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Learn. Lead. Succeed.

Strategies in Manufacturing: Optimizing Your Leadership

Invest in your frontline supervisors and team leads with a continuing education series tailored for advanced manufacturing organizations in the Greater Kansas City region.
Two manufacturing workers in safety gear examining a switch box.
Leadership instructor with a bow tie walking around a classroom of adult learners.

Who is this series for?

What will you learn?

What is the time commitment?

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Develop the leaders who drive your production floor

Frontline leaders play a critical role in productivity, safety, workforce retention and operational excellence. This program equips emerging and current supervisors with practical leadership tools — built for the realities of modern manufacturing — so they can lead high-performing teams and support your strategic goals.

This series is specifically designed for those frontline managers, supervisors and team leads working in KC's advanced manufacturing industries. Throughout four days, they'll learn new skills, practical strategies and how to solve real-world challenges that routinely impact their workplace.

Schedule and Format

This series consists of four day-long sessions held in-person every Friday in February 2026. All in-person session are at the K-State Olathe campus, located at 22201 W. Innovation Drive, Olathe, KS 66061. A virtual group coaching session will follow-up the series the week of March 23. Lunch is provided at each in-person session. 
Feb. 6
Session 1		 Feb. 13
Session 2		 Feb. 20
Session 3

Feb. 27

Session 4

Week of March 23

Virtual Session

KC OPS Membership

KC OPS logo.Attendees also will receive and 3 month preview membership to KC OPS, a leadership development program for production managers working in manufacturing and fabrication firms in the Greater Kansas City area. Learn more about KC OPS.

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Learn. Lead. Succeed.

Registration for Feb. 2026 has closed. 

Don't miss the next opportunity. Sign up below to receive updates and be the first to know about new offerings.

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Topics Covered and Additional Benefits

Throughout the series, participants will learn new skills, practical strategies and how to solve real-world challenges that routinely impact their workplace. This series is offered as a cohort model, meaning the same attendees will interact and engage with each other throughout the series. By doing this, they'll build a network of peers who work in the same industry and who they can turn to for shared problem-solving, advice and collaboration.

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Two floormen discuss operations with a man in a suit.

Session 1 is about optimizing team productivity.

Feb. 6 | Led by Judy Favor

About this session
Man and woman wearing hardhats looking at manufacturing components.

Session 2 covers the multigenerational and globalized workplace and tough conversations.

Feb. 13 | Led by Meaghan Bircher and Judy Favor

About this session
Man wearing a hardhat and safety gear turns a crank on a large piece of equipment.

Session 3 covers problem-solving and effective feedback.

Feb. 20 | Led by Brett Horton and Margie Banach

About this session
Floorman and man in suit talk on the manufacturing floor with machines in the background.

Session 4 is about data and goal setting, and includes break out groups.

Feb. 27 | Led by Jason Grove

About this session
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Yellow Belt Lean Six Sigma Course
June 25-26, 2026

This optional, two-day introductory noncredit course is the foundation program of Lean Six Sigma and its methodologies. The main goal of the Yellow Belt course is to provide an introduction to Lean Six Sigma and how it can be used by individuals and teams to improve customer satisfaction, reduce errors, increase efficiencies and work more effectively with teams to solve problems.

Registration and More Details
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Questions

Contact Dianna Bartel at kcprofdev@ksu.edu with any questions about the series.

Unlock Your Discount

Join our list to receive updates on our upcoming advanced manufacturing courses and training events. You will receive a discount code for 10% off your first registration fee.