Build Dairy Management Skills for Stronger Communication, Teams

Two-day Dairy Managers Institute set for Dec. 15-16 in Green Bay.

Strong dairy businesses are built on strong teams, and strong teams depend on effective leadership and communication. As dairy operations grow and evolve, managers need more than technical expertise to be successful. Dairy Managers Institute®, presented by Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), is a two-day workshop that provides current and upcoming managers with the practical leadership, financial and negotiation skills to position dairies for the future.

The program will be held Dec. 15-16, 2026, at University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The training will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Tues., Dec. 15, and conclude at 4:00 p.m. on Wed., Dec. 16. Simultaneous Spanish translation will be available for all sessions. Upon registration, participants will select one of three training tiers. While not required, attendees are encouraged to register for the tiers in succession.

“I loved the mix of hands-on learning, open discussion and connecting with other dairy professionals who share the same goals and challenges,” said Dairy Managers Institute attendee Meghan Magley of Strutz Farm in Two Rivers, Wis. “And the instructor made the sessions educational and fun.”

Tier One: Lead and Manage with Insight

Led by Dr. Becky Gross-Stewart, PhD, president and founder of Building Bridges Seminars, will equip attendees with the skills to:

• Distinguish between four categories of leaders
• Identify personal leadership and management strengths and weaknesses
• Recognize the differences between the skills of a manager and those of a leader, and when to use each
• Implement change more effectively
• Understand how change affects individual team members and help others navigate transitions

Tier Two: Master the Art of Coaching
Michael Hoffman, founder and owner of Igniting Performance, Inc. Hoffman will provide tools and strategies to help attendees:

• Develop strategic approaches for management and coaching conversations, including setting expectations, addressing challenges and preparing for change
• Identify personal and practical needs within a coaching interaction
• Coach others effectively through active listening, empathy and meaningful involvement
• Generate buy-in and build commitment to action plans
• Understand and deliver meaningful feedback
• Recognize their influence and responsibility as leaders

Tier Three: Nail the Financials and Negotiations

Dr. Kevin Bernhardt, PhD, University of Wisconsin-Platteville agribusiness professor and UW-Extension farm management specialist, and Linda Swindling, author and founder of Journey On!, will provide tools to:

• Discover their dairy’s break-even point and understand how to calculate cost-benefit
• Explore the principal elements of debt and how it works
• Experiment with different negotiation styles and learn to leverage them in discussions
• Recognize when to walk away and when to compromise
• Understand the value of renegotiating
• Identify perspectives from both sides of a discussion
• Learn different negotiation options and strategies

Registration is now open; enroll early to secure spots in your preferred learning tier. Each tier is accredited for up to 14 Dairy AdvanCE (DACE) continuing education credits.

Learn more and register at www.pdpw.org or by contacting PDP at 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.