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 […]
What REALLY Matters Most in Business Communication
Posted On June 6, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
I just returned from my 25th college reunion this past weekend, and yes… it was fun and exhausting, and a wonderful walk down memory lane. I spent time with great friends who I see regularly, occasionally and almost never, and all of it was amazing. Every reunion contains countless “so what have you been up […]
How to Make Sure You Get the Most of Employee Training
Posted On May 31, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
We had a great conversation with a long-standing client and friend yesterday, and part of it was a fascinating discussion of “new behaviors.” We were discussing some major training initiatives for his organization, and he asked the million dollar question: “How do we make sure we get a great ROI for our investment in training?” […]
Every Day is a Job Interview
Posted On May 25, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Here is a little insight into our world at The Latimer Group, and the world for any coaching and training firm. Every single day of work is a job interview for future work. We are guaranteed nothing… We are not on direct deposit or retainer with our clients… We have contracts with all of our […]
Persuasion as Both Art and Science
Posted On May 23, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Last week, during a series of workshops with one of our best clients, a fascinating topic came up for discussion. As we were reviewing the themes of The Latimer Group’s Model for Persuasion, one of the participants commented that “this seems more art than science.” The conversation paused for a few moments, we all thought […]
My Dad and The Miracle on Ice
Posted On May 18, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
During a client workshop recently, the participants and I were talking about how different the world is now, compared to even twenty or thirty years ago. We were telling stories about life prior to email or the internet or 1000-channel-cable menus. I shared the fact that my kids have hardly ever seen a commercial because the television […]
Being “On a Team” Doesn’t Mean You HAVE a “Team”
Posted On May 2, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Teams are everywhere, in every corner of professional life. The concept of “team” is pervasive, so much so that most people take the concept for granted. Most people don’t really grasp what it means to be part of a good, functional, productive team. Most people have probably never experienced “team” at its highest form. True […]
The Power of Non-Verbal Communication
Posted On April 26, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
I am relearning, once again, some powerful lessons about communication. And I am learning them from our infant daughter. Our daughter is rapidly approaching her first birthday, and is doing all the things you would expect her to be doing. Crawling around, getting into things she shouldn’t, making all sorts of sounds, screaming when she […]
How to Recognize and Avoid Passive-Aggressive Email
Posted On April 21, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
A colleague pointed us to a recent episode from the BBC Business Matters podcast. The subject: Has email made us more passive-aggressive at work? Here’s the excerpt: Passive aggression, defined, is behavior characterized by indirect resistance to the demands of others, and an avoidance of direct confrontation. Both of which are much more easily done via […]
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 […]