Gratitude: An Important Form of Communication
Posted On November 22, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
We communicate with each other in so many different ways… a topic we write about all the time. Our words, facial expressions, body language, how we speak, WHEN we speak, the way we listen, the way we behave… all of these things are communicating messages out all the time. And since this is Thanksgiving week […]
“Yes” Moves the Conversation Forward
Posted On June 30, 2017 BY Brett Slater
Today’s post was written by Brett Slater, Chief Social Media Officer at The Latimer Group. Improvisation fascinates me. A recent passion of mine has been improv comedy, and I’m a huge fan of jazz and jam bands, both of which lean very heavily on improvisation as a tool. Part of my fascination with the improv […]
What to Know Before You Tell Your Story
Posted On May 3, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
At The Latimer Group, we talk and write all the time about the ability to communicate clearly. That is our purpose, our mission, our raison d’etre. To succeed in the 21st century global business environment, you need to be able to communicate with your colleagues, employees, customers, prospects, and shareholders, and you need to […]
United Airlines: Every Day is a Job Interview
Posted On April 11, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
Like many of you, I watched the video of the United Airlines passenger being dragged off a flight with horror and sadness. It was an awful scene, and for those of you who have not heard the story, here are the basics… passengers had boarded a flight in Chicago, bound for Louisville. It was a […]
What Happens When “The Plan” Falls Through?
Posted On March 23, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” – Mike Tyson People love to plan. Everyone has a plan. You can’t do anything in today’s world without a plan. But having a plan is only part of the equation… and I would say it is the easy part. The harder part of […]
Leadership Tips: When to Debate, When to Dictate
Posted On January 30, 2017 BY Dean Brenner
I’m working with an executive right now who has an interesting and engaging leadership style. He likes to collaborate, he likes dialogue, he wants to hear what people have to say. He allows lots of input, and seems to detest strict hierarchy. I like this style, actually, because it is similar to my own. But […]
End Annoying Conference Calls in 5 Easy Steps
Posted On January 25, 2017 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 Global Need for Respect
Posted On December 19, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
During the past year of client work, we’ve spent time with professionals from over 25 different countries… busy, ambitious, successful, intelligent professionals. They worked in finance, engineering, marketing, communications, procurement, and all sorts of leadership and management positions. Our client base is certainly a diverse group! And any time we have an intense period of […]
The Sad Truth of “Post-Truth”
Posted On November 21, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Last week I had a conversation with a long-time friend and business partner, Mary Ann. And she shared with me that the Oxford Dictionaries has selected “post-truth” as 2016’s international word of the year, after the contentious Brexit referendum and an equally divisive US presidential election caused usage of the adjective to skyrocket, according to […]
Can (and Should) You Be Friends with Colleagues?
Posted On September 1, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Here’s a challenging one, with no easy answer. Do you make your work life harder if you become friends (non-romantically) with a colleague or colleagues? Does it become harder to do your job when your professional relationships are overlaid with personal friendships? I think the answer is “maybe.” Adding a personal component to a professional […]