Vistage Member Handbook by Pat Sorrie

Vistage Member Handbook get the most

How to from your Vistage membership

The Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Leading Chief Executive Organisation

www.vistage.co.uk

2 Vistage | Member Handbook

Contents

Welcome to Vistage • A note from the CEO... • What is Vistage? • Our Mission • Our Values

5 5 6 6 6

The History of Vistage

The Vistage Member Contract

The Vistage Chairman Contract

Vistage Group Meetings • The Speaker Session • The Executive Session • Members’ Days • Member-Guest Days • Retreats • Feedback Forms • Personal Action Summaries

12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12

Vistage One-to-One Sessions

Vistage Village

Vistage Events • Vistage Open Days • Vistage Forum Events • Industry Dinners

15 15 15 15

Vistage Speaker Bureau

Referrals

Vistage HQ – Member Services

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Welcome to Vistage

Congratulations on joining the World’s Leading Chief Executive Organisation. You are now one of over 15,000 business leaders worldwide who become better leaders, make better decisions and achieve better results. This handbook describes the core elements of Vistage and how to get the most from your membership.

A note from the CEO... Welcome! Business leaders join Vistage for many different reasons, and they find us through many different routes. As you’ve now joined a Vistage Group, a whole new world of education, guidance, support, tools and advice are available to you. Your business, your colleagues and your family and friends all stand to benefit from your membership, because if you use Vistage well, you will certainly achieve more success and achieve a better work-life balance at the same time. Over the next few months, you will experience a variety of sessions, techniques and tools; you will meet new people, some of whom you will develop strong bonds with. You will also learn from some of the World’s leading experts on a wide variety of topics, as well as from your fellow Vistage Group members and your Vistage Chairman. Vistage is a very open, challenging and caring community. To get the most from your investment in Vistage, and to fully enjoy the experience throughout your Vistage journey, please read this Member Handbook completely. Thank you for choosing Vistage.

Steve Gilroy CEO, Vistage UK & Ireland

PS: As a CEO I am also a member of a Vistage Group. I’ll be attending many of the Vistage events around the country, and I also occasionally visit a local Group as a guest, so I hope to see you at a future Vistage event or Group meeting.

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What is Vistage?

Vistage is part think-tank, part group discussion and part individual problem-solving for its members, who meet locally in groups of up to 16. Vistage is not a ‘clinic’ for sick businesses, it is a ‘gym’ for businesses that want to be fitter and are prepared to ‘workout’ regularly via their membership.

Membership is offered by invitation only, with the primary

Although you have joined Vistage to learn new skills and be

goal being to build a special group of peers who are

more successful, another key element of being a Vistage

comfortable interacting with each other and sharing their

Member is that you are also expected to contribute within

experiences, problems and opportunities within a proven,

your Vistage Group.

structured method. Vistage has three types of members:

Our Mission • CEO (sometimes called CE) Members CEOs, Managing Directors, Divisional General Managers

Improving the effectiveness and enhancing the lives of Chief Executives.

or Vice Presidents. Individuals in this category generally run substantial

Most Visage Members join because they are focused on

business operations, either as owner-managers or as

improving their business. Many stay for years because not

hired senior executives – typically running businesses

only do they achieve that aim, but they also experience a

turning over £5m or more with 50+ employees.

better work-life balance and solve many personal as well as business challenges.

• KEY Members These are generally senior managers or directors, one level down from the CEO/MD role. KEY Members may be ‘sponsored’ (ie. their boss is already a Vistage CEO member) or ‘independent’ (they are a KEY Member, but

Our values:

their CEO is not within Vistage).

Trust, caring, challenge and growth.

• SB (Small Business) Members These are generally owner-managers of businesses turning over £1-£5m with less than 50 employees. The above definitions are a guide only, and can be ‘flexed’

The entire Vistage

by your Vistage Chairman if needed.

community (Members, Chairmen, Speakers, Staff)

All members are invited to join only after the Vistage Group Chairman has carefully screened them and they have been accepted by the other group members. To avoid potential conflicts within a Vistage Group, members within a group are not allowed to be direct competitors, or major suppliers or customers with existing members.

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all work to these values.

The History of Vistage

Vistage was founded as The Executive Committee (TEC) in 1957 when Milwaukee businessman, Robert Nourse, organised a group of non-competing executives to meet on a monthly basis to improve their business effectiveness. The group soon added guest speakers on relevant topics and held roundtable discussions to raise issues of significance about their businesses. The members developed a bond and became comfortable sharing ideas, business experiences and confidential suggestions for individual improvement. Building on the initial success of the concept, Nourse

The name Vistage comes from the combination of Vista

expanded TEC by adding additional groups. This was the

– meaning to take a ‘long view’ normally from a preferred

birth of the fundamental “TEC Experience”. As TEC grew,

vantage point from above – and Advantage, the competitive

it added ongoing professional development, the sharing

edge that comes from having a team of 12 – 16 peers

of best practices, confidential help in critical situations

and an experienced Vistage Chairman focused on your

and ongoing debate on factors impacting small and mid-

success.

sized businesses. To manage this growing resource, TEC organised a headquarters and added the next level of

Much has changed since 1957, both in the business world

guidance – providing a professional Chair to facilitate the

and at Vistage, yet at its heart the Vistage experience

group experience and serve as a confidential, personal

is remarkably similar to what Nourse pioneered. Our

coach to each member.

unwavering dedication to these principles has made Vistage the World’s Leading Chief Executive Organisation.

In 1978, with 245 U.S. members and 23 groups, TEC

Our commitment to Nourse’s own spirit of innovation will

moved their headquarters to San Diego. In 1991, Fred

keep us there.

Chaney and Bill Hall purchased a licence to expand TEC nationwide. They also purchased licensing agreements to establish TEC in other countries. Today, half a century later, over 15,000 executives in 15 countries meet every month under the same guiding principle – to help one another solve their business problems and get better results for their businesses. They are also connecting in ways Nourse

Established in

could not have envisaged back in 1957 – collaborating over

1957 and still growing stronger

the Web, tapping into a vast online resource library we call Vistage Village and downloading expert insights from our speakers on their portable MP3 devices. Our history is marked by rapid membership growth, worldwide expansion and the introduction of new programmes and services for our members. In 2006 TEC changed its name to Vistage International to better reflect the competitive advantage the company offers to member businesses around the world.

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The Vistage Member Contract

To get the most from your Vistage membership, and to allow you to quickly integrate and continue to contribute within your Vistage Group, you agree to work to the following principles of membership:

1. Members agree to maintain strict confidentiality. As a result, the trust that develops in a Vistage Group is impressive. As an example, when one group member was going through a corporate merger that lasted 14 months, the only people who knew about it were his three shareholders and his Vistage Group. Nothing ever leaked out over that long period. This kind of trust is absolutely vital, and is understood and respected by members. In over fifty years, confidentiality has never been violated and we have never had to use NDAs or other forms of legal document.

2. Members agree to attend all Vistage meetings. Members claim that the greatest benefit of Vistage is the interaction – the consulting advice members get from their peers. Because of the small group size and the closeness that develops within the group, if a member is absent, the chair which is empty represents a loss of value to the entire group. If a member cannot attend a meeting they should notify the meeting host and their Group Chairman.

3. Members agree to be at all meetings on time and stay until the meeting ends. Members agree to schedule nothing but Vistage on a Vistage meeting day. When someone arrives late, it is an interruption. When someone leaves early, it pulls the plug on the group’s energy.

4. Members agree to be open and honest while participating in the Vistage process. Openness is one of the most important characteristics of the Vistage experience.

5. Members agree to participate in the one-to-ones (if applicable), the Speaker meeting, the issue discussions and networking activities. Vistage is primarily for and about its members. Without your enthusiastic participation, the Vistage experience for both you and your Vistage Group will suffer.

6. Members agree to be candid with their evaluations and feedback. Every month, members are asked to complete a one-page evaluation of their Vistage experience. They are asked to assess the value of both the executive session and the one-to-one, where one is received. This is good feedback for the Chairmen for fine-tuning what he or she is doing and keeping it on target for every individual. Members are also asked to evaluate the Speaker for the benefit of Vistage HQ. Vistage wants to stay on top of members’ responses to the Speakers we book, in order to ensure that all our specialists are – and remain – Vistage quality.

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7. Members agree to be helpful to their fellow members, by listening to their problems and issues, and by providing emotional support. This is the foundation of group trust.

8. Members agree to host meetings. Vistage Groups usually meet in members’ organisations, to have a look around and to get a feeling for each others’ companies. The first responsibility of the host is to provide the meeting place. The meeting room should seat up to 16 people comfortably (plus Chairman and Speaker), in a quiet, conference room setting. The meeting room should have temperature control. All members are requested to turn their mobiles off in respect of their fellow members and to avoid recording interference. On ‘Silent’ is not off. The host is also responsible for providing breakfast and lunch. When members arrive in the morning, there should be a continental breakfast of juice, coffee, tea and some form of pastries set up and ready for them. The host is also expected to organise lunch and refreshments for their group during the day at their location.

9. Members agree to make appropriate referrals. Vistage is a membership organisation, and no-one knows the benefits of membership better than our existing members. The power of your Vistage Group also depends on the number and quality of members within it. Vistage members agree to work with their Vistage Chairman to help build the group by identifying future potential members and making appropriate referrals. Vistage issues referral awards for successful referrals, whether the referral was within your Vistage Group or generally to the Vistage organisation.

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The Vistage Chairman Contract

Vistage uses a very thorough and selective process to find, train and support its Chairmen. Your Vistage Chairman is responsible for running the Vistage Group and in doing so, performs a range of essential functions:

The Chairman will co-ordinate the planning and initiation of all Vistage Group meetings. Meetings will be scheduled at least 6 months in advance, and more usually, for a whole year.

The Chairman will provide individual Vistage Members with a confidential one-to-one session where appropriate (depending on type of membership). The one-to-one will be planned in advance, will use a structured process and forms a key part of your Vistage membership.

The Chairman will provide members with an opportunity to identify key Speaker needs. He/she will poll members to find out their needs and interests, then will schedule the necessary Speaker for future Vistage meetings.

The Chairman, with the assistance of Vistage HQ, will book and prepare each Speaker so that the Speaker’s presentation is appropriate for the unique needs of the group.

The Chairman will do his best to maximise the effectiveness of the Vistage Speakers. During the meeting, the Chairman will make sure: • that Members’ questions to Speakers are answered • that the discussion is kept on track • that members record, and are reminded of, important ideas they agree to follow up on

The Chairman will assist members in presenting their issues in the executive session of the meeting by: • helping them prepare their issues during the one-to-ones • helping to guide the issue presentation and to make sure the group is directed to substantive questions, discussion and recommendations • helping to follow up on the recommendations that fellow group members have made

The Chairman will manage and co-ordinate all of the administrative needs of the group, facilitating important communications with Vistage HQ.

The Chairman will implement a range of marketing and recruitment activities to secure new members for the Group. Members are expected to support their Chairman in these activities.

The Chairman will attend a range of training and development programmes, workshops and conferences provided by Vistage HQ, designed to introduce new techniques, tools and processes within the Vistage model.

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Vistage Group Meetings

At the core of the Vistage model is the Vistage Group meeting. Although Vistage Chairmen are trained in a variety of meeting methods, and are encouraged to innovate and try new techniques, there are some basic key elements to Vistage Group meetings that you will become familiar with.

Member-Guest Days Occasionally, your Group will open up one of its meetings to allow guests to attend. These are generally Speaker days, with guests attending for only the Speaker part of the day. MemberGuest days are generally used to help recruit new members to the group. Members work directly with their Chairman to plan and implement such days.

Retreats Generally once each year, your Group will meet over a two-

The Speaker Session

day period for a special ‘retreat’ experience. A Vistage Speaker

Typically held in the morning session, a Vistage Speaker will

may or may not be part of the meeting. These meetings usually

run a workshop session on a specific theme or topic. The

involve some sort of reflection, review and team-building, and

Chairman will support and facilitate as needed, but the Speaker

are used to allow members to reflect on the year and bond

will generally run this session. Members are encouraged to take

with fellow members. Your Chairman will organise the retreat,

notes, question, challenge and above all identify what elements

but Group Members will play a key part in selecting the type of

could be applied within their own situation. Speaker sessions

retreat and activities etc.

are generally recorded, with audio files made available on the Vistage Village member’s website for download. Members are

Feedback Forms

also generally given handouts for the Speaker session.

At the end of each Vistage meeting, members are asked to complete a standard evaluation/feedback form. The Chairman

The Executive Session

will collect these and copies are sent each month to Vistage

Typically held in the afternoon session, the Executive Session

HQ. All feedback scores and comments are recorded and

is where members get to raise and share their current issues

monitored, so please be frank and honest with your feedback.

and challenges, or hear from members on previous issues. The

We monitor feedback by Chairman, by Group, by Speaker and

Chairman will facilitate this session, and may have identified

by Member, and we use the feedback to identify weaknesses

specific issues to be covered during previous one-to-one

or gaps within our system. We can and do act on specific

meetings. Individual issue sessions can be recorded by the

written comments, so please be assured that someone at

Chairman, and a copy provided to the individual member. The

Vistage HQ does review your comments!

Chairman will use a range of proven techniques to manage this session. The session can also include other general updates,

Personal Action Summaries

group discussions and group admin content.

Your Chairman will also ask you to complete a Personal Action Summary (PAS) form during each meeting. These forms are for

Member’s Days

you and your Chairman to record your proposed actions. They

Throughout the year, your Vistage Group will occasionally have

can be used in future one-to-one sessions and to track your

a ‘Member’s Day’. There is no Vistage Speaker on this day. The

overall takeaways from Vistage Group meetings.

Group simply meets and devotes the entire day to member issues, updates or other content agreed within the Group. 12 Vistage | Member Handbook

Vistage One-to-One Sessions

A key element of the Vistage model is the confidential one-to-one session (one-to-ones are optional in KEY memberships).

For the one-to-one to be effective, YOU, the member, need to prepare for it and it needs to take part in an environment away from distractions and interruptions. The following are 12 key behaviours that have been identified by Vistage Members as important foundations for highly effective one-to-one meetings: • My Chairman and I are both well prepared for the one-to-one • A review of my Personal Action Summary takes place • If I had an issue at the last meeting, my Group Chairman and I discuss the input and review action suggested by the group The one-to-one provides the Member and the Vistage Chairman with a forum to: • review significant past issues,

• My Chairman follows up on issues, ideas and actions from our previous one-to-one and group meetings

action plans and

opportunities • follow up on Personal Action Summaries and work on implementation • search for and explore significant business and personal issues • problem-solve on significant business and personal issues • prepare issues and opportunities for presentation to the Vistage group at the monthly meeting.

• My Chairman probes for critical business issues or opportunities. This probing leads to important issue identification and problem solving • My Chairman and I discuss the impact on my business of any personal issues I may be facing • My Chairman encourages me to make decisions or to take action on important issues • My Chairman urges me to bring issues to the group • My Chairman and I are open and trust one another • My Chairman keeps me up-to-date about future meetings and Speakers • My

Chairman

gives

feedback

about

contributions to the group Your Chairman will issue you with appropriate one-to-one preparation forms and will introduce you to the process and techniques.

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Vistage Village

Vistage Village is the private website available to all Vistage Members, Chairmen, Speakers and HQ Staff. The Village is a resource centre, and has many uses and sections within it.

To get the most from your Vistage membership, you should familiarise yourself with the Village and use it regularly to support and extend what you take from your Vistage Group meetings. The following sections should be explored/used:

• The Village Home Page The latest news, new documents and links to other sections.

• Your Profile This contains information about you and your business that other Vistage Members can see. Visit Vistage Village now using your log in (supplied in your

• My Groups

‘welcome’ email), to immediately access the membership

This is where you can access a private area for your

only website and join the Vistage Community of members

own Vistage Group, and where you can join other

worldwide, Vistage speakers, Chairmen and our staff.

communities within the Village. Your Vistage Group area is used to contain audio recordings of meetings, agendas, supporting documents and discussions, monthly summaries and so on, all related and private to your Vistage Group (only your fellow Group Members and your Vistage Chairman can access this area).

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http://myvistage.com

Vistage Events

Although the bulk of your Vistage experience will be within your local Vistage Group, as a Vistage Member you have access to many other Vistage events – for you, your staff, colleagues, key business partners, suppliers and clients.

Vistage Open Days Vistage Open Days (VODs) are ½ day seminars, where one of our best Vistage Speakers presents a key topic. VODs are run throughout the UK and Ireland, and as a Member you can attend any VOD free of charge. Many of the VOD topics are deliberately chosen to have a wide appeal to other staff within your business (e.g. Negotiation Skills, Marketing, Sales Leadership etc.). As a member, you can bring along members of your staff. Many members take advantage of these events as a way of building the skills within their team. Other members invite key suppliers, key clients etc. The events are very high quality and also allow you to meet with other Vistage Members from around the UK and Ireland.

Industry Dinners

For further information, please visit:

Vistage runs a series of industry dinners, where members

www.vistage.co.uk/content-and-connectivity/events.aspx

are invited to meet with other members from the same industry, to network and to discuss industry issues and

Vistage Forum Events

trends. These are purely informal, with no presentations

Vistage FORUM events are focused on key business

or issues – they simply provide a platform where fellow

functions, (e.g. Finance, Sales, IT etc.). They provide

Vistage Members within the same industry can meet.

education and tools for job roles beyond the CEO. These are national events and so attract Vistage Members and their colleagues/staff.

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Vistage Speaker Bureau

Vistage Speakers are the best in the business. We take great care in selecting and assessing them. So much so that many other coaching organisations seek to use Vistage Speakers as they know that the level of quality is assured!

Vistage Members often seek to book a Vistage Speaker to run workshops or projects within their own business. To make this easy, and to ensure that Vistage Members pay the best price, Vistage has a Vistage Speaker Bureau that can make all bookings and arrangements for members. Visit www.vistagespeakerbureau.co.uk.

The Vistage Speaker Bureau is your gateway to world class speakers that Vistage has cherry picked, assessed and accredited in order to deliver high value to the toughest audiences of all, Chief Executives who demand excellence. The Vistage Speaker Bureau team has an in depth knowledge Quick access to Speakers, facilitators and coaches for all

of our speakers; we can to guide, support and advise you on

occasions:

which speaker is best suited for your requirements.

• Conference • Keynote • Training • Management retreat • Much more

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To discuss which speaker is available and best suited for your needs please contact us on +44(0)1962 841188 or request more information at info@speakerbureau.co.uk

Referrals

Many members reach Vistage through a direct recommendation from existing Vistage Members. We also identify new Vistage Chairman candidates through the same route. We therefore encourage members to make referrals to Vistage, either for their own group or for the organisation as a whole. There is a referral system which allows you to make recommendations, and Vistage offers awards upon successful referrals.

Your Vistage Chairman will explain the referral system, and you can also find further information about the system on Vistage Village, by visiting www.vistage.co.uk/referrals

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Vistage HQ â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Member Services

Finally, although most of your Vistage experience will come through your Vistage group, your fellow members and your Vistage Chairman, behind the scenes there is a full Vistage backup and support team available to you.

The Vistage HQ Member Services team are a one-stopshop for you. If you have any concerns, queries, questions

You can contact Vistage in the following ways:

on ANY matter related to your Vistage membership, do not hesitate to call or email us â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we are here to help make

Email:

enquiries@vistage.co.uk

Telephone:

01962 841188

your membership a positive and rewarding experience.

Our Address: Vistage International (UK) Ltd One Crown Walk Jewry Street Winchester Hampshire SO23 8BB

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Welcome to the

Vistage Community www.vistage.co.uk