An Unexpected Call for Help
Posted On December 27, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
(Author’s Note: The following story happened on December 6, 2021 during a quiet afternoon at our office. I happened to be sitting at our conference table with my wife Emily. We were having lunch, doing Christmas cards, and just making small talk about all the things we had to get done between then and the […]
How to Advance Your Listening Skills
Posted On November 28, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
My colleagues and I always talk and teach about the importance of knowing your audience, and preparing for your work communication correctly. And at the center of that work is the ability to clarify the message and “the ask,” to try to anticipate what the audience will care about, and the questions or objections they […]
Making A Plan To Listen
Posted On October 10, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
In business, we have all sorts of plans… strategic plans, sales plans, operations plans, marketing plans. Plans, plans everywhere. And for the last twenty years our clients have also heard my colleagues and me talk at length about message plans. There is no shortage of plans in the world of business. But how many of […]
The Four Horsemen of Poor Relationships
Posted On October 7, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
I recently re-read a great article that discussed the four behaviors most responsible for killing relationships at home. The article quoted John Gottman, author of The Seven Principles That Make Marriage Work. And Gottman was quoted in Malcolm Gladwell’s book Blink. Anyone quoted by Malcolm Gladwell is worth a few minutes of my time. In […]
The Flag on my Front Porch, and the Currency of Vulnerability
Posted On September 8, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
Author’s Note: I wrote this piece nearly two years ago, on September 11th, 2020, and then reposted it again in September 2021. And based on the number of emails and comments I received both times, it was clear that it resonated loudly with many. And everyone who knows me, knows I love meaningful traditions. This […]
Sound and Silence
Posted On August 24, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
Most people think of their communication as a tangible and clear output: words on the page, images and messages on a slide, words coming out of the mouth. And there is truth in that belief. Strong communication is a series of clear outputs. We spend a ton of energy here at The Latimer Group helping […]
Leadership Advice: Avoid the Extreme Response
Posted On August 17, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
Like many families, much of our summer was spent keeping our kids engaged in activities. We want them active, outside, and off screens as much as possible. For our son, that meant sleep away camp for the first time, as well as an engineering design class, and some sailing. For our daughter, that also meant […]
The Impact of Emotional Intelligence On Your Communication
Posted On August 10, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
Most people communicate selfishly in the workplace. Sorry… I apologize for that harsh opinion. But I believe it to be true. Most people communicate with their colleagues, customers, vendors, and suppliers based primarily on their own needs, wants and goals. Most people build their communication (presentations, meeting agendas, negotiation points, talking points) based on what they want, […]
Connected with My Son, Disconnected from Everyone Else
Posted On August 5, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
(Author’s Note: I am on vacation with my family this week, and have been leaning more heavily than normal on our archive. And in honor of being on vacation, and being a little disconnected, we decided to republish a post about the power and importance of BEING disconnected once in a while. Enjoy!) I’ve been […]
When People Listen to You
Posted On July 20, 2022 BY Dean Brenner
We all know how it feels to have our time wasted. Have you ever been in a meeting/presentation/conference call that seemed to have no purpose? Or where the speaker could not get to the point? Or where you wondered why you were even there? [Pause for you to nod in agreement…] Have you ever listened […]