Crucial Conversations provides a framework for handling high-stakes discussions where opinions vary and emotions run strong. In 2026, workshops continue to emphasize these core skills to help participants improve relationships and organizational productivity.

Being promoted to a leader of others is often due to the successful skillset and mindset we have brought as an individual contributor. However, leadership requires us to expand and develop ourselves and our approach to work. In this workshop, expanding those skillsets and mindsets will be explored, with practical tools provided to successfully take that next step in our career journeys.

This introductory Lean principles workshop, designed for the 2026 operational landscape, provides a foundational deep dive into the systematic elimination of waste to maximize customer value. Participants will explore how Lean's core philosophy of continuous improvement can be applied across manufacturing and service sectors to boost efficiency and quality.

In 2026, making sound, durable decisions is a critical skill for leaders navigating complex projects with multiple stakeholders. This course provides a comprehensive exploration of Choosing by Advantages (CBA), a structured, principle-driven decisionmaking system developed by Jim Suhr. Unlike traditional methods that rely on "gut feelings" or unanchored weighted scoring, CBA anchors decisions to relevant facts and the importance of specific advantages.

Organizational Trust is the key foundational element to improving performance through increased employee engagement. This course will walk through the key methods that are immediately actionable from a leadership standpoint. Each participant will complete a follow-up ‘Change Commitment Contract’ to ensure they have a solid action plan. Each patrticipant will meet with the instructor one-on-one to review and refine their action plan to maximize impact.

Reflect, Reset & Recharge is a practical and restorative half-day workshop designed exclusively for executive directors and nonprofit leaders. This session offers space to pause, gain perspective, and strengthen the resilience and clarity needed to lead effectively through change.

"Learn the necessary skills for ‘people leaders’ to improve the safety performance of their teams and deliver results! Class sizes are kept purposely small at less than 20 people to maximize the learning impact through active participation. Each participant will complete a follow-up ‘Change Commitment Contract’ to ensure this is not your typical check-the-box workshop. This ‘contract’ will require them to practice key learnings and reinforce behavior changes, which will generate measurable performance results! The instructor will meet with individually with each participant in the week following the workshop to review their Change Commitment Contract to ensure that the individuals are truly committed to specific and measurable actions. Topics to be covered include: - Why Safety is a Leadership Problem - Leading vs Lagging Safety Management - Workplace Culture and the role of the leader - Leadership behaviors that promote engagement for safety excellence - Corrective Coaching and Positive Reinforcement Methodologies "

Guillermo brings more than 25 years of global experience across manufacturing, financial services, consulting, and staffing. He has partnered with senior leaders in Fortune 500, private, and public organizations throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America to deliver practical, results-driven solutions.

A trusted advisor and executive coach, Guillermo works closely with leadership teams to assess business and talent needs, elevate performance, and strengthen organizational effectiveness. His coaching approach centers on cultivating a growth mindset, maximizing strengths, and helping leaders build highly engaged, high-performing teams.

Deeply committed to community impact, Guillermo serves on the board of The Gathering of Southeast Wisconsin and has supported organizations including the Milwaukee Urban League, YMCA, and United Way. A native of Mexico, he is a lifelong learner, avid reader, and enthusiastic pickleball player. Guillermo holds an MS in Organizational Development from Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) and a BS in Business and Marketing from ITESM (Monterrey).

Jeff is an accomplished operations and people-leadership executive with more than 30 years of experience leading teams in complex manufacturing and distribution environments. He is known for building high-performing organizations, fostering strong safety cultures, and delivering consistent operational excellence.

As Operations Vice President for Aldrich Chemical, a Merck KGaA subsidiary, Jeff received the 2021 People Leadership Award for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. He previously earned Sigma Aldrich’s Global Safety Award for leading a worldwide leadership development initiative that trained more than 1,200 people leaders across 50+ sites.

Jeff began his career as a Chemical Process Engineer before moving into senior leadership roles across North America with Merck KGaA, Sigma Aldrich, Sherwin-Williams, and RPM International. In 2023, he founded Boosting Leadership, LLC, where he focuses on developing future leaders, coaching executives, and driving organizational change.

Jeff holds a BS in Chemical Engineering from Bucknell University, an MBA from Heriot-Watt University, and a management certificate from the Kellogg School of Management.

John Koga is a nationally recognized consultant and trainer in Lean Construction and Choosing By Advantages (CBA) decision-making. He previously served as Vice President of Performance and Innovation Resources at The Boldt Company, a nationally respected construction firm known for its leadership in lean project delivery.

Trained by Lean Construction originators Greg Howell and Glenn Ballard, John is authorized to teach the Last Planner System and has been a leader in lean practices for decades. He was an early adopter of CBA and the first to introduce it to the lean construction community, where it is now widely used.

Over his 50-year career, John has worked on projects across 17 states and Canada, including the first lean million-square-foot hospital project in California. Mentored by CBA originator Jim Suhr, John developed and taught CBA programs for more than a decade and has trained organizations including Caterpillar, Oshkosh Corporation, Sutter Health, Greenheck, and Genentech.