With a foundation built on research and real-world professional experience, Mike Kutzke of Professional Training Services develops course content that enhances organizational and personal productivity in a grounded, practical, and engaging way. Guided by the principle Stay Curious, each training encourages participants to examine assumptions, explore new perspectives, and better understand how social development, interaction theory, current practice, and proven methodology shape personal and professional interactions that impact productivity.
Professional Training Services recognizes that change and negativity are among the most significant challenges facing today’s workplaces, directly affecting productivity, employee satisfaction, and customer service. Rapid social, organizational, and personal change can leave individuals and organizations feeling a loss of control or direction, often giving rise to negativity. By fostering curiosity rather than resistance, training helps participants navigate change with greater awareness, adaptability, and purpose, strengthening interactions with both internal and external customers and supporting overall organizational effectiveness.
Professional Training Services’ client portfolio includes state, county, and private organizations, with a consistent focus on measurable outcomes and meaningful training experiences for both individuals and the organizations they serve. By blending adult learning principles with current employee development research, our programs are designed to spark curiosity, encourage growth, and equip participants with practical tools for continuous improvement.
Stay Curious: Building Your AI Fluency
AI seems to be changing everything, and if you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed trying to keep up, you’re in good company. This session cuts through the hype and jargon to give you a clear, practical understanding of what AI actually is and how it’s already showing up in your work and life. You will explore real AI tools in a supportive environment, ask the questions you’ve been hesitant to ask, and leave with confidence to take your next step forward. From real-world tools to ethical challenges, you’ll gain insight and strategies to make AI work for you and your organization. No tech background is required, just bring your curiosity and willingness to learn. Discover how to stay curious, adaptable, and ahead of the curve with practical examples and a touch of humor.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Define AI fluency and explain key concepts including generative AI, natural language model, effective prompting strategies, and how AI tools actually work in plain, everyday language
- Identify real-world applications of AI that can enhance productivity, creativity, and problem-solving in personal and professional settings
- Demonstrate basic techniques for engaging with AI tools effectively, including how to ask better questions and evaluate the responses you receive
Resiliency: Transforming Challenges Into Opportunities
This session is designed to help professionals strengthen their ability to adapt, stay focused, and remain effective in today’s fast-paced and constantly changing work environment. As funding pressures, shifting priorities, technology changes, and rising expectations continue to reshape the workplace, this session helps participants enhance their ability to respond constructively to ongoing challenges rather than feeling overwhelmed by them. Through realistic examples, discussion, and immediately usable strategies, participants explore ways to manage stress, maintain perspective, protect energy, and make sound decisions under pressure, while also examining everyday workplace practices that influence resilience. Participants leave with practical tools and actionable ideas to turn continuous change into opportunities for growth, clarity, and sustained professional effectiveness.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Identify common sources of workplace stress and change and recognize how ongoing demands, shifting expectations, and organizational pressures impact performance, focus, and well-being.
- Apply practical resiliency strategies to manage energy, maintain perspective, set healthy boundaries, and respond constructively to challenges and uncertainty in professional settings.
- Recognize everyday workplace practices that influence resilience and identify at least one individual or operational adjustment that can support sustained effectiveness during times of change.
Five Generations, One Workplace: Turning Differences into Strengths
Navigating the five-generation workforce is a practical professional development course designed to help organizations strengthen collaboration, communication, and decision-making across an increasingly age-diverse workforce. With five generations working side by side, differences in communication styles, technology use, learning preferences, and expectations can create friction or become a powerful advantage when approached intentionally. This course helps participants move beyond stereotypes to better understand generational perspectives, identify common workplace challenges, and apply practical strategies such as clear communication protocols, inclusive decision-making practices, multi-modal learning approaches, and effective knowledge transfer. Through real-world examples and actionable tools, participants gain insights they can use to reduce misunderstandings, improve teamwork, and build a workplace culture that values experience, innovation, and shared success.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Increase understanding of generational dynamics in the workplace by exploring how differences in experiences, communication styles, learning preferences, and expectations influence collaboration and decision-making across five generations.
- Identify practical strategies that improve multigenerational collaboration by examining approaches such as clear communication protocols, inclusive decision-making practices, and multi-modal learning methods that reduce friction and enhance teamwork.
- Apply actionable tools to strengthen workplace culture and knowledge sharing by recognizing ways to support effective collaboration, respect diverse perspectives, and leverage generational diversity as an organizational strength.
ADDING VALUE: THE POWER OF COMMUNICATION
Do your interactions with others add value? Are you prepared to influence? How often do you reflect on the impact your communication habits have on your success? This presentation explores strategies designed to develop and enhance your communication and networking skills and strategies, including the importance of authenticity, recognizing patterns, and listening. Please come prepared to smile, laugh, and enjoy the presentation.
ORGANIZATION AND PRIORITIZATION
Every day we are assessed on our ability to get things done. This course addresses practical strategies and techniques in a fun and fast-paced learning environment to help you take control of your time and assist you in identifying the things that are your personal and professional priorities. This session is designed to allow attendees to learn about how their current assumptions and beliefs about organization and prioritization impact their day-to-day productivity personally and professionally. It is designed to be an active and fun learning event that allows attendees to identify areas they can improve in while in a safe and enjoyable environment.
EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE
Emotional intelligence is the glue that holds relationships, partnerships, and personal interactions together while it also acts as the cornerstone for successful individual and organizational effectiveness. This training focuses on providing a better realization of emotional intelligence, along with identifying strategies to effectively deal with negativity, stress, constant change, and the ever increasing expectations individuals face personally and professionally. The course is designed to give individuals the skills necessary to identify and manage common causes and responses to negativity, communication patterns, and the impact of attitude and perceptions. Grounded in emotional intelligence principles, individuals are given the opportunity to explore solutions to counter negative emotions and responses that influence individuals’ personal and professional success.
See what’s in store when you book Mike!
The following is Mike’s presentation, “Dedicated to Improving Performance and Enhancing Growth” to the Albert Lea Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce
“I have not laughed, nor enjoyed a training as much as your presentation today. I can see this is your passion, and clearly you do your job very well.”
Bonnie H.