Muhammad Ali, Always Speaking, Always Heard
Posted On June 8, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
I am going to write about Muhammad Ali today. And I won’t come close to doing justice to the man, his history or his legacy. I’m not sure anyone can. But let’s get a few things out of the way, in an attempt to at least attempt to gaze at the scope of his life […]
On Labels and Judgments: 2016
Posted On April 18, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
(Earlier today, at my 5am spin class, I heard some sad news. I learned that a guy who had been a regular member of our early morning spin group had died over the weekend, apparently taking his own life. We weren’t close… we were friendly, enough to chat before and after class. We knew each […]
How to Be the BEST Listener Possible (and Why That’s Important!)
Posted On March 23, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
My colleagues and I always talk about the importance of knowing your audience, and preparing for your work communication correctly. We work with our clients on their ability to clarify the message and the ask, and to try to anticipate what the audience will care about, and the questions or objections they may have. And […]
The Need for Respectful Discourse
Posted On February 15, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Last Saturday night, Feb 13, 2016, I was standing on the bench for the Choate hockey team, cheering for the team, and supporting two of my good friends, Pat Dennehy and Mike Velez. They indulge me a few times a year, and let me join the team as “guest coach,” which basically means I cheer, […]
Controlling The Voice Inside Your Head, Part 2
Posted On February 1, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
We recently wrote about that voice of insecurity that comes into our heads when we are experiencing self doubt. We all know that voice. Some of us hear it more often than others, but we have all heard it… the voice that says you aren’t good enough, you aren’t ready, you are going to under-perform. […]
Controlling The Voice Inside Your Head
Posted On January 25, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Note: We recently added to this post an audio version, as the latest installment of our Soundwaves podcast. Listen via the audio player at the bottom of this post, and be sure to check out the entire library of Soundwaves episodes available on iTunes, or via your favorite podcast player. There is this voice inside […]
Be More Than a Messenger
Posted On November 18, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
We talk about this theme often here at The Latimer Group. But as with any important theme, it merits multiple mentions. When we are communicating in the workplace, we need to make sure we have the correct mindset. And that mindset is this… be more than a messenger. We need to be thinking about doing […]
The Three Levels of Delivery, Part 2
Posted On September 24, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
Recently we shared a framework my colleagues and I use at The Latimer Group, that captures the different levels of delivery skills possible for business communication. We got a great deal of reaction on that piece, including a question via Twitter from good friend John. John asked, “What happens when you need to work on […]
The 3 Levels of Verbal Delivery
Posted On September 22, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
There are lots of ways to think about how we speak, and the way we deliver our message in the workplace. There is no one single standard for what is required and what is considered “great.” Authenticity always needs to rule the day, and we all need to have the confidence to speak in our […]
Storytelling Techniques: Problem → Solution
Posted On June 9, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
We’ve been writing a lot lately about “the new communication age” and life in a “post-PowerPoint world.” Communication skills have never been more important than they are right now. And one of the best ways to communicate in a powerful way is through the use of story. Story can be used in lots of ways. […]