Open Book Forums
Peer Advisory Groups in the
St. Louis metro area
What are Open Book Forums™?
The Open Book Forum™ program
gives owners and key team members of small to mid-sized businesses and
even non-profit organizations the
opportunity to draw upon the expertise and experience of other members to
help find solutions to their business problems. Each Forum is a
confidential group of leaders from non-competing
businesses that meets regularly to share and gain practical knowledge and
advice on the challenges and opportunities unique to business leaders -
acting as an informal, confidential board of advisors to their
membership. (These are not sales lead groups.)
Why join an Open Book Forum™?
- A Group of Peers: Being an
entrepreneur is a unique choice. Not everyone will understand your
issues and challenges, but your fellow entrepreneurs do. Joining a group
of your peers can provide a welcome source of encouragement, learning,
and inspiration
- Be Held Accountable for Success:
Open Book Forum™ members hold each other accountable for setting
goals and implementing plans.
- Sounding Board: Try out your
ideas out on your group, gain honest feedback, validate your strategies,
build your business vision and avoid costly mistakes.
- Networking: Through your
Open Book Forum™ you will meet other business owners who share
your goals, visions and concerns.
- Unique Learning Experiences:
Educational content geared specifically to help your organization
succeed.
- Team of Experts: Your fellow
Open Book Forum™ members will have wide-ranging
skills, from marketing and sales to finance and accounting to technology
and operations. The group will become an invaluable advisory board for
you and your company.
- Great Game of Business: Open
Book Forums are a part of The Great Game of Business. We share
information and best practices related to GGOB and open book management.
We'll help you improve your organization's performance by teaching your
employees to think and act like owners.
- Coaching and Consulting:
One-on-one coaching sessions between monthly meetings.
How is the Open Book Forums™
program different from other CEO roundtables?
Most other peer advisory groups allow almost anyone to join, meaning that
you may or may not share business philosophies with your fellow members.
Open-Book Forum welcomes leaders from any organization who aspire to run
their business in a way that includes employee education and involvement,
shared risks and shared rewards, and open communication. So, when you have
a discussion with a fellow OBF member, you are ensured of a commonality
not found in any other roundtable group.
Who is eligible?
Open Book Forums™ are open to CEOs and other key managers of privately-held small to mid-sized
businesses. We also have groups available for directors and key team
members of non-profit organizations, and for solo professionals. Bill
Collier's groups are currently limited to the greater St. Louis region. To
inquire about availability of OBFs in other areas, please visit
www.greatgame.com.
How does it work?
Open Book Forums™ are confidential boards of advisors assisting
with business problems, solutions and opportunities. A trained and
certified facilitator runs the meetings and ensures that members fully
participate and receive a quality experience. Forums are comprised
of five to twelve CEOs or key managers from non-competing businesses, and are grouped
according to company size and/or other criteria. Each Forum meets monthly
for a half day. At these meetings, members bring in specific
challenges for discussion, and members offer solutions. Members report on their successes and
challenges, and are held accountable for progressing toward goals and for
implementation of recommended solutions for the issues we've discussed. Educational sessions and
guest speakers are provided periodically at our meetings. Forums can add new members throughout the year.
What is required of members?
- Because active participation at meetings is
critical to Forum success, members must make every effort to attend all
monthly meetings.
- You must hold all conversations about your fellow
members and their businesses in strict confidence.
- Don't pressure your fellow members to
buy your products and services. While you are free to do business with your fellow members, the buyer - not the
seller - should initiate transactions between members. Any issues arising
from member-to-member business transactions will become the subject of a
group roundtable discussion.
What is the cost?
Dues vary with type of group (CEOs, key person, non-profit, etc.) and with
optional one-on-one coaching. Contact Bill Collier for more information:
Email or 314-221-8558.
How do I apply?
Click
here to send an email and indicate your interest. We'll contact you
and determine which existing
or new Forums have openings for
new (and non-competing) members. We'll extend an
invitation to join, and will gather additional info from you.
New Forums are being formed now!
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