Your Move — The Power of Peer Learning
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“Your Move — The Power of Peer Learning”
A CEO roundtable helps you work on your business.

Although the concept of peer learning is exploding in the academic world, it’s sadly underutilized in business circles. Some CEOs are intrigued with the idea of joining a peer group, but hesitate to show up until they solve the problem they need help with. Yet once CEOs are exposed to peer learning, they’re never the same. Group-dynamic experts may say it takes several months for a group to bond and build the kind of trust needed for dramatic results. We disagree. With a trained facilitator, it can happen in as little as 45 minutes. Example: After attending his first roundtable session, one executive went back to his office and fired an employee — something he’d wanted to do for years. By sharing his problems with fellow entrepreneurs — even though they were strangers and came from different industries — he gained the confidence to take action. (A facilitator is a key to successful peer learning. This person should not be a member of the group that he or she is leading; otherwise, they may have an agenda and try to move the discussion in a particular direction.) A few reasons why peer learning works so well:
- Synergy. When you get together with peers, someone is bound to be strong in an area where you’re weak or had experiences you haven’t, which enables you to leverage talents and backgrounds.
- Connecting the dots. One of your peers may say something you’ve heard before, but when presented in a different context, the idea suddenly makes sense.
- Built-in accountability. After disclosing a problem, you know that someone may ask about your follow- up at a later date. And that naturally increases your chances for taking action.
- Challenging assumptions. Peer groups can point out when you’re in denial.
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Articles in our Entrepreneur’s Resource Center appeared in print and online newsletters published previously by the foundation. More than 1,000 articles can be found in the categories below, addressing timeless challenges faced by entrepreneurs of all types.