6 Steps to Avoid “Death By Meeting”
Posted On January 29, 2025 BY Dean Brenner
I ask the following question in every workshop or coaching session I lead: “Have you ever been to that meeting or presentation that was so disorganized, that you regretted accepting the meeting invite?” Of course you have. We all have. The Latimer Group spends a lot of time working inside large organizations, and all of […]
The Most Important Business Skill
Posted On January 27, 2025 BY Dean Brenner
If you have the power to advocate for the things you believe in… If you can make the compelling case for the idea… If you can influence the decisions and behaviors of others… If you can build consensus and persuade… You have competitive advantage. Period. Full stop. In the 21st century business world — where […]
Managing Change is Constant
Posted On January 23, 2025 BY Dean Brenner
As a business community, we spend a lot of time and money talking about and studying the concept of “change management.” And I understand why. It is an important concept, and organizations and their leaders need to be able to navigate the way through those major moments of change. Get it right, and lots of […]
Leaders Are Also Allowed to Grow
Posted On January 21, 2025 BY Dean Brenner
I spend a lot of my time coaching business leaders, emerging and established ones, on their leadership and communication skills. And the best versions of these conversations occur when the leader is willing to make themselves vulnerable and share with me what keeps them “up at night.” The list of things that cause sleeplessness (literal […]
Your Most Powerful Leadership Voice
Posted On January 14, 2025 BY Dean Brenner
Leaders, mentors and people in positions of authority have enormous power. The power to make decisions, set rules and regulations, run the P&L. Many forms of power. But today our topic is not about the typical, top-of-mind forms of power. Today our topic is the power of the leader’s voice. And in particular the power […]
Power Up Your Career
Posted On December 19, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
Think about where you want to go in your career. Think about the things you want to achieve, the position you want to have, the control you want to have over your progression. Now think about the skills that are going to help you get there. What’s on your list? It’s your list, and entirely […]
Want to Get Heard? Make It Clear and Valuable
Posted On December 17, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
Communication clarity is really hard in the 21st century… a mantra I have recited over and over in this space. Why is it hard? Because there is so much “noise,” competition for mind share, distractions, news flashes, posts, texts and alerts, emails… all of it conspiring to pull our attentions spans in many directions all at once. […]
Make Yourself Essential
Posted On December 9, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
Do you want to be seen as “essential” by your manager, leader or executive? I will assume for a moment that your answer is “yes.” So let’s talk about what that will require. First, let’s start with the “table stakes” part of being essential: you have to do your job well, treat your clients or […]
Meetings are the Organization’s Blood Cells
Posted On December 3, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
How often do you sit in meetings and think to yourself “wow… this is a colossal waste of time“? My guess is your answer is some version of “far too often.” The next time you are feeling that way, do some quick back-of-the-envelope calculations. Make an estimate of what you get paid by the hour. […]
Organizational Blood Flow
Posted On November 25, 2024 BY Dean Brenner
Information is the blood supply in the modern business organization. But in a world where there is an overwhelming amount of information available, we have to make sure that we are exchanging good information, and not just any information. So let me amend my opening sentence. Good information is the healthy blood supply in the […]