Chris Connor Globe Electric Co., Inc.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Management Services Committee Member
When most people think about “social networking,” Facebook and Twitter probably come to mind. That’s great for the Internet, but for me there’s another (and much better) option. About twice a year, I participate in EASA’s own version of social networking: the Roving Chief Executive (RCE) Program.
EASA defines this program as “the bringing together of non-competing EASA owners/managers with similar problems for the exchange of information. EASA owners and managers meet in a confidential, small group setting to pool their talents and experience to solve mutual problems and concerns.”
A typical meeting schedule
Although it is up to RCE groups to set their own schedule and agenda, most generally begin on Friday and end on Sunday. The program can begin with a tour of the host’s service of business and speak candidly with the service center's employees. Of course each group is free to conduct meetings in any way it wants. On the following day, the meeting host focuses discussions on certain key problem areas. Information should be shared freely and often with a detailed look into the financials and other supporting documentation such as the EASA Operating
In most cases, the evening segues into a casual dining experience where the discussion is informal. Often times group members and their families become close friends who regularly contact each other between meetings to aid each other in specific situations that arise throughout the year.
The “Bruise Brothers”
My own situation has me as a member of the “Bruise Brothers” group (each group has a name that members agree upon). My feeling is that the group is so named for the brutally honest discussions and the tough love we dispense. This group’s first meeting was held on July 1, 1995 at Joilet Equipment in Joliet, Illinois. The group met last in September 2009 when we got together at my company, Globe Electric, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
There are no signs that the group will slow down anytime soon. We already have our next meeting set for this month (February) at Stewart’s Electric Motor Works in sunny Orlando, Florida. (Hint to the cold weather members: Always schedule your winter meetings in the southern-most locations.)
A valuable, rewarding experience
I had asked the “brothers” in my group to provide me with some assistance with filling the blank spaces in this article. I was amazed at the similarity of the responses. All stressed the importance of the close friendships they have formed through the years. Additionally, it was stressed that all attendees will leave with something concrete they can use to benefit their own companies. One of the members in my group calls us “his personal group of professional consultants.”
During my time in the “Bruise Brothers,” I have learned more from these meetings than any business class I attended in college. The “real world experience” that this group of owners and managers brings to the table is priceless. I urge every EASAn to look into this program.
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RCE PROGRAM
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