill and said, hey, need feedback.

 

00:14:51:01 - 00:15:17:17
Mark Farmer
What would argue and your leadership team and all your managers, frontline supervisors struggling with what what's the need? Basically. And we got the got the got the juices flowing and some brainstorming and really started noticing trends, around communication, accountability, leadership style sales, coaching versus counseling, all these all these different things. How do you performance manage someone.

 

00:15:17:19 - 00:15:49:08
Mark Farmer
Right. Having those critical conversations I mean, it's tough, right? And so we took those feedback and that and developed the outline. And I was able to use my structural systems design experience to develop that outline. And then that's when we started creating the content. And so, yeah, I think it turned out really well for main modules, about 13 submodules and of content.

 

00:15:49:10 - 00:16:13:17
Mark Farmer
And so far we've had about 94 individuals go through it. And we're not done still in progress, but we are getting some great feedback from the field. They're filling, managers are filling. We're confident. And it's obviously, you know, we're looking for certain things on the ROI side. Turnover rates, are they moving in? Are they getting better.

 

00:16:13:19 - 00:16:20:09
Mark Farmer
The turnover and retention and just feedback from our culture engagement. Both surveys as well.

 

00:16:20:11 - 00:16:46:05
Mike O'Neill
You know, for those who are listening and not watching this episode, nodding up and down some of the things, let me just point out a couple things. You just said that is just so key. One, rather than HR, just go out and say, we've got training for you. You, you all started by going to the inside customer, to the managers and say, what are the needs?

 

00:16:46:07 - 00:17:13:06
Mike O'Neill
And you explored what might be potential solutions to those needs. Another thing I liked about what you just described is on the front end, you said, if we're going to do this, let's do it right. Let's do it in a way that is engaging for the participants that they not only learn new skills, but they use those skills, and that those new skills should have an impact.

 

00:17:13:10 - 00:17:30:21
Mike O'Neill
They can be measured. You mentioned lower turnover. Do you find that that desire to do something like lowering turnover? Is that what makes doing management training, work, in your opinion?

 

00:17:30:23 - 00:17:54:23
Mark Farmer
It's a part of it, right? There's, there's, there's the tangible ROI and there's the intangible relies on it. I think and in all honesty, a leadership developed program can be hard to quantify the ROI on it. But, you know, I was even looking at her numbers over the past three years and our turnover rate to have gone down each year.

 

00:17:54:23 - 00:18:27:18
Mark Farmer
Now, could you contribute it altered leadership development? No. However, I think it plays a part and I think it's significant. And just the feedback that we're getting from the field is, is really good. And I, you know, I think that I mean, if you've heard of the Peter Principle before, right? It's like you have individuals that are technically really, really good at their job and we need them to pay, but we thrust them into supervisor and management positions because we're like, well, hey, they're really good technically.

 

00:18:27:18 - 00:18:49:10
Mark Farmer
So they got to be a good people manager, right? And you and I both know like that. That's that's far from the truth. Right. And it takes it it's like it's a muscle that you got to get the reps in. Right. And when I did a poll of, you know, how many people that are currently in a management position have had the formal training, the numbers are really low.

 

00:18:49:12 - 00:19:21:05
Mark Farmer
That's where Karen and I really tackled that together and and developed the program. And, you know, there was a just a little statistic stick here. You know, big study done by the workforce, Institute at Ukg. And they were they did a, study. They asked the question they asked was compared to your doctor, your physician, your therapist, and even your spouse, you know, what kind of impact is your manager have on your health?

 

00:19:21:07 - 00:19:44:18
Mark Farmer
Both mental and physical. And it was 69% was the manager. Manager had the greatest impact on someone's fellow. And so when I think about that number, it's pretty staggering just to sit there and think about it. And it's like there's definitely a need. Right. And I think that's where that passion comes from. To, to help develop, to help the organization.

 

00:19:44:20 - 00:20:12:24
Mike O'Neill
So yeah, Mark, you mentioned that when management training is being considered, there's a thought up front, what's the ROI? And you can establish those metrics. But there's some intangibles you may reference to that. At least one of the things I have found that if you do training in a way that you bring people together on a consistent basis, it creates a sense of camaraderie.

 

00:20:13:01 - 00:20:43:08
Mike O'Neill
And that sense of camaraderie might mean that there are people coming together that might not interact in their normal daily roles. And I know what you all are trying to do in terms of building a strong culture within you know, grain craft, I have found. I don't hope this has been your experience, but I have found that supervisor and management training done right, and then you get our full reinforcer of the culture that you're trying to build.

 

00:20:43:09 - 00:20:45:13
Mike O'Neill
Yes. So I've been your experience as well.

 

00:20:45:15 - 00:21:06:00
Mark Farmer
Yes. But on my God, I'm actually glad you brought that up. When we were figuring out the the number one, the audiences. Right. I actually Karen, I started with the plant managers. We didn't want to assume they've been through formal leadership training. And so we started with them because we want them to be the champions of this program.

 

00:21:06:00 - 00:21:34:02
Mark Farmer
They needed to see it. They need to go through it themselves. Then that second audience was down into the who is currently a manager of operations. Right. And then our third audience was the high potentials. So I think that when we looked at the audience once I got all the names, I started mixing them up from different, you know, you would assume a, a plant manager in Birmingham was would always be talking to someone, a manager.

 

00:21:34:02 - 00:21:57:12
Mark Farmer
McPherson, Kansas. Not the case right. They may not interact very much. So I'm glad you call that out because we mixed the audience members so they could get that time with each other, but they normally don't get now, granted, we we we kick this off right after Covid or actually right during Covid. So everything was zoom and we're still doing zoom because our plants are stretched.

 

00:21:57:12 - 00:22:21:22
Mark Farmer
So far apart. And it's really nice. You know, we do. We do half day training sessions, we use the zoom breakout. And so we're able to mix and match. They'll bring different plants in different geographical areas into those breakout rooms. They spent a lot of time together. And some of the feedback when we do the end of course, or end of module surveys was exactly what you just said.

 

00:22:21:24 - 00:22:29:12
Mark Farmer
The camaraderie and just being able to talk to people that they don't normally interact with, which was really high on their list.

 

00:22:29:14 - 00:22:50:24
Mike O'Neill
More. We've spoken quite a bit about the value of leadership development. We have not spent much time on coaching and in the few minutes we have left, I want to make sure though, that we've had a chance to kind of get your take on coaching and why you've concluded that it's as powerful as it is. Why do you think that way?

 

00:22:51:01 - 00:23:23:20
Mark Farmer
Yeah, I think, you know, when you're looking at the we average organization and we, you know, we use the term everybody use the term counts now a lot in terms of performance management. And, but there's a huge difference. There's even a huge difference between coaching and consulting. Right. And you know, the training that I've been through and I've got, there's two other team members on the grant rep team that started this training through to iPAC and the ICF coaching federation.

 

00:23:23:20 - 00:24:00:08
Mark Farmer
That's you know, I see it defines coaching as the solid marine in a very deep and thought provoking and creative process that and and it used the word inspires right. Because we're talking leadership inspires people to maximize their potential. But coaching is a little different. And we actually put that into our leadership development program. Because, you know, on average it a manager, it's, you know, they may look at it like, okay, it's easier if I just say, hey, you know, you messed up on this.

 

00:24:00:08 - 00:24:26:05
Mark Farmer
Don't do it again. Now, now get out of here. Right. And I'm being a little harsh on that, but that's that calculus that more one way or, you know, conversation versus coaching, really getting them to think and pull those answers that they truly already had inside them. Right. And you're guiding them through that journey. And it's an exploration.

 

00:24:26:07 - 00:24:53:07
Mark Farmer
There's a lot of empowering questions that are, that are asked. And it's just different. You're helping them come up with the conclusion and you're there to support them through it. It's very thought provoking. Definitely different than therapy. But it's it's something that our, you know, I wanted to make sure that our management and our leaders was actually trained on that.

 

00:24:53:09 - 00:24:56:07
Mark Farmer
So. Yeah.

 

00:24:56:09 - 00:25:22:23
Mike O'Neill
Mark, I'm glad you made that distinction. But folks know me because of my age, our background and my consulting role. They also know that I coach with oftentimes they don't realize that those are distinct roles. And when I'm working with a client in a consultant capacity, they're bringing in because they're looking for answers. And so I can come in and help them in that capacity.

 

00:25:23:00 - 00:25:52:08
Mike O'Neill
But in my work as a coach, particularly my one on one work, I'm more focused on the questions that I can ask it results and insights, and the client's part. Help me with some insights that you might again. And you think of a situation where either you or part of the organization you're supporting, or some other setting where someone or a group got stuck.

 

00:25:52:10 - 00:25:56:20
Mike O'Neill
What did it take to get unstuck?

 

00:25:56:22 - 00:26:28:02
Mark Farmer
Yeah, I think you know what I mean. Just drops off my head hoping helping a an individual, he was he was really struggling with his current, place of employment. He was struggling with the job that he was in. And, you know, this was this outside grain for that. But it it just this one really comes to mind because I think that, you know, he wanted to move, but he didn't know how to move, didn't know how to take that next step.

 

00:26:28:02 - 00:27:04:01
Mark Farmer
And really, if you think about coaching, that's and I love I love you the unsung part of, you know, the podcast, it's because he truly was stuck and you need someone to come alongside and partner with him. And a lot of times in the in the Ipek world we call green Room gremlins, I and there's a, there's an acronym and everything, but that gremlin message that you're telling yourself and in this case, when you pull that on your back in a true coaching session for this individual, it came down to fear and fear of the unknown.

 

00:27:04:07 - 00:27:31:10
Mark Farmer
Hey, it didn't work out last time, so it's probably not going to work out this time. There's an assumption right. And so you know, some of those those questions as you're as you're going through, I remember one specific question that just hit really hard was what what is it currently costing you not to apply for a new job, not to get your resume ready, not to get your LinkedIn profile up to date, not to start?

 

00:27:31:10 - 00:27:34:14
Mark Farmer
And what is that costing you to stay where you're at?

 

00:27:34:16 - 00:27:35:16
Mike O'Neill
A great question. It's a.

 

00:27:35:16 - 00:27:57:19
Mark Farmer
Powerful question. Right. And then you're just listening to that beat back and, and it hit him really hard. It was like an moment. Like, oh my goodness, I never I never thought about it that way when it's truly costing me to stay. Is this serving me well right now? And you know, fast forward, you know, many, many months of coaching.

 

00:27:57:21 - 00:28:23:05
Mark Farmer
And he's, he's left that place of employment, got picked up at a new job. Us he's super happy, super stoked about it. And life's really good for him. And so those are the type of moments, you know, I think you asked me earlier about, you know, what makes that so passionate for you? Looking at that now to where he started and where he's at, that's that's what it's all about.

 

00:28:23:06 - 00:28:23:18
Mark Farmer
At the end of the.

 

00:28:23:18 - 00:28:49:00
Mike O'Neill
Day, I love it. Mark. We've had a pretty far ranging conversation. We've talked about your military background and what, what it prepared you for in the civilian world. We've talked about that transition, not only yours, but the transitions that others experience and what leaders in organizations need to be mindful of as they are trying to attract, military veterans.

 

00:28:49:00 - 00:29:16:18
Mike O'Neill
We've talked about the power of leadership development, and the intentionality. Don't just throw training at it, but be very purposeful. You've shared a bit about how you've seen coaching because you've been coach and because you are a coach has been so powerful, in your life and in the lives you've had opportunity to work with. As you reflect on what do you want our listeners to have as takeaways?

 

00:29:16:20 - 00:29:37:17
Mark Farmer
Well, maybe a couple things. I think that, definitely, you know, there's some stigma out there about military veterans. I would just say, you know, give them a shot. Not every military veterans exactly the same. But I will say some of those competencies that you may be looking for as an employer, could definitely be pulled from a military veteran.

 

00:29:37:17 - 00:30:03:21
Mark Farmer
It's transition. And so, you know, get out there, Google some military career fairs, see if there's anything close to the base. A all the military bases close to one host, those, some great organizations that do all that. And, you know, from a, from a leadership development coaching perspective, even when I was out in Austin speaking, last month, you know, I asked a question.

 

00:30:03:23 - 00:30:28:09
Mark Farmer
Raise your hand if your organization currently has a formal leadership development program. And there weren't a ton of hands. There were some, but not a ton. And so there's an opportunity there, right? And any time we can develop our leaders, that feeds into the culture of the organization. Right. And and then just really I think there's a I think there's a shift.

 

00:30:28:14 - 00:30:51:17
Mark Farmer
Now, don't get me wrong. There's a time to council, if it's an immediate need and there's some safety or something really pressing is very time critical, I get it. But, I think there's an opportunity for organizations to sneak in some of that coaching, flavor into those leadership development programs. And I think only positive things can come from that.

 

00:30:51:19 - 00:31:13:22
Mike O'Neill
And that was a great regret. Capping I want to throw out to you before we kind of wrap up, I've got a question for the leaders who are in this audience. And that question is why did people choose to follow your lead? Is it an obligation or do they truly believe in your vision? I have found that leadership thrives on clarity and competence.

 

00:31:13:22 - 00:31:44:19
Mike O'Neill
It's not just about holding authority, it's about creating practical solutions that drive real bottom line results. I'm an executive coach, and I help leaders achieve bottom line impact and become inspiring people that people want to follow, not because they have to. My company is Bench Builders. We provide personalized strategies drawing from fortune 500 insights to drive significant progress towards your goals.

 

00:31:44:21 - 00:32:03:07
Mike O'Neill
So I invite you to lead in a way that draws people to your vision. You want to learn more? Visit bench-builders.com. Learn how perhaps we can support your leadership journey. You know, mark your insights have been really invaluable. Thank you for joining us.

 

00:32:03:09 - 00:32:05:16
Mark Farmer
Absolutely. Thanks for having me, Mike.

 

00:32:05:18 - 00:32:12:07
Mike O'Neill
You know, if folks want to reach out to engage with you further, I have questions. What's the best way for them to do so?

 

00:32:12:09 - 00:32:23:11
Mark Farmer
Yeah. You know, you can find me on LinkedIn, just do a search for for Mark farmer and, of course, ILM farmer at Grain craft.com. Meaning I'd love to chat with you.

 

00:32:23:13 - 00:32:40:04
Mike O'Neill
Excellent. Thank you. Mark. And I also want to give a big thank out to the subscribers for tuning in. And I hope today's discussion provides you some insights that Marcus provided. They will help you get unstuck and on target.

 

00:32:41:07 - 00:32:45:07
Mike O'Neill
Thank you for joining us for this episode of Get Unstuck and on Target.

 

00:32:45:09 - 00:33:05:22
Mike O'Neill
I hope you gain insights to help you lead with competence and drive your organization forward. Remember it, Bench builders. We're committed to your success, your leadership excellence, and your strategic growth. If you've enjoyed our conversation today, please leave a review rate and subscribe to keep up with our latest episode.

 

00:33:06:06 - 00:33:10:06
Mike O'Neill
This show really grows when listeners like you share it with others.

 

00:33:10:05 - 00:33:13:18
Mike O'Neill
Who do you know? Who needs to hear what we talked about today?

 

00:33:14:02 - 00:33:21:07
Mike O'Neill
Until next time, I encourage you to stay. Focus on the target and continue to break new ground on your leadership path.

Mark Farmer Profile Photo

Mark Farmer

Sr. HR Manager - MBA, CPC, ELI-MP

Mark is the Senior Manager of Human Resources at Grain Craft, LLC, an ICF Certified Professional Coach (CPC), and an Energy Leadership Index - Master Practitioner. He serves as part of the organization’s leadership team as a coach and consultant on all areas of human capital. In addition, Mark is a highly decorated 20+ year retired Unites States Air Force veteran, that served in both Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve war campaigns. Mark is passionate about leadership development and coaching to impact the lives and culture of those around him. He loves giving back to the military community and helping guide transitioning veterans to find their next mission and purpose in the civilian world. In his free time, Mark loves spending quality time with his wife and three children. He enjoys playing piano and singing and has been a worship leader at various churches for over 18 years. Golfing, fishing, and water sports on the river are other hobbies that Mark thoroughly enjoys.