Raising Our Game in The Shed

Module Overview

The theme of the recent Shearing Contractors’ Conference in Rotorua was improving people and performance. Shearing legend Rowland Smith spoke about the need to introduce mental fitness skills to the workforce.

Why have you got behind the new Live Well Shear Well initiative?

Shearing’s given a lot to me, so I wanted to give something back and make the industry a better place to work.

What does mental fitness have to do with shearing?

When I think about what I’ve been able to achieve in shearing I realise that mental skills have been a big part of it. Having the ability to look at yourself critically, take on challenges and grow from them. That’s what lifted my performance to the next level.

You recently came out of retirement and took out the world shearing title in Masterton. How much did your mental skills help?

It was probably 80% mental! [laughs] I’m not a full time shearer anymore, so I’m not nearly as fit as I once was. So, it all come down to mental toughness, really. I broke down every process involved in the competition and made sure I was as well prepared as possible for each one. So that when I get up there, there was nothing left in my mind to worry about. I’d done everything I could control, and I gave myself every chance to succeed.

If I’m just starting out on the board, how do I apply that approach to my job?

It’s a step-by-step thing. Start small and keep it simple. What works for me is breaking the job right down to the nitty gritty and get better at each small task, rather than focusing on one goal that’s far too big.

Can you give me an example?

Well, it could just be the basics of getting into a routine so that you when get home, you grind your gear, you pack your bag, it’s full of the water you need for the next day, your food’s ready. It’s got your clothes in it. Everything’s ready so that you’re not waking up in the morning rushing and having nothing done. Being well-prepped like that means a lot less stress. Getting a routine is not hard. Its achievable.

So, what’s the mindset there?

The mental side of it is probably just taking responsibility for the things that you can control that will reduce stress in your life and keep you in a good headspace. It all starts there.

What about the animal welfare issues that the industry is tackling at the moment?  What’s that got to do with mental health?

Well, it’s a people problem not a sheep problem, isn’t it?  Working all day with sheep is not straightforward. I hadn’t shorn for a while and yesterday I pulled out a sheep, and it had its feet tucked right up and it just gave me gyp the whole way around. And I thought to myself, you know, if I wasn’t in a good headspace, that could have really got to me. You can see how for lots of learners that sort of situation after a long day on the board would really be hard.

How can mental skills help when the sheep are tricky like that?

Instead of losing your rag with the sheep take a big, deep breath. Then remember your why – the reason we’re here. We’re here to shear the sheep properly, cleanly. We’re here to make money as a team and this is just one sheep, and we’ll just shear it and move on. So, it’s about being able to reset mentally and handle pressure.

It’s a mindset?

Exactly. But if you’re not in a good space, it could be really hard to see your way out of that situation, particularly when you’re tired at the end of the day and that sheep’s really coming at you.

What if you’re just feeling a bit ‘off’ that day? We can’t feel ‘up’ all the time.

If you’re feeling ‘under the pump’, then talk about it. Get it off your chest. If the sheep are kicky they may not have been off the grass or water long enough and it’s making them uncomfortable, so speak up and sort it out. Don’t resort to doing something you shouldn’t be doing. Do the right thing.

What’s at stake here?

After some tough years, it’s finally looking like there’s light at the end of the tunnel for the wool industry. Better prices and potential new markets. It’s really important we don’t stuff things up with poor behaviour. Let’s raise our game, put animal welfare to the fore and perfect our shearing techniques.

What do you think the industry needs to focus on?

I think it all starts at the top with communication between the contractors and the farmers. Everyone needs to be on board with what is best practice. For farmers that means the sheep are empty and well-presented and the facilities are up to scratch. I can tell you from experience that a safe and friendly work environment has a huge influence on people’s mood. It sends an important signal.

Then the shearers need to be well trained and in the right physical and mental shape to perform at their best and back up day after day.

You get all that right and you’ve probably got 20% more sheep going down the porthole and everyone’s winning.

You and Farmstrong ambassador Sam Whitelock appear in the new Live Well Shear Well resources. What are you hoping these achieve?

We want to pass on mental skills that are common in professional sport but not talked about in our industry. They’re not a thing at the moment. The attitude’s more ‘she’ll be right’. But these are the skills that keep you in the zone and help people get through the hard parts of the day. I’ve been saying for some time that as an industry we need to be aiming for a higher level. These are the tools that are going to help our shearers get better at what they do and live better.

So, what does it mean to Live Well Shear Well?

Exactly that. If we are looking after ourselves, doing the basics right, eating and sleeping well, looking after the body, identifying if we’re under stress and using our mental skills to remember why we’re there in the first place, then we’ll shear well and perform at our best. That’s what will keep us resilient and in it for the long haul.

I think Live Well Shear Well is about taking responsibility for all that and accepting that if we don’t change things, no one will. We should be proud of our industry and proud of what we’re doing.

If you’re in the shearing industry head to the Live Well Shear Well tab on the Farmstrong website for free mental fitness tools and resources.

Left to right – Phil Holden, chief exec of NZ Shearing Contractors’ Association, Farmstrong’s Nigel Beckford and Live Well Shear Well champion and current world shearing champ Rowland Smith at the NZSCA conference in Rotorua in May.