Choosing the Correct Tone When You Speak
Posted On August 4, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
Sometimes it is hard to know the right way to say or write something. Sometimes it is hard to know the correct tone to take. How should I speak to these people? How formal or informal should it be? The answers depend on lots of things: the nature and seriousness of the topic; the level […]
“I” vs. “We” and President Obama
Posted On July 31, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
The pronouns we use when we speak can be a powerful window into the way we think, the way we lead, and the way we think about others. When we hear a leader speak with “I” as the dominant pronoun it creates a certain experience. And when we hear a leader speak with “we” as […]
How to Edit Your Presentation When Time is Short
Posted On July 29, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
It’s a common occurrence in the business world. You prepare a meeting, presentation, or speech for a certain length of time, only to find out that you have a lot less time than you planned for. Sometimes we even learn our fate as we are walking into the presentation. We’ve spoken a lot lately about […]
A Remarkable “Pitch Perfect” Moment from LeBron James
Posted On July 14, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
Every once in a while a celebrity or an athlete does or says something that really catches you off guard, and makes you stop and think “wait… that was really good. Where did that come from?” Last Friday, July 11, 2014 was one of those times. Regardless of whether you like basketball, or follow sports […]
It’s Never as Clear as You Think It Is
Posted On July 11, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
There is a disconnect that I witness every day. The disconnect is between our own perception of what is “clear” and what others think about that clarity. When we have an idea or a strategy or something in our head, and we have thought it through and worked it out, in our own minds it […]
A Tip for More Powerful Storytelling
Posted On July 3, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
This is a simple idea, but a very powerful one. We’ve all heard it before, yet so many of us continue to ignore it’s value. Whenever possible, tell your story with pictures and not words. Pictures create images in the mind, and for most of us the mind retains the things it sees much longer […]
5 Steps to Ending Annoying Conference Calls
Posted On June 23, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
We’ve all been to THIS conference call… too many times in fact. While Tripp and Tyler absolutely nail the inherent comedy in the ways we conduct conference calls, let’s take the conversation to the next level. How do we run better conference calls? Here are a few simple ideas: 1. Set context and get the […]
The Recipe for Great Communication
Posted On June 10, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
If we look at our communication as if it were a meal that our audience will consume, we’ll of course want to prepare a communication “meal” they will enjoy. And in order to do that, there are 5 ingredients that must be included in our recipe: Clarity, Brevity, Context, Impact, and Value. But how much […]
The Importance of Getting to the Point Quickly
Posted On June 4, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
“Be sincere. Be brief. Be seated.” ~Franklin D. Roosevelt We all complain about it, but we’re all guilty of it at times, as well. And in all our coaching, it’s one of the most common topics we run into with our clients. It’s the growing frustration with people’s inability to get to the point quickly […]
Switch and Shift: 5 Communication Behaviors We All Must Adopt
Posted On May 28, 2014 BY Dean Brenner
We’re pleased to contribute once again to Switch and Shift, a business blog focused on “the human side of business.” Our most recent contribution is called “5 Communication Behaviors We All Must Adopt.” In the rapidly-changing business world of the 21st century, there’s an overwhelming need for clearer, more succinct business communication. If we can […]