2012: The Year of the Peer Advisory Group

In September of last year, I wrote a post titled Why Peer Advisory Groups Will Be The Next Big Thing, based on a number of different trends and on what I described as the “perfect storm” for peer advisory groups to take off.  To be clear, I’m not touting any special powers or taking any credit here at all, but interestingly enough, the conversation about peer advisory groups during January and February 2012 alone has already eclipsed its mention during all of 2011.

On one hand, I’m pleasantly surprised.  On the other hand, it makes perfect sense.  CEOs who become acquainted with the power of peer advisory groups for themselves want to make it available to more executives in their organizations.  HR executives and senior leaders at larger companies who seek to maximize their investments in executive development and create alignment to meet the challenges of the future are taking a closer look at starting peer advisory groups within their own organizations.  Today’s employees, many of whom are working toward their master degrees, are often doing so as part of cohorts or learning teams – the academic equivalent to the peer advisory group.  Upon graduation, they will continue to seek similar peer-to-peer opportunities in the workplace in greater numbers.  Finally, peers trust their peers.  According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, among other sources, it’s a burgeoning trend.

In addition to the 15 posts on peer advisory I’ve written since the fall, including an interview with True North Groups author Bill George, please find a Peer Advisory Group anthology of sorts.  Here are some highlights from just the first two months of 2012!

(1/5/12) Five Key Factors to Look for in a Peer Advisory Groups Les Deck Consulting.com https://lesdeckconsulting.com/peergroups-fivekeyfactors/

(1/13/12) Why I Decided to Join Vistage by MP Mueller Nytimes.com https://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/why-i-decided-to-join-vistage/

(1/20/12) Who Are You Talking To? by Tom Searcy Inc.com https://www.inc.com/tom-searcy/who-are-you-talking-to.html

(1/20/12) It’s Not Quite as Lonely at the Top by MP Mueller NYTimes.com https://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/20/its-not-quite-as-lonely-at-the-top/

(2/3/12) Peer Groups: A Mastermind Concept that Works by Michele Miller ChannelProSMB.com https://www.channelprosmb.com/article/28395/Peer-Groups-A-Mastermind-Concept-that-Works/

(2/9/12) Holding the Business Owner Accountable by MP Mueller NYTimes.com https://boss.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/09/holding-the-business-owner-accountable/?scp=1&sq=vistage&st=cse

(2/13/12) CEOs in my Vistage Peer Group candidly reveal the impact the group has had on their business by Brian L. Davis The Leadership Catalyst https://theleadershipcatalyst.wordpress.com/category/ceo-peer-groups/

(2/15/12) It’s time To Acknowledge CEO Loneliness by Thomas J. Saporito HBR.org  https://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/02/its_time_to_acknowledge_ceo_lo.html

(2/21/12) Peer to Peer Engagement: The Reason We’re Here by Marshall Manson Edelman https://www.edelmandigital.com/2012/02/21/peer-to-peer-engagement/

(2/23/12) If Mark Zuckerberg is Lonely, Here’s my Solution By Kristi Hedges Forbes.com https://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/02/23/if-mark-zuckerberg-is-lonely-heres-my-solution/

Feel free to offer your comments to any of the posts above and share your story!  If you’ve read an article or a blog post that I haven’t included among the 2012 highlights, please let me know!

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