How to Make Sure You Get the Most of Employee Training
Posted On May 31, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
We had a great conversation with a long-standing client and friend yesterday, and part of it was a fascinating discussion of “new behaviors.” We were discussing some major training initiatives for his organization, and he asked the million dollar question: “How do we make sure we get a great ROI for our investment in training?” […]
Every Day is a Job Interview
Posted On May 25, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Here is a little insight into our world at The Latimer Group, and the world for any coaching and training firm. Every single day of work is a job interview for future work. We are guaranteed nothing… We are not on direct deposit or retainer with our clients… We have contracts with all of our […]
Being “On a Team” Doesn’t Mean You HAVE a “Team”
Posted On May 2, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Teams are everywhere, in every corner of professional life. The concept of “team” is pervasive, so much so that most people take the concept for granted. Most people don’t really grasp what it means to be part of a good, functional, productive team. Most people have probably never experienced “team” at its highest form. True […]
Post from the Past: A Better Way to Open Your Meetings
Posted On April 11, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
(Note: This post was originally published in August of 2013. But it’s more important now than ever.) My family and I spent the weekend with some dear friends, and over the course of a weekend of laughter, swimming, ping pong and wine, the conversation turned (for a few minutes) to business. My good buddy, who […]
Expand Your World View, and Understand Your Colleagues
Posted On March 21, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
My family and I recently returned from a short trip to Mexico. We have visited family there several times with our son over the last six years, and this was the first plane trip for our infant daughter. Traveling with young kids can be a real challenge, no matter how hard you try to organize […]
Teach Them to Fly, Revisited
Posted On March 9, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Just about three years ago, I published a post on this blog called “Teach Them to Fly,” about my then three-year-old son, and how important it is to give people — kids and adults alike — the confidence and encouragement to soar with their passions and strengths. I revisited this post recently, and some things […]
The Cost of Poor Communication
Posted On February 3, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
My colleagues and I always talk about the importance of strong communication skills. And we also always talk about a few business world realities that make communication hard: too many meetings, overwhelming amounts of information, multi-tasking to the point of complete distraction, short attention spans, etc, etc, etc. We talk about these issues constantly. These […]
Do People Find You Credible?
Posted On January 14, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
We spend a lot of time discussing credibility with our clients. And we always like to tell them that no matter how good a speaker you are, no matter how strong your message, voice and presence are, if your audience does not find you credible then we can’t help you. Credibility is everything. To quote […]
How Do You Lead When No One is Looking?
Posted On January 6, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
There is an old adage that you can tell a lot about a person by the way they treat people who “don’t matter” and when no one is looking. In other words, you get the real insight into a person’s character by the way they treat people who can’t help them in some way, or […]
The Caveat of Building Consensus
Posted On December 17, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
At The Latimer Group, we’ve been talking lately about the difference between Persuasion and Consensus. The question came up in our discussions among our colleagues and clients about whether Consensus is always necessarily a good thing. We wrote recently that it is — that we can persuade our coworkers toward a certain outcome, but if […]