Video: Using Leverage to Persuade and Sell
Posted On September 21, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Did you know that a simple lesson from your high school physics class can help you be a more powerful communicator? The Leverage metaphor is one of our core concepts at The Latimer Group, one we use every day, not just in our client workshops, but in our own communication, as well. It’s a pretty […]
Don’t Waste the Chance to Help Someone Fly!
Posted On July 25, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
My son is seven years old, and like many kids, he is advanced in some ways, and cautious or slower to develop in others. In his case, he has a significant creative mind, loves numbers, loves words, and loves to build things… with Lego, sticks, anything he can get his hands on. He loves to […]
Don’t Be Afraid to Go to the Blackboard
Posted On July 20, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Today’s post is an add-on to our post earlier this week about the importance of bringing empathy to your work. Public speaking is a big — in some cases, debilitating — fear in many people. In most cases we see, that fear stems from being called out, challenged… or, just plain wrong… in front of […]
Coaching Advice: Leaders, Coaches, Colleagues: Bring the Empathy
Posted On July 17, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
I was in the midst of a great workshop recently, when I was asked a question I had never heard before. The participants in this workshop were really friendly and jovial, and we had a nice casual banter going all day long. And towards the end of the day, one of them said, “You […]
Simon Sinek: Practice Being the Last to Speak
Posted On July 10, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Simon Sinek is a favorite around here. We’ve written about him specifically in the past, and there’s a huge overlap in many of the themes we teach… This is a great addendum to some of the posts we’ve written in the past on listening, understanding, and seeing the other side. Simon’s advice, Be the last […]
“Yes” Moves the Conversation Forward
Posted On June 30, 2017 BY Brett Slater
Today’s post was written by Brett Slater, Chief Social Media Officer at The Latimer Group. Improvisation fascinates me. A recent passion of mine has been improv comedy, and I’m a huge fan of jazz and jam bands, both of which lean very heavily on improvisation as a tool. Part of my fascination with the improv […]
Video: How to Become an Olympic-Level Communicator
Posted On June 21, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Want to communicate at the Olympic level? Work on the 4 skills of great communication one by one, and when you put them all back together, you’ll be communicating at a much higher level. What are the 4 skills? Dean lays them out for us in the video below: At The Latimer Group, our […]
Video: The 4 Skills of Great Communication
Posted On April 24, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Ask anyone who performs at a high level: athletes, dancers, singers, etc. They all prepare and practice their skills the same way. They break their skill down into smaller “sub-skills,” then practice each one individually, then put them all back together, and their overall skill level has improved. The same is true with communication. “Great […]
End Annoying Conference Calls in 5 Easy Steps
Posted On January 25, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
We’ve all been to THIS conference call… too many times in fact. While Tripp and Tyler absolutely nail the inherent comedy in the ways we conduct conference calls, let’s take the conversation to the next level. How do we run better conference calls? Here are a few simple ideas: 1. Set context and get the […]
Your Job as a Communicator is Changing
Posted On January 18, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Years ago, before the age of the internet, when you got sick, you went to the doctor, she told you what was wrong, and what to do about it. The doctor had all (or most of) the information, so her job was to distribute that information to you so you could decide how to proceed. […]