Beyond Annual C-Level Summits for Portfolio Companies – Peer Advisory Councils for Portfolio Companies

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In addition to a C-Level Summit, a monthly peer advisory council roundtable meeting may make sense for your portfolio. Annual or semi-annual C-Level Portfolio Company Summit Events serve well as either the starting point to dive-in to an ongoing peer advisory council, or as the capstone event – the conclusion of a year’s worth of preparation, planning, and growth discussions that take place on a monthly basis. The most effective portfolio company experiential activities are peer advisory councils combined in some way with annual Summits.

Let us know if several of the following are true:

  • You believe it would make sense to try to get all CXOs together either virtually or in person – for social, reward, networking, collaboration, learning, or growth planning reasons.
  • You fear that management is often working IN their businesses, but not ON their businesses.
  • You would like to gain more insights and informal updates on how the companies are doing – in between board meetings.
  • You have no Operating Partners or your Operating Partners do not communicate/collaborate/ oversee portfolio companies formally, consistently and intentionally.
  • You look for ways to differentiate and influence your brand in a positive manner, for business development purposes.
  • You seek ways to demonstrate actionable results and accomplishments in the three-to-five years of your hold period.

"…Joining a peer group saves time, by enabling difficult decisions to be made more effectively– and more efficiently

More than 100,000 C-level executives participate in peer advisory groups; and longer-term members assert that joining a peer group saves time, by enabling difficult decisions to be made more effectively– and more efficiently. Numerous articles have been published about the benefits of them on business leaders. Retention rates tend to be quite high (exceeding 90 percent in some organizations), and evidence exists of their impact and members’ perceived return on involvement.

Peer Advisory Councils are a diverse, yet like-minded, group of business executives who value learning and the exchange of ideas, information, wisdom, and solutions. Cross-pollination is an important component, so ensuring that members come from different industries, play different roles, and have different backgrounds is important. In a disciplined, dedicated, and intentional fashion, we ensure continuous member growth and development. More specifically, our groups serve as a mechanism to enable business leaders to solve problems and test hypotheses efficiently in a confidential, non-competitive environment. The result is a community of peers, who eventually become like family – a tribe of trusted confidantes.

A monthly peer advisory discussion for your management team members makes sense; consider offering them the opportunity to form their own peer advisory council (run by a professional moderator). The group can be branded in the name of your PEG and moderated by a third-party professional. You would have no obligations or commitments, other than inviting your portfolio companies and then participating as often or as infrequently as you would like. Our peer advisory councils typically meet virtually, online, for two-to-three hours each month.
The concept of getting executives together regularly for mutual support is based on themes such as “it’s lonely at the top”; “several heads are better than one” and “feedback is a gift.”  Strategic Growth Council works with executives to solve “cases” — problems or opportunities that are important enough to be discussed and solved in monthly meetings, but not necessarily rising to the level of importance of being an agenda item in a Quarterly Board Meeting. While some C-Level peer organizations focus on executive education or on networking; we believe the most worthwhile, valuable and actionable structure is to focus on strategic growth planning and solving cases in our groups.

"…Joining a peer group saves time, by enabling difficult decisions to be made more effectively– and more efficiently

Private Equity Groups should offer peer advisory councils for their portfolio companies. We help you do what you do best — concentrate on running your fund – while offering your companies an ongoing and impactful experience – with one goal — Growth. The benefits to your management teams, and for your fund, are substantial.

Summary

Strategic Growth Council (CEO Peer Groups – Strategic Growth Council)is intentional and focused, dedicated to solving business problems, and ideating on opportunities. We do this in two ways:

  1. Peer Advisory Councils
  2. Strategic Planning Facilitation

Strategic Growth Council is a LXCouncil Certified License Partner. To learn more, call 703.867.7269, text the same number or email kit@strategicgrowthcouncil.com.

Or schedule a meeting here:
Book Christopher “Kit” Lisle

 
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