Some of you know that I facilitate peer group meetings for Remodelers Advantage. A facilitator is typically with a Roundtable Group for two meetings in a row, after which the group gets a different facilitator.
I facilitated two groups in the fall of 2018 and those two meetings were my second with both groups. So, I will likely not facilitate them going forward. Here is some advice I have for those good business people who I will miss working with in a meeting room. The advice works for most things in life, not just peer meetings.
Good Information Gets You Great Feedback
Prepare a complete packet of information, with all the required financial and marketing information. Take the time to get it right. Check it for accuracy.
The letter you write to bring your fellow members up to speed on all aspects of your business and your personal life is worth spending time on. Let everyone know what is going well and what you need help with. he more open you are and the clearer you are, the better the input you will get.
Be Prepared
Several weeks before your peer group meeting, you will get a copy of everyone’s packets of information, including their company letters.
Before you show up for the meeting, read all this information. Make notes about the items you want to ask questions about. Highlight what is going well for your fellow members. Dig into the data to ensure that it is accurate. Look for what is being missed or neglected.
This preparation is essential to the entire group making the meeting a success. This is no different than any group endeavor, such as a business, sports team, or family. Take the prep seriously.
During the Meeting
Use your ears more than your mouth. LISTEN. Ask clarifying questions. This is particularly important when it’s your time in the spotlight, when the group is doing its best to help you and your business improve.
Work hard to understand the advice you are being given, particularly when it seems completely different from what you thought you needed. If your face is turning red, you are getting very good advice. Stay calm and ask follow-up questions.
Record your time in the spotlight. Taking notes is good, but listening to the input you got from your fellow members after the meeting is over can be powerful.
Be Careful What You Commit to Doing Between Meetings
Like any good meeting, all attendees need to make 1-3 commitments that they will work to accomplish between this meeting and the next meeting.
Make sure that you are clear about your commitments, that they are realistic, that they will make a meaningful difference in your work and your life, and that you will get them done by the deadlines you have set.
Follow Through on Your Commitments
When every member of a peer group has done all their commitments, it takes the group to a higher level at the next meeting. Give that to yourself and your fellow members.
After all, being in a peer group is about intentionally improving on the way you do things so that you and your business will become more successful. It is not about staying the same, meeting after meeting.
Support Each Other as Life Happens
Between peer group meetings, unexpected things occur to a member and/or their family. Some of these things are good, but some are not.
Illness. Death. An accident.
Support one another as these events occur. One of the amazing things about being in a peer group that has members from around the U.S. and Canada is how close your friendships can become. Be there for one another in good times and in bad.
The Future
Keep what I have written in mind. The points I made are relevant for more than just the business side of your lives.
I wish you all success in everything you do. May our paths cross in the future.