The Empowerment of Communication
Posted On July 15, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
My colleagues and I talk and teach all the time about the power of strong communication skills. When we communicate effectively, The Latimer Group always says, we drive results. We get approvals. We connect with the people around us. So many good things happen when we can communicate well. But let’s add to that long […]
How to Succeed in the New Communication Age
Posted On July 6, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
At The Latimer Group, we speak with our clients and friends all the time about the “New Communication Age” that we live in. Today, communication is not just about having or controlling information. Years ago, in an era when not everyone had access to all the information they needed, the best communicators were, in fact, […]
Make Yourself Easy to Listen To
Posted On July 1, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
We write constantly in this blog about all the different elements of good communication… clear messaging, effective visuals or slides, powerful presence and delivery, speaking with the “executive voice“… these kinds of topics are the dominant themes in this blog. But today, I want to write about the “net effect” of all of these things. When you combine […]
The Self-Evident Truths of Communication Today
Posted On June 29, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
What does the world of communication look like right now? What are the barriers to getting our point across today, at this moment in time? There are a bunch, and none of them are inconsequential. Truth #1: The world continues to be a really noisy place. There are lots of people and things competing for attention span and mind share, and it […]
Vacation Has Never Been More Important
Posted On June 26, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
When I first started The Latimer Group, nearly twenty years ago, I worked from home full time. The company was a “group” in name only, and it was just me for several years. An office wasn’t necessary… or affordable. But as we grew, an office became an imperative, and it has now been nearly thirteen […]
The Risk of Long Distance (Work) Relationships
Posted On June 24, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
Maintaining relationships from distance is hard. Very hard. Whether it was the high school relationship you tried to keep together when one or both went off to college… or a marriage put to the test because of a job relocation… or a best friendship tested when one of you moved across country… there are countless […]
Communicating with Emotional Intelligence
Posted On June 22, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
Most people communicate selfishly in the workplace. Sorry… I apologize for that harsh opinion. But I believe it to be true. Most people communicate with their colleagues, customers, vendors, and suppliers based primarily on their own needs, wants and goals. Most people build their communication (presentations, meeting agendas, negotiation points, talking points) based on what they want, […]
The Message Makeover Podcast: Re-Examining the Golden Rule, with Bryan Gildenberg (Edit)
Posted On June 17, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
Editor’s note: The original version of this post linked to the wrong interview with Bryan… That’s been remedied, and the correct interview is available below, and via the following Soundcloud link. We apologize for any confusion. On June 11, 2020, Dan Cooney and I had a fascinating conversation with our long-time friend Bryan Gildenberg. We […]
The Message Makeover Minute: Navigating Difficult Conversations
Posted On June 15, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
Navigating challenging conversations is never easy, but in today’s world, it’s a skill that’s more important than ever to have in your communication toolbox. In this short video, we talk with you about some basic foundational mindsets that you should have as you enter into your next challenging conversation. For more episodes of The Message […]
Navigating Challenging Conversations, Part 3
Posted On June 12, 2020 BY Dean Brenner
As I wrote in the initial post in this series, I am in the midst of examining my own playbook for navigating challenging conversations. Such skills have never been more important, at least in my lifetime. And while that statement fairly opens me up to accusations of tempocentrism, I happen to believe it to be […]