Follow the Leaders
Leadership Makes Peer Groups Go!
There are many types of peer groups. Anyone can benefit from meeting together in structured, confidential environment to discuss common issues. The key is finding a group who can grow and stay together over time.
One of the things which contributes to peer group success is having members who are committed to a disciplined and structured meeting process. We have all been in a committee meeting or work meeting which has gotten off topic or been dominated by one big talker. How do groups keep their meetings productive for all?
Leadership Differences
At VACEOs, we have two types of CEO peer groups: Roundtables and Forums. You can see read the blog post by Scot McRoberts, Roundtable or Forum. What’s the difference? for more information. One difference between the two groups is the leadership structure. Both groups have a leader, but Forum meetings are led by a professional facilitator. The facilitator works hand in hand with the leader to set the agenda and run the meeting. In contrast, Roundtables rely on a member of the group to lead the meetings. Since these leaders are busy CEOs and not dedicated facilitators, it is essential that we provide resources on the meeting process.
Training and Support
Each year, we conduct a half-day training for both the facilitators and leaders. We are fortunate enough to work with one of the best, Mo Fathelbab, a renowned authority in peer group facilitation. It is Mo’s book; Forum; the Secret Advantage of Successful Leaders each of our members receives in their welcome box. Roundtables and Forums both follow the process outlined in the book. In our new leader training, Mo introduces the meeting process and guides the group through various exercises.
Throughout the year, the leaders continue to meet several times to experience share with one another. We also bring in other professional facilitators to address key elements of successful meetings. The board Vice-Chair is dedicated to ensuring Roundtable and Forum success, providing support to leaders as needed. This year, Henry Clifford, is filling that role with enthusiasm.
Commitment to Growth
Our members lean on their Roundtables and Forums and invest their time and energy to help themselves and their companies grow. We constantly look for ways to support them in that endeavor.
Next Session of Roundtable Program for Key Executives Begins in October 2024
Key Executive Roundtables is our peer learning experience for “second in commands.” We created a peer learning experience for COOs, GMs, number twos, etc., two years ago and have run two annual sessions. We are ready to announce our third Key Executive Roundtable program, to begin October 2024!
Learning with peers accelerates the abilities of professionals. We know that from decades of serving CEOs in this way.
VACEOs is offering a cohort-style program for key executives from small and medium sized businesses that will:
- Create meaningful connections with other professionals. A trusted network.
- Accelerate the learning and growth of these professionals by expanding their perspectives and exposing them to others’ experiences.
- Connect them with experts from the community in a wide range of disciplines.
The next session of Key Executive Roundtables will form roundtables of 8 to 12 executives, who will meet monthly from October 2024 to June 2025. These three-hour meetings will be led by a professional facilitator and consist of two elements.
- A confidential peer roundtable experience that gives everyone the chance to share issues and opportunities, and to learn from one another’s experiences. Essentially, a condensed version of our CEO Roundtables format. Participants are expected to commit to 100% attendance.
- Learning from subject matter experts on topics like strategy, execution, culture, technology, compliance, finance, HR, marketing, sales, etc.
This is not a VACEOs membership, but a program that we are offering to key executives of both member and non-member firms.
Cost for this program is $2,600 for VACEOs members’ key execs, and $2,900 for execs from non-member organizations. Fees are billed after acceptance. Commitment to attend all 9 meetings is required.
You can apply here. Deadline for applications is August 23.
$100 off for applications received by June 30.
If you have any questions, please email info@vaceos.org.
The Secret to Successful Peer Roundtables
I’ve been helping CEOs learn and grow in peer roundtables for three decades. I’ve seen CEO groups that were immensely valuable and important to the participants, and unfortunately, I have seen some that were not meaningful.
There are a lot of “secrets” to a successful peer group. If you want them all, just read Mo Fathelbab’s book Forum. But I believe that the one that comes before all the others is commitment.
Every CEO that considers joining us at VACEOs hears a very clear unsell from me. “Please don’t join us unless you are going to attend every single meeting of your roundtable.” I go on to tell them that this is the culture they are joining. If you are not there you are depriving others of the value of your experience and insights. Anyway, who would want to join a group where the members don’t show up?
Does it really matter? Well, we track attendance across 230 CEOs at 95%, month in and month out. Some peer group organizations must fill groups with up to 15 members so that they will have 8 or 10 at a meeting. We cap them at 10 because everyone will be there most of the time. There is a consistency to the engagement, and the conversation continues to deepen when there are no gaps in attendance.
Every December in my CEO roundtable we make plans for the next year. Each of us affirms our commitment to attend every meeting. The promise that we will be there for one another drives trust, openness, and in the long run, learning and growth for all of us. That’s the secret.
Roundtable Program for Key Executives Begins in October 2023
For years, our members have been asking for a peer learning experience for their second in command. We created a peer learning experience for COOs, GMs, number twos, etc., as a pilot program earlier this year. It was a great success and we are ready to offer the program to more key executives!
Learning with peers accelerates the abilities of professionals. We know that from decades of serving CEOs in this way.
VACEOs is offering a cohort-style program for key executives from small and medium sized businesses that will:
- Create meaningful connections with other professionals. A trusted network.
- Accelerate the learning and growth of these professionals by expanding their perspectives and exposing them to others’ experiences.
- Connect them with experts from the community in a wide range of disciplines.
The next session of Key Executive Roundtables will form roundtables of 8 to 10 executives, who will meet monthly from October 2023 to June 2024. These three-hour meetings will be led by a professional facilitator and consist of two elements.
- A confidential peer roundtable experience that gives everyone the chance to share issues and opportunities, and to learn from one another’s experiences. Essentially, a condensed version of our CEO Roundtables format.
- Learning from subject matter experts on topics like strategy, execution, culture, technology, compliance, finance, HR, marketing, sales, etc.
This is not a VACEOs membership, but a program that we are offering to key executives of both member and non-member firms. Participants are expected to commit to 100% attendance.
Cost for this program is $2,350 for VACEOs members’ key execs, and $2,650 for execs from non-member organizations. This fee is billed after acceptance.
You can apply here. Deadline for applications is September 8.
If you have any questions, please email info@vaceos.org.
Announcing: Roundtable Program for Key Executives
For years, our members have been asking for a peer learning experience for their second in command. The VACEOs Board of Directors asked staff to create a peer learning experience for COOs, GMs, number twos, etc., as a pilot program for 2023.
Learning with peers accelerates the abilities of professionals. We know that from decades of serving CEOs in this way.
VACEOs is offering a cohort-style program for key executives from member companies that will:
- Create meaningful connections with other professionals. A trusted network.
- Accelerate the learning and growth of these professionals by expanding their perspectives and exposing them to others’ experiences.
- Connect them with experts from the community in a wide range of disciplines.
Beginning on January 20, 2023, a group of 8 to 10 executives will meet monthly through September. These three-hour meetings will be led by a professional facilitator and consist of two elements.
- A confidential peer roundtable experience that gives everyone the chance to share issues and opportunities, and to learn from one another’s experiences. Essentially, a “lite” version of our CEO Roundtables format.
- Learning from subject matter experts, drawn from VACEOs sponsors, on topics like strategy, execution, culture, technology, compliance, finance, HR, marketing, sales, etc.
This is not a VACEOs membership, but a program that we are offering to key executives in our members’ companies. Participants are expected to commit to 100% attendance.
As of October 31 we are no longer taking applications. If you have any questions, please email info@vaceos.org.
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