Listening

This post was written by Hannah Morris, Facilitator and Coach at The Latimer Group.   Situational awareness – being aware of what is going on around us – is a crucial element of successful communication and connection. It starts with paying attention to and getting familiar with a baseline of what is normal, what can be expected. Once […]

(Author’s Note: I wrote this piece nearly one year ago, on September 11th, 2020. And based on the number of emails and comments I received at the time, it resonated loudly with many. So, with the twentieth anniversary of September 11th, 2001 approaching, we share it again today. Be safe, everyone. — DMB) I love […]

This post was written by Lauren St. Germain, Facilitator and Coach for The Latimer Group. Here at The Latimer Group, we live by the idea that communication skills should no longer be considered a “soft skill.” We believe that communication is a “power skill”, and earlier this year, McKinsey & Company helped prove this to be true […]

(Publisher’s Note: Today’s post is the second in a three-part series this week, all written by Hannah Morris, Director of Assessment & Advancement at The Latimer Group. In this series, Hannah is leading us through an examination of how we learn and grow, and how self-reflection can become a critical component in our personal and professional development. Hannah […]

(Author’s Note: I was scrolling through our archive early this morning, looking for inspiration for today’s post. Eventually, I came across this one from several years ago, which spoke to me on several levels. Most of all I loved the reveal of the learning process, and how a good discussion can lead to a steady […]

When we say someone has a strong “presence,” what does that actually mean? I mean, specifically, what does it mean? Ask 100 different people (and we have), you might get 50 different answers. A strong presence means different things to different people. And when you push people to define what it actually is, you tend […]

The Olympic Games are happening this week and next, which will tell you everything you need to know about where my head is for the next few days. I love the Olympic Games, for many reasons. But near the top of the list is that I love learning about how elite performers became elite. And […]

Do you find it easy to persuade people? That’s a broad question, with an answer that is likely to be some version of, “sometimes.” Whether someone is easily persuaded depends on a lot. The size of the ask, the environment and situation you’re in, the kind of person you’re trying to persuade, and other variables can all play […]

Sometimes certain phrases get repeated so often, they become more than cliche. They become indisputable fact. But that doesn’t mean such statements are always correct. Like many cliches, “the customer is always right” has a great deal of truth to it. The customer knows what they want or need, and the customer is entitled to […]

When we think about communication in the workplace, all too often we focus on the delivery part: what we will say, what our slides will look like and how loudly we should speak. All that’s important, but what about the other side? Before we speak, we need to listen. And when we do speak, we need to make sure that our audience […]