Where is the True Value in Forum?

On any given day, I have somewhere in the realm of 10-12 meetings. Sometimes more, sometimes fewer, depending on how long they are. I don’t think I am alone in that number. And, of course, not all meetings are created equal - we all know that some of them could have been an email. But how would one even begin to assign a value to meetings? What kind of scale would one use? For me, I judge all meetings against the highest value meeting - the Forum.

For context, I have been a member of YPO for some years now, and I was a part of EO before that. I have been part of many a peer group over the years, all of which have included some form of Forum.

Where is the True Value in Forum?

On any given day, I have somewhere in the realm of 10-12 meetings. Sometimes more, sometimes fewer, depending on how long they are. I don’t think I am alone in that number. And, of course, not all meetings are created equal - we all know that some of them could have been an email. But how would one even begin to assign a value to meetings? What kind of scale would one use? For me, I judge all meetings against the highest value meeting - the Forum.

For context, I have been a member of YPO for some years now, and I was a part of EO before that. I have been part of many a peer group over the years, all of which have included some form of Forum.

Not Just a Meeting - Forum Gives the Value of Time

Yes, yes, technically, Forum is a meeting. There is an agenda, a scheduled time, and everyone gets a chance to talk. However, Forum is more than just that. I would say that, in my experience, Forum is the highest-value ‘meeting’ one could attend. Of course, I don’t mean in monetary terms - we’re not making a sale here. No, the true value of Forum lies in time. I think that, if one were to ask the majority of CEOs what their most precious resource is, they’d all say time. And because Forum demands presence, you are giving up this precious time in order to show up for your Forum mates, as well as yourself.

I remember walking into my very first Forum meeting. It was me and a bunch of people who felt entirely too intimidating and impressive. I remember thinking, “What am I doing here?” But then everyone put their phones away, and the session started. Suddenly, we were all zoned in and listening. I felt like, if all these impressive, busy people could take the time, then so could I.

If you consider the lifespan of most Forums in YPO, you’d be looking at around 20 years’ worth of monthly meetings. And that does not include emergency get-togethers or events with Forum mates. It truly is an investment in one another over the course of decades. We all agree to put down our phones, ignore our emails, and shut out the rest of the world for the duration of our meeting. It gives us a chance to reflect and to offer assistance where needed.

Not Just a Meeting - Forum Gives the Value of Time

Yes, yes, technically, Forum is a meeting. There is an agenda, a scheduled time, and everyone gets a chance to talk. However, Forum is more than just that. I would say that, in my experience, Forum is the highest-value ‘meeting’ one could attend. Of course, I don’t mean in monetary terms - we’re not making a sale here. No, the true value of Forum lies in time. I think that, if one were to ask the majority of CEOs what their most precious resource is, they’d all say time. And because Forum demands presence, you are giving up this precious time in order to show up for your Forum mates, as well as yourself.

I remember walking into my very first Forum meeting. It was me and a bunch of people who felt entirely too intimidating and impressive. I remember thinking, “What am I doing here?” But then everyone put their phones away, and the session started. Suddenly, we were all zoned in and listening. I felt like, if all these impressive, busy people could take the time, then so could I.

If you consider the lifespan of most Forums in YPO, you’d be looking at around 20 years’ worth of monthly meetings. And that does not include emergency get-togethers or events with Forum mates. It truly is an investment in one another over the course of decades. We all agree to put down our phones, ignore our emails, and shut out the rest of the world for the duration of our meeting. It gives us a chance to reflect and to offer assistance where needed.

So, What is the True Value?

Would it be cheesy to say, “the friends we made along the way”? Probably. But it’s not wrong. I think the truest value of Forum lies in the connections we make. I’ve seen it time and again: the more effort that people put into their peer groups, the more they get out of them. And oftentimes, it ends up being the relationships forged in Forum that are the biggest prize. The people I have met through Forums have remained constant in my life, and as someone who up and moved his entire existence to a new country a few years ago, that has been truly invaluable.

I’m truly not sure that I would be where I am today without my Forum experiences. My circle here in London would be much smaller, and my challenges would seem much greater. And, despite not currently being a part of a Forum, I know that I use the methods I learned almost daily.

So, What is the True Value?

Would it be cheesy to say, “the friends we made along the way”? Probably. But it’s not wrong. I think the truest value of Forum lies in the connections we make. I’ve seen it time and again: the more effort that people put into their peer groups, the more they get out of them. And oftentimes, it ends up being the relationships forged in Forum that are the biggest prize. The people I have met through Forums have remained constant in my life, and as someone who up and moved his entire existence to a new country a few years ago, that has been truly invaluable.

I’m truly not sure that I would be where I am today without my Forum experiences. My circle here in London would be much smaller, and my challenges would seem much greater. And, despite not currently being a part of a Forum, I know that I use the methods I learned almost daily.