Dean Brenner

My colleagues and I are always making the case for stronger communication skills. And if we are going to make that case, then we also have to make the case for better preparation. And if we are going to make that case, then we also need to create some time in our work lives to […]

I spend a lot more time thinking about listening now than I used to. Why? I am not really sure. It could be my advancing age. It could be parenthood. It could be experience in my job. It could be the influence of some of the people in my life. Probably, it is a little bit of […]

I was recently leading a workshop, when a participant named Paul started talking about the card game poker. We were discussing body language and presence, and Paul equated the conversation to having a good “poker face” while playing cards. In other words, he was talking about maintaining a consistent presence when speaking, no matter what we might […]

My wife Emily and I have recently been going through some old files in our basement, clearing some stuff out and making some much-needed room in an already-crowded basement. And whenever one starts opening boxes from long ago, two things always seem to happen. You find some stuff, and wonder “why did I ever keep that?” And […]

Communication (or rather great communication) is not a series of memorized steps, standard moves, or a list of tips and tricks (oh how I hate that phrase…) No. Great communication is really about questions and choices. It is about understanding what is really going on in a given moment, seeing the situation clearly, and then deciding […]

My wife and I were recently organizing a box of keepsakes we have been collecting over the last few years: birth announcements, report cards, art class masterpieces… you get the idea. And in that box, we found a note we had written to ourselves, where we had laid out our intended “principles of parenting.” We […]

This week, Latimer CEO and Co-Founder Dean Brenner is a guest on the Fiducient Advisors’ Nonprofit Investment Advisors podcast. The Latimer Group and Fiducient share a close corporate relationship, as we have worked together in a variety of ways on a number of different projects. So we were excited when they invited our CEO to […]

I love to garden. And I love being part of a team. So let’s connect those two topics today. Every skilled gardener knows that building a healthy and successful garden requires planning, effort and maintenance. You need to understand the environment for your would-be garden… sun, soil and water are the big variables. You need […]

We post frequently on this blog about listening skills. Listening is of critical importance to your ability to persuade, sell, lead, follow… everything in the work place. But here is an important question for you to think about. How well do you listen to people you don’t like? We all come in contact with people […]

Checking in from vacation with my family… Our son had a friend with us for a few days. And amidst all of the typical summertime outdoor activities, they asked for (and received) permission for some daily screen time. The two boys are both avid fans of Minecraft, a digital world I know precious little about. […]