Dairy owners, managers, industry directors, processors, marketers and distributors will develop the “mind of a manager and heart of a leader” at Managers Academy Jan. 20-22 in Orlando, Florida.

Watch for post-conference coverage in future issues of Progressive Dairyman.

Garrison Wynn
Executive Consultant

Session topic: What the top 1 percent of CEO’s have in common (and why they don’t talk about it)

Q. Why is this topic important?
WYNN: Our research showed the bottom 99 percent deem many of the key elements of influence as irrelevant. It seems that what makes the top performers so successful is seen as unimportant to the rest. That’s a huge issue and causes people to believe that charisma, genius or a superior idea is required to be influential. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Q. What do you hope attendees will take away from your presentation?
WYNN: How to get people to buy into their vision more consistently. The ability to make better decisions about clarity and value. To make sure that their knowledge, intelligence and drive is positioned in the right way so it creates the outcome they have planned for. PD

Charlie Arnot
Communications Consultant

Session topic: Protecting your social license to operate

Q. Why is this topic important?
ARNOT: Today simply being in compliance and relying on science are not sufficient to protect producers’ freedom to operate. We have to earn and maintain a social license and that requires both new ways of thinking and new ways of engaging the public, our customers and consumers.

Q. What do you hope attendees will take away from your presentation?
ARNOT: A belief that we can build and maintain consumer confidence in the contemporary dairy industry. Dairying is a noble profession, and we can and should reclaim the moral high ground. I also hope they will leave with practical ideas about how they can make that happen on their farm and in today’s dairy industry. PD

Jason Mitchell
Management Consultant

Session topic: Negotiating: Making effective agreements

Q. Why is this topic important?
MITCHELL: ’09 will prove to be a very difficult year for many businesses. It is imperative that people are intentional and mindful of the agreements they are making. In every business sector, resources are tight. Whether we are negotiating over money, people or time, everyone will have to be attentive and prepared when engaging in agreements with their business partners.

Q. What do you hope attendees will take away from your presentation?
MITCHELL: My goal is for the attendees to learn, or reaffirm, one or two things that will make their client interactions more profitable and satisfying. Also, I hope that we all have some fun. PD

Bill Curley
Chief Economist for Blimling and Associates

Session topic: Factors considered and data used in constructing a forecast

Q. Why is this topic important?
CURLEY: Today’s volatile markets make forecasting a difficult task. The impact of trends in international exports and national economics can quickly be seen in a dairy producer’s bottom line. Understanding how to develop forecasting and what is taking place in the markets can help producers capture the highest milk price and minimize their input costs.

Q. What do you hope attendees will take away from your presentation?
CURLEY: The factors that influence supply and demand and how, when analyzed and combined, they can help develop a forecast for market performance. PD