A packed house in the Park Hotel in Kilmarnock greeted Marcus Child who had travelled all the way from the Cotswolds to talk to over 200 farmers at an event organised by the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB).

This was a feat engineered by Doreen Anderson AHDB Senior Knowledge Exchange Manager (Dairy) and was welcomed by a huge number of farmers and growers who travelled from far and wide for the day. From a farming and business background, Marcus managed to engage the whole audience with a spellbound conversation on how to build your business by having a direct focus on the big picture – through literally talking about a picture.

He talked about companies around the world ‘engaging’ staff, where globally only 23% are actually ‘engaged’ with the running and welfare of the business. The rest are just going through the motions. In Europe, it's 13% and unfortunately in the UK only 10% are engaged enough to help drive the business. There is a significant correlation between staff engagement and profit and it is not necessarily the salary that keeps your staff motivated, it's about the way you treat them.

The whole team should be moving forward in one direction with the big picture. The most important techniques to keep staff long term and engaged are good communication, to listen and learn, to empower them, to respect and protect them and to look after their mental health.

What are the drivers? Where people really want to do well, they must feel a ‘need’ to do it. If you decide on a goal, be it production, numbers, turnover…. if they hit that goal through trying, that itself will increase their motivation and therefore the target, be it financially or other.

One of the most important way to keep on this path is to self-talk, and talk yourself up positively. To be a complete optimist and the best ideas can come to you when you zone out. Literally you physically draw a picture of what you want in your life, be it a bigger house, a bigger company, happiness…..and each day that picture should be seen by yourself in some way, whether it's on your computer screen on a window or a wall. You should keep thinking positively about this goal as your brain can be tricked into a positive state Marcus says, and when you keep thinking of a goal, and your staff keep thinking of the same goal, you are more likely to find it happens. It is important to keep the physical picture to motivate you, if not you won't be engaged at all.

Marcus has spent a lifetime working with huge companies and inspiring others like Jamie Oliver. He continually showed, throughout the day, examples and evidence of succeeding by using this picture method. He did say, however, that it’s not wise to be a total workaholic at all times, but to build in periods of rest and to celebrate small winnings along the way. The point of setting a goal, is to become the person you became, on the way to achieving that goal.