Find the Joy in Your Work
Posted On August 17, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
My colleagues and I talk frequently about this blog… how we should use it, what we should write about, how much to share with our readers. And the vast majority of the time, we default to straight business topics, with real anecdotes from real experiences with our clients. This is a business blog, first and […]
Working from Home: Trust has to be a Two-Way Street
Posted On July 27, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
There has been a lot of chatter lately about work flexibility, the ability to work from home, etc. It’s a great conversation, and figuring this out is critical for most organizations. Each company has to sort out what works, and then develop and maintain a policy that will attract top talent. I’ve been an entrepreneur […]
Are You Changing and Growing with Your Customers?
Posted On July 18, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
Did you learn some new things last week? Do you look at the world the same way you did six months ago? Do your business strategy and business goals change over time? In other words, if my knowledge of you and your business is based on where things were for you six months ago, would […]
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 […]
My Dad and The Miracle on Ice
Posted On May 18, 2016 BY Dean Brenner
During a client workshop recently, the participants and I were talking about how different the world is now, compared to even twenty or thirty years ago. We were telling stories about life prior to email or the internet or 1000-channel-cable menus. I shared the fact that my kids have hardly ever seen a commercial because the television […]
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 […]
Great Communication as Service to Others
Posted On November 9, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
When we communicate well in the workplace — when we get to the point, when we articulate value, when we make the point clearly — what we are really doing is respecting our audience, and their time. When we do not prepare sufficiently, or make the point quickly and clearly, then what we are really […]
How You Can Be the “No Distraction” Colleague
Posted On October 15, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
We live in a world of distractions, constant and loud. We are expected to be available to everyone all the time, we compete for mindshare with unlimited amounts of content and entertainment, we have a social media landscape which can turn every day into an all-day conversation with friends all over the world. Quieting the […]
4 Tips for Making Sales Easier
Posted On October 14, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
Recently I had an outstanding customer service experience in my small town in Connecticut. My wife and I decided that a 100+ year old walnut tree needed to come down. It was now a risk to our house in a storm, and we decided it needed to go. So we called a company we have […]