Last weekend I wrapped up an invigorating session of no-holds barred conversation. I was invited to attend the first meeting of folks from across the country that belong to a national study group. All together, there are eleven of us that spent 48 hours discussing anything and everything that was on our collective minds.
Are we all business owners? Far from it. The majority of us are employees in firms serving in a variety of capacities including operations, planning, and business management. It was evident that one does not need to be running the firm from an ownership position in order to provide insight and perspective about current trends in the industry. Sure, ownership topics do come up as employees consider ownership opportunities, but we also share ideas on leveraging operations, fair compensation, and work/life balance.
What’s really special about this group of people that I spent the weekend with is that there is an incredible amount of trust shared among us. Through interactions and friendships developed over previous meetings, I have developed a level of trust with each person, and I don’t feel jeopardized sharing confidential and personal information. If anything, sharing such information provides perspective to the topics that each of us presents to the group.
I think the most difficult part of finding a study group to join is simply taking the initiative to connect with your natural network for study group potential. I was surprised how quickly my requests for connections found answers from individuals seeking the same thing, and this has been true both locally and nationally.
So my advice is to be bold and let others know of your interest. Chances are you’ll find other like-minded individuals who are looking for the same chance to connect and share professional experiences.
