Vistage Peer Group Success

This particular CEO came to RTC with concerns about how to sustainably manage significant recent growth at his company.

Over the past two years the organization has doubled its workforce and added several strategic locations to the portfolio. The CEO was new to his role although he had been with the company for several years and he sought to create and maintain a cohesive company identity across multiple geographic regions.

He had critical questions concerning the viability of multiple locations and the organizational structure supporting the organization. He needed guidance and support to dig into the details, and the timing was right for him to join RoundTable Consulting’s Vistage Peer Group.

My role as a Vistage Chair is to oversee and guide this elite, uniquely collaborative group. This involves creating a space that allows for open conversation yet keeps us on track. The goal is to encourage questions that dig out the real issues for discussion. When someone skims the surface of an issue, I challenge them to go deeper and press forward to potential solutions.

In support of the Vistage Peer Group I share a virtually unlimited array of tools, strategies, and exercises. Among these, the proprietary Vistage Issue Processing model is one of the most powerful tools. This model enables us to work through any issues a group member has and uncover what’s going on below the surface. Some problems and questions are symptoms of a deeper or more complex issue.

I intermix probing, thought-provoking questions with silence and the space to process. Through discussion, the group helped him confront the deepest issues, break down the problem, and acknowledge some hard truths about how his organization was structured.

Personal accountability, between individuals and the Vistage Chair, ties the process together and drives results. The concluding question of the processing model asks, “What action are you committing to?”

 This CEO is still in the process of implementing changes that include making some tough, unpopular decisions in order to keep the company moving forward toward their long-term goals. Currently, everything is going as projected and positive gains are being made.

Without the input of the peer group, this CEO would have been much less decisive and would have continued to waver on making unpopular decisions.

Most CEOs don’t have access to objective peers within their organization who can help them navigate difficult and unpopular decisions. They feel isolated and have difficulty obtaining the necessary clarity. As part of a Vistage Peer Group, not only do they interact with local CEO group members, but they also gain access to an extensive library of proprietary resources and a network of 45,000 other peer members.