The Common Language of the Playground
Posted On March 19, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
My family and I were visiting my wife’s parents in central Mexico recently, when an extraordinary thing happened. We took our two children to a nearby playground, and there were lots of local children playing there at the time. Our son Zach, now eight years old, noticed two other children about his age, a brother […]
5 Rules For Finding The Right Way To Communicate
Posted On February 27, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council January 29, 2018. Not long ago, I made a decision about a key benefits program for my company. I was excited about it; I felt like I was making a good call for the whole team. That Friday afternoon, pumped up, I sent out a Slack message to everyone announcing […]
The Three Keys To Transforming Your Communication
Posted On January 2, 2018 BY Dean Brenner
Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council November 22, 2017. When we think about how to become better communicators, we often think about the tools we use: our data, our PowerPoint deck, our posture and poise. And these are crucial. But the real keys to sustained, long-term improvement and success as a communicator might surprise you, in […]
Soundwaves: The 4 Skills of Great Communication, Part 2: Message
Posted On December 13, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
At The Latimer Group, our teaching model is based on the 4 Skills of Great Communication: Assess, Message, Document, and Deliver. In this new four-part series of our Soundwaves podcast, Dean shares the four skills of our model, through the story of The Latimer Group’s origin and evolution. As we conclude our 15th year of […]
Soundwaves: The 4 Skills of Great Communication, Part 1: Assess
Posted On December 11, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
At The Latimer Group, our teaching model is based on the 4 Skills of Great Communication: Assess, Message, Document, and Deliver. In this new four-part series of our Soundwaves podcast, Dean shares the four skills of our model, through the story of The Latimer Group’s origin and evolution. As we conclude our 15th year of […]
Becoming a Next-Level Communicator
Posted On November 20, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Originally published with the Forbes Coaches Council October 20, 2017. To be a powerful communicator, you have to be brutally honest. You need to look critically at how great a change you are suggesting and how much you are asking of your audience. But perhaps the most important place you must look is within yourself. How […]
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 […]