CIONET Peer Group program

What’s next.

PEER GROUP PROGRAMS Sharing your challenges with peers provides you with valuable insights on how to deal with them!

What’s next.

“Both the do’s and don’ts are highly valuable.”

Based on a thorough research of the needs and aspirations of its members, CIONET developed an innovative, impactful way to deal with the challenges of the ambitious CIO+: peer groups. Peer groups are a highly efficient platform to help you make tough tactical and strategic decisions for your business, organization, and for yourself.

Dealing with your challenges

A new way to realize your ambitions

Today’s CIOs face a tremendous amount of difficult challenges, both strategic and tactical e.g.:

Peer groups form a unique way to deal with the challenges of the ambitious CIO+.

In peer groups the advice you collect on how to deal with your specific issues does not come from industry experts or consultants, but from colleagues from other businesses or industries, facing similar challenges and each having their own way of dealing with this issue.

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How to be a change leader in your business; How to become a trusted advisor of the CEO and business executives; How to help your organization towards a successful digital transformation; How to keep legacy systems running while turning to new technologies; How to mix the prerogatives of agile teams with the need for project structure; How to develop a sourcing strategy that takes into account the IT skills gap and the war for talent; How to work constructively with your peers in other divisions to maximize the success of your IT organization; How to further develop yourself and your IT department.

Furthermore, these professional challenges mix with your personal life in ways that are often difficult to manage.

While each individual challenge can be dealt with by specialized external parties, none of them provide a holistic approach where all of these issues are discussed.

This is the power of the peer groups!

This is the strength of the peer groups: exchanging real-life experiences in dealing with issues faced by CIOs. Both the dos and don’ts are highly valuable.

By bringing together a group of CIO’s and senior IT executives from different sectors and industries you obtain a unique amount of knowledge, experiences and expertise - all of which is at your disposal in peer group sessions.

Very often your peers in other companies have also faced the business problems or challenges you face. At the peer groups you can discuss these, learn from each other’s knowledge and experience and benefit from the combined expertise of the group.

How does it work?

The peer group meetings follow a proven methodology used by the top mentoring firms. The group sessions are led by senior IT executives with extensive experience, and have been trained intensively to lead such a peer group.

Peer Groups are based on a yearly subscription. The group meets 6 times per year for half a day, and optionally once a year for a full day on ‘goal sharing’. To ensure a trusted environment within the group, the group members remain consistent throughout the year. To allow full engagement of each member, the optimal peer group size is around 12 members.

In some of the sessions an external top-level speaker will be invited to present a provocative view, fueling a very interesting / innovative discussion.

The peer group sessions are highly focused on problem solving and achieving your personal and business goals and ambitions. To ensure this, each candidate will go through a short induction session with the group leader, where the exact aim, context and background of the candidate is assessed. Optionally, an annual review will be conducted, assessing whether the program achieved the personal and business aims of each member.

Becoming a peer group member Given the intense collaboration and the nature of the discussions within a peer group, certain guidelines need to be adopted by group members.

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A non-disclosure document will be signed at the beginning of the sessions, guaranteeing absolute confidentiality of the topics discussed in the peer group sessions; Group members commit themselves to be present at every session; the sessions will start and finish at precise times; Group members are committed to stretch their minds in order to help the other group members with their issues; Group members are responsible for their own learning during the sessions, and take maximum benefit out of the interaction with their peers; The success of the peer group depends highly on the coherence of the group.

The peer group leader commits to making every peer group meeting a valuable experience with tangible solutions to real problems. Beside an initial intake discussion, the peer group leader will conduct regular reviews with members in order to see how to improve the peer group meetings to maximize benefits for the members.

Furthermore, the peer group leader commits to a 24/7 availability to serve as a sounding board for any urgent need or problem faced by the group members.

A personal approach The peer group leader will also serve as a mentor throughout the process. From the intake discussion to leading the group conversations, he or she will constantly survey the quality of the input by the group, as well as the achievement of each member’s personal aspirations.

Optionally, an individual mentoring service is offered by CIONET through the group leader for those who seek more personal assistance and feedback.

What’s next.

PEER GROUP PROGRAMS

Practicalities The sessions can be run at the premises of CIONET or at one of the locations of the members’ companies. Exact dates and locations for the next meeting are agreed at the beginning of each year, so that you can plan well in advance. During breaks there will be enough time to get to know each other and to build on the strength and coherence of the group.

The Peer group program has started in a number of countries. When a peer group is formed it is possible to join such group if and when the max number of members has not been reached. Membership is on a 12 months basis.

Note that the peer groups are a subscription-based service, for the price of a two day course. As one of a peer group member notes, however, the payback is a multiple of the subscription!

Please contact your local CIONET general manager, or the program director Patrick Arlequeeuw at Patrick@cionet.com to further explore how CIONET’s peer groups can help realizing your ambitions!

For all questions with regard of this program contact: peergroup@cionet.com

“The impact of a peer group is a multiple of traditional training courses.”

What’s next.