by David Chapman
Staff Writer
It can be lonely at the top of the business world for many CEOs who answer only to themselves.
The positive? You are your own boss. The negative? You are your own boss.
Even being in charge can be burdensome when problems arise that leave even the most successful of CEOs confounded and grasping for help.
Over a dozen Jacksonville-area CEOs got a sampling of the answers they could receive to their executive problems if they elect to join — and are deemed the proper candidate for — a new President’s Forum during an informational meeting Wednesday at the Hilton Garden Inn.
The Forum, for owners and presidents of small and emerging businesses, will be chaired by John Williams, former head of Jacksonville-based Small Business Group Inc.
“It was exciting to meet some of the candidates and learn about some of their thoughts and backgrounds,” said Williams, who also participated in the informational meeting.
A condensed group exercise mimicked a larger forum in order to let participants, whose names are kept confidential until they become members, get an experience of what it would be like to become a member.
First, problematic situations had to be aired.
“I am new to the company and am so focused on learning and putting out the fires that I am unable to set up a system that can,” one of the participants said to Williams and a few other CEOs sitting around a table. “There just don’t seem to be enough hours in a day.”
After several minutes of explaining the situation, the time-constrained executive takes notes while others around the table restate the problem, ask clarifying questions, give input and ideas that could resolve the situation and ask the presenter what they’ve learned.
“So you have no time to sharpen your saw because you’re too busy cutting down the tree,” said one executive.
One participant inquired if there were other people within the presenter’s company who could have some of the day-to-day responsibility shifted towards them.
“You’ve got to work on your company sometimes, not always in it,” said the participant, who said he was reminded of the saying from a recent radio interview. “Push some of the responsibility back onto people who are trying to push it on you.”
Another person recommended coming in during a non-busy time, such as a weekend, to “get in there uninterrupted,” and create a plan.
Ideas continued to bounce off the CEOs, who used their experience from the various non-competing fields to lend advice during the bustling dialogue until time was called.
In the end, the presenter thanked her fellow advice-giving CEOs and said she had actually learned a few things.
The meeting was facilitated by Les Deck, Chair of a President’s Forum in Boca Raton, who then went from table to table to find out what took place. If it had been a complete forum, he said, numerous issues from every CEO would be aired out instead of just one while creating a little MAGIC of their own.
The acronym: Making better decisions, Accountability, Growth, Isolation (to reflect) and Change, are some of the ideas that Forum members will encounter, said Deck.
Next up, Williams and Deck will interview each of the participants on a one-on-one basis to determine if they are qualified and interested in becoming part of the up-to-17 person President’s Forum. Being a full member of the forum is by invitation only, and it costs a total of $9,230 the first year (with a $710 initial fee and $710 a month paid quarterly).
“The person has to have the right chemistry and right mix of ideas to bring to the table,” said Williams. “The organization will help CEOs grow personally and professionally.”
The pool of candidates in attendance came from a diverse business background. Some of the fields included human resources management, staffing, civil contracting, lawn maintenance, event planning, medical billing and a printing franchise, among others.
Only one profession can be represented per group, meaning there is no competition and no information is potentially withheld during the sometimes business-sensitive nature of forum discussions.
Members also hear from national speakers and receive one-on-one sessions with Williams during the 11 monthly meetings.
Williams said he hopes to have the first official forum in April after all of the members are signed up and in place.
“It’s very important to have a lot of fun while doing this,” said Williams to the participants, “and we’re going to do that.”