Why Every Peer Advisory Group Needs a Set of Guiding Principles

CEOIQ | January 22, 2014

Every peer advisory group needs principles to live by. They are the solid foundation on which you do good work and unleash your full potential.

At CEOIQ we have three principles. They are our Vision, Values and Mission.

1) Our Vision is Arete, a Greek word from about 800 BC. It means the quest for excellence and achieving your highest potential. In one word, the entire concept of ‘why do this’ gets communicated. And, it’s a bar that’s constantly rising.

2) For our Values, we want to true up to a Code of C.A.T.E., which stands for Confidentiality, Authenticity, Trust and Engagement. Entrepreneurs and company founders have a responsibility to clearly articulate their values to their people. The code of C.A.T.E. creates a framework for how we will behave as a group and what members can expect from each other.

3) And finally, at CEOIQ we have a Mission: to Encourage Responsible Growth. Too many executives are obsessed with growth at all costs. You should grow your company at a pace it can absorb. Your people depend on it.

Authenticity is the Key

Authenticity is a crucial value for peer group success. CEOs live a life on stage 24-7, 365 days a year. Somebody is always watching you, but not everyone is telling you the truth. A peer group is the one place you can come every month to get out from behind the mask. You can let all the defenses down and be real with your equals. You also get confidentiality within the group, trust and engagement.

You don’t have to worry about impressing anybody. You don’t have to worry about having your game face on. You don’t have to worry about being invulnerable or indomitable. This is a place where you can come and be real.

Responsible Growth

As a CEO or Entrepreneur, it is your responsibility to articulate the values, vision and mission that guide your business and instill them in your people. Some CEOs scoff at this idea. They believe their people already know what their company’s values are – because they’re displayed on the walls of the office cafeteria.

But if your company has a turnover anything like the top 100, you’ll change half of your workforce every five years. That means more than half of your people have been with you five years or less. The trouble is, these newer hires bring with them their own vocabulary and their own experiences about how to behave when they come to your business. They may not be in keeping with your values.

So it’s important to spend time figuring out what your values, vision, and mission are and making sure everybody in your company understands them.

Trackback from your site.