Jolene Brown has spent years helping farm families work through serious business and relationship challenges.

Too often, she says, families base business decisions on emotions, personalities, dreams, and assumptions. This family-first business model leads to family problems and business issues.

That's why she advocates becoming a Business First Family who bases decisions on a mission, written goals, legal documents, and managed risks.

She says to teach the next generation, three old mind-sets must be changed:

• Watch and then you'll know.
  
• Get out of my way, I can do it quicker.
  
• Read my mind.
  

"Be patient and clear as you teach those less skilled or experienced," she says. "The best ideas just might come from them."