The main aim of this pre-study was to provide a preliminary overview of Finnish farmers' motivation and capacity prerequisites for adopting and improving their management skills. Motivation was studied by asking farmers what farm management tasks and skills they consider important. Capacity was evaluated by asking farmers to rank management tasks and skills according to their perceived difficulty. Data (n=130) were collected by means of a questionnaire that was sent to a selected group of insured of the Finnish Farmers' Social Insurance Institution. The most challenging management tasks and topics, that is, those to which most farmers gave high ratings in terms of both importance and difficulty, consisted of applying for subsidies and getting information on them, of the investment decision process, and of maintaining safety, health, and the ability and motivation to work. These are the main areas that should receive more attention in full-time education curriculums and extension initiatives. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)