Why CIOs Need a Peer Discussion Group

Learn growth strategies with your tribe, who understand you and walk in your shoes.

Discussion groups are the fastest way to learn with the best retention rate because they are interactive. Traditional lecture groups are a slower way to learn, where you usually only learn 1 new thing a year, and it takes 3+ hours.  

Peer Discussion Groups offer Structured Opportunity for Discussions, which is different from traditional classroom lectures or online classes.

Members gain Fast Tracked Learning because you learn from 4 to 10 other Enterprise Level CIOs as they work through their challenges in the CIO role.

Meeting with the same group members every month builds trust and bonding, as you share your vulnerabilities and lessons you've learned. Your peers share more honest answers and better action plans.

Peer Discussion Groups enable learning which taps into the expertise that already exists in your organization.  Save valuable time researching and reading, and costly trial and error, and just ask your discussion group members!

Members gain the wisdom of learning from mistakes:  while learning from other’s errors, you can avoid the same mistakes and improve your odds of success.

Discussion groups provide you with the extra edge:  You don’t know what you don’t know.  It helps when someone else can spell it out for you.  Peer groups help you uncover blind spots.  These groups give you honest feedback that helps you see the areas where you need to improve.

Peer groups that hold members accountable, allow members to achieve results at each meeting, by motivating them to complete deliverables, report back on outcomes, measure progress, and track timelines.  This is a great way to take action and beat procrastination because you don’t want to let them down.

A peer group of 4 to 10 members is key, so that you get to talk about your specific challenge with 10 mentor peers who’ve been in your shoes.  You roll up your sleeves with your CIO peers and you work directly on your challenge.

With Discussion-Based Peer Groups, you work on your challenge, rather than In it.  Day to day challenges can take your eye off the big picture of your business.  Peer groups can help you disconnect for some time to change your mindset, and look to the future and your long-term business growth.

Members get deep dive case studies.  CIOIC discussion-based peer groups cover a greater variety of topics and challenges, and go into greater depth.  By listening to your peers, you will hear them dealing with problems and opportunities that your company has yet to encounter.  You can use this knowledge when these same challenges arise in your business.

Members receive only excellent and timely content perfectly fit to their most pressing problems.

CIOIC Peer Groups Offer CIOs a safe zone:  As a CIO, it’s hard to admit mistakes or that you don’t know something to the Board of Directors.  But with a peer group, you can talk about things confidentially, and expose your vulnerability.   In this safe zone, you can challenge ideas and speak up about concerns and take risks without worrying that your boss is evaluating you.

CIOIC Peer Groups are a sounding board for ideas:  “The best ideas are well-tested ideas that have been examined and challenged from all angles.  The more we can test our ideas before we look to implement them, the stronger we can make them.”  (Add the source for this quote.)

Peer Groups help develop management and leadership skills.  “Group reflection conversations help employees master the difficult skills of giving and accepting honest, constructive feedback. . . “ (Add the source for this quote.)

Peer Groups can even prevent careers from being torpedoed because you are constantly working on competency and self-development.

Network value:  You gain huge value from gathering CIOs together when it comes to shared connections you can harness.  Regardless of who you need, be it recruiters, lawyers, etc., your CIO peer group can likely put you in touch with good people.  The stronger your network, the stronger your resources, and the more options you have for solutions.

CIOIC Peer Groups help you Scale.  You learn how to grow your business by getting more out of your people and resources by using better systems, tools and processes.  Your peer group can share with you their own insights and lessons to help you scale that much better.

Emotional Support:  It can be lonely as a CIO, and it helps to be around other CIOs who understand the challenges and wins you’re experiencing.

The CIOIC gives you fun and relationships with your peers.  If you’re a top performer, interacting with other high achievers is a great social experience and energizes you.  You gain encouragement by knowing that everyone experiences challenges, that you aren’t alone, and that with the wisdom of your peers, you can find strong solutions.