Session Topics
LUDWIG SPEAKS – Session Descriptions
The Art of Teammate Excellence
We have all worked with amazing teammates—and with teammates who make success feel challenging. This session explores who we are as teammates, why we act the way we do, and how to better operate as a successful team. High-performing teams share respect, appreciation, and a commitment to both individual and team success. We will discuss overcoming “me” thinking and moving toward “we” thinking.
Do I Really Have to Be Nice? – Customer Service in an Increasingly Harsh World
When we start in municipal service, we’re energized and ready to serve. Over time, dealing with unhappy or unwilling customers can affect our attitude and professionalism. This session focuses on understanding your role, recognizing customer differences, setting boundaries, and maintaining joy and professionalism in customer interactions.
Conflict Resolution and Solutions
“You can’t always get what you want, but you get what you need.” Workplace excellence requires navigating differing perspectives. While liking our coworkers isn’t required, professionalism is. This session examines why conflict occurs and provides strategies to resolve it in ways that serve the team and customers.
Ethical Leadership
If ethics are the principles guiding our behavior, why do leadership decisions often feel uncomfortable? Ethics differ from societal morals, and societal norms shift over time. This session explores the foundations of ethical behavior and strategies for leading in ways that are professional, defensible, and ethically sound.
What Comes First, and Why? – Prioritization & Time Management
Time is our most valuable resource. In an era of small teams and high accountability, having a plan for our time is essential. This session covers annual project and calendar planning, prioritization strategies, and tools to create less stress and more productivity.
What’s My Style? – Understanding Team Personality Types
Have you ever thought, “What were they thinking?” This session uses the Real Colors personality tool to explore different work styles, how to value those differences, and how to function as a stronger team. (Requires purchase of Real Colors Personality Instrument booklets for each attendee.)
Real Leadership – Behaviors & Communication
In many fields, “real” leaders are those who perform at the highest standards. This session covers five key factors of excellent leadership, communication strategies, and ways to improve your team’s performance and morale by leading with intention.
Expectations and Accountability
“Discipline implies timing. It’s the precursor to good behavior…” – Buck Brannaman. This session focuses on building a culture of discipline, setting clear expectations, and maintaining accountability for consistent, high-quality performance.
Just Throw Strikes
Like a great baseball manager, leaders must know their team’s strengths, limits, and recovery needs. This session addresses balancing empathy with expectations, removing limitations, and coaching individuals and teams to exceed their perceived potential.
Team Membership
While we manage our own responsibilities, we can forget our impact on the larger organization. This session uses the metaphor of an orchestra to discuss how individual excellence must work in harmony with others to create organizational success.
Supervisory Do’s and Don’ts
Learn the fundamentals of effective supervision—what to do, what to avoid, and how communication shapes team performance.
Generational Differences
Workplaces now span multiple generations, each shaped by unique experiences and motivations. This session examines generational traits, strengths, and communication styles to help leaders better assign, motivate, and engage all team members.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
This program has more value than I’ve ever expected. Keep up the good work.
This training over the past three years has been the most helpful and effective leadership training I have been a part of. Great speakers and awesome people.
Excellent event. Great venue. Terrific content. Amazing event structure and scheduling.
Great wealth of usable skills. Very eye opening. Wish this was available 20 years ago.