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In sports, championships are not won under the bright cameras in front of thousands of screaming fans. They are won after months of hard work and practice, and only after premier athletes spend a decade honing their craft.
The same is true in the business world. Big clients and large profits are not won when customers sign the contract, or they increase their services after you keep them happy.
Celebrate the big wins, yes. But the day-to-day tasks are where the big-picture strategies are won. Every “overnight” success at your company was 10 years in the making.
The same is true with a peer advisory group. All of you fall into a comfortable pattern of behavior, and it may seem mundane. But the ordinary, seemingly normal consultations among members of your peer advisory group can lead to big things.
Here are some tips to keep your peer advisory group engaged and motivated.
Rotate the Facilitators
In general, one person facilitates the peer advisory group. Rotate the facilitators every once in a while, like having one person facilitate three meetings in a row before passing the baton to the next one. Each facilitator has their leadership style, and rotating them is a great way to have someone’s personality emerge as a leader among leaders.
Have Theme Days
Schools have spirit days and spirit weeks. Why not have a theme day once per quarter? For example, have people dress in the opposite of what the weather is like outside. In the winter, someone can dress in a sun hat with shades. In the summer, wear a winter coat (but just for a few minutes).
Fun Facts
Your time is valuable. But consider starting every meeting by having people give one quick, fun fact about themselves. Consider throwback photos from high school yearbooks or funny antics your kids do. The beauty in the fun facts is that they change every week, but they help everyone in the peer advisory group get to know each other in ways other business associates don’t. And they’re fun and uplifting.
Sometimes, Eschew the Norm
Peer advisory groups thrive on the routine because having a set of rules keeps each meeting within its structured timeframe. Business leaders get that because their time is valuable.
Sometimes, it pays to break the rules (or at least bend them a bit). Every once in a while, have a meeting that doesn’t follow the standard set of rules. Just try to stay within the timeframe you’ve set aside for yourselves.
“They Didn’t Teach This in School” Segment
Business leaders may get a formal education to lead a team. But the most valuable lessons come from experience. Have one segment in a peer advisory group session where everyone says one thing they learned from experience that wasn’t taught in school. Leadership theory is great, but putting it into practice may look completely different from a textbook or even during an internship.
Much like the fun facts, this segment of the meeting can be a quick hit and an eye-opening experience.
Join the Right Peer Group
Become a member of our Community platform to join our Training and Huddle Leaders group in the Great Game of Business Community. This is a group for those helping lead your meetings and Huddles! Bring your questions, share your best practices, share tools you've developed, what is working and not working, and connect with other Huddle leaders.
More peer groups and CEO advisory groups are coming to the Community Platform soon!
