Are your emotions running your decisions?

Farming and ranching are emotional work. While feelings can cloud objectivity, understanding how the brain works can support grounded decisions.

It’s a human thing

For Hayden Woodley, assistant professor of organizational behaviour at Western University’s Ivey Business School, attempting to completely remove emotion from decision-making is folly. Emotions are integral to being human, especially when business choices are tied to identity.

Stronger emotions tend to surface when you’re tired, under pressure or facing uncertainty, all typical conditions in agriculture. Emotions flag what matters. When you’re exhausted or overwhelmed, though, they can distort thinking.

Instead of eliminating emotion, the goal is to build emotional awareness by recognizing and managing feelings to make clearer decisions.

“You need to recognize you have a certain feeling and ask, ‘Why do I feel that way?’” Woodley says.

Pause before you proceed

What ultimately shapes decision-making isn’t the presence of emotion, but your ability to notice it and respond wisely. When emotions run high, whether it’s excitement, anxiety or something in between, they can affect your ability to process information.

“In those moments, it’s best to step away and let things settle before moving forward so the emotion doesn’t bias your decision,” Woodley says.

On the flip side, pushing emotion out of the picture entirely can create its own blind spots, particularly in people-focused businesses like farming, where empathy and interpersonal understanding are essential.

“Effective decision-making happens when we’re aware of our emotions,” he says. “That helps us recognize our own biases, understand what’s driving us or others, and ultimately make choices that are not just logical, but human.”

Build self-awareness

Recognizing when your emotions are heightened helps you know when to act – or wait.Recognizing when your emotions are heightened helps you know when to act – or wait. It’s not always easy to notice when you’re worked up, so Woodley advises slowing down when you feel agitated or just ‘off.’

“What’s really tough in agriculture is the unpredictability, like when the weather doesn’t cooperate. Being able to manage that unpredictability is key to getting ahead of your emotions,” Woodley says.

“Take a breath break. Even a minute can help. Everyone I’ve spoken to who builds in those moments gets better at it over time.”

Challenge your biases

Anxiety isn’t the only factor that can lead people into poor decision-making. A career in agronomy has shown Jeremy Boychyn, director of research at Alberta Grains, that most people feel loss more deeply than gain, which affects choices.

“Farm operators often stick to what’s worked in the past – and for good reason,” Boychyn says. Changing familiar practices introduces risk. While new approaches might work better, many are hesitant to jeopardize what’s already been successful.

“That’s an emotional response. We want to avoid loss, which may restrict our desire to adopt new things.”

Conversely, it’s also easy to make business decisions based on limited or anecdotal information. You may notice the facts that support what you already believe, like which equipment brand to choose or whether to try a new input – and brush off the ones that don’t. But this can cause you to miss better options or early warning signs.

Use emotion as a cue, not a compass

Farming “probably wouldn’t be what it is” if emotions were removed from business management entirely, Boychyn says. At the same time, strong decision-making structures can still be put in place. Success can be achieved by being aware of how easily your thinking can twist itself into believing what you want to believe.

“When you see contradictory data and dismiss it, that’s your brain trying to remove the discomfort based on what you already feel is right. That should be a red flag for you to dig deeper. As an agronomist, my goal wasn’t to prove something right; it was to prove myself wrong on something,” Boychyn says.

“Assuming past things will continue to work as the best course of action, that should be challenged regularly. And if you find yourself in an echo chamber and no one is ever indicating any contradictory concept, there’s likely some lost opportunity.”

In a business as personal as farming, the strongest decisions come not from suppressing emotion, but from recognizing its role. Learn to work with it, not against it.

Paying attention to emotions means using them as signals, not instructions. Step back, check your mindset, and stay open to new information for more thoughtful, balanced decisions and long-term success.

From an AgriSuccess article by Matt McIntosh.