Is the Pursuit of “Consensus” Always a Good Thing?
Posted On December 14, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
We were having lunch with a good friend and client of The Latimer Group last week. During our discussion, we mentioned some ideas around the concept of “consensus” as it differs from the concept of “persuasion.” Our work has always been focused on helping our clients build the skills of persuasion, and our clients value […]
Connected with My Son, Disconnected from Everyone Else
Posted On December 7, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
I’ve been writing this blog for many years now. And as I look back over the hundreds of posts, the ones I have enjoyed writing the most are the really personal ones, where I tell a story about a family member or a friend, that helps me illustrate a relevant point for you. This past […]
The 3 R’s of Active Listening
Posted On November 19, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
Think of all the communications courses you’ve taken, seminars you’ve attended, and articles you’ve seen in which they tell you how to speak, how to present, or how to create a PowerPoint slide. Compare that to how much less often a course is offered on how to listen. Active listening is a key — an […]
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 […]
Know Your Audience, and Great Things Will Happen
Posted On October 22, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
We discuss in every single workshop the power and importance of knowing your audience. It is a fundamental belief here at The Latimer Group, and we embrace the fact that knowing your audience is a key differentiator between mediocre and great communication skills. Here is a story to illustrate the point. We partner with many […]
Switch and Shift: Leadership is One Big Sandbox
Posted On September 8, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
We recently contributed another article to our friends at Switch and Shift, a business blog focused on “the human side of business.” Our latest piece is called, “Leadership is One Big Sandbox,” and is all about the little demonstrations of respect that we as leaders need to show our coworkers every day, and how even […]
Put Down the Phone, and Slowly Back Away
Posted On August 18, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
We’ve reached a tipping point, I believe, in the use of mobile devices. These tools have had a wildly successful positive impact on our efficiency and ability to communicate. But too much of any good thing can eventually become a bad thing, and that is where we are with mobile devices. And we’re hearing it […]
Words and Phrases You May Be Using Incorrectly
Posted On August 12, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
Today’s post was written by Brett Slater, Chief Social Media Officer at The Latimer Group. As you may know from my last post, I also do morning radio in my home state of Maine. Phone calls from listeners are a big part of our show every morning, and the topics vary widely, from local politics […]
Great Communication as PART of Your Brand
Posted On August 5, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
In all of our workshops, we always ask participants their goals for the session. We get lots of great answers to that query. The participants in our workshops almost always come with ambitious and lofty goals. And one theme we frequently hear is that the people we work with want to have great communication skills […]
Dean Brenner on the Work That Matters Podcast
Posted On July 9, 2015 BY Dean Brenner
Several months ago, The Latimer Group started collaborating with Switch and Shift, a website devoted to, as they say on their website, “the human side of business.” In addition to writing several articles for Switch and Shift, Dean was recently the featured guest on an episode of their Work That Matters podcast, hosted by Shawn […]