FORUM TRAINING MANUAL

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Welcome And Introductions 3

EO Overview 4
Forum Overview 6
Vulnerability 7
Forum Confidentiality 8
Forum Mindset (Gestalt) 9
Forum Mindset (Gestalt) Exercise 10
Personal Responsibility 11
Forum Development 12

FORUM IN PRACTICE
The Forum Meeting 14
CORE VALUES Sample Forum Agenda 15
5% Reflections 16
BOLDLY GO! 5% Reflections Worksheet 17
Deep Dive: Topic Selection 18
THIRST FOR LEARNING Deep Dive: Worksheet 19
Deep Dive: Coaching 20
MAKE A MARK Deep Dive: Coach’s Worksheet 22

TRUST AND RESPECT Deep Dive: The Coach’s Introduction 23

Sample Forum Constitution 24
COOL Forum Offerings 25
Forum Workshops 26

500 Montgomery Street Suite 700

Alexandria, VA 22314-1437 USA
T +1.703.519.6700 Acknowledgments
Thank you to the team of volunteers who have updated this workbook. Special thanks
F +1.703.519.1864
to members of the EO Global Forum Committee, and the EO Forum Content and
www.eonetwork.org Forum Training communities.
Over the years many people have contributed to the ideas and concepts contained in
© 2019 Entrepreneurs’ Organization. All Rights Reserved. this workbook and the training program in general. These people have given of their
time freely in order that we might all enjoy a better Forum experience. Your Forum
experience is richer for the knowledge they have shared.

2 FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL

 WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

INTRODUCTIONS
Company name and Family - marital status, When and why
Name Expectations for today?
type of business children, ages joined EO?

GROUND RULES

CONFIDENTIALITY
BE PRESENT
BE OPEN
ONE CONVERSATION

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 EO OVERVIEW

MISSION TO ENGAGE LEADING ENTREPRENEURS TO LEARN AND GROW.

VISION TO BUILD THE WORLD’S MOST INFLUENTIAL COMMUNITY OF ENTREPRENEURS.

BOLDLY THIRST FOR MAKE A TRUST AND

COOL
GO! LEARNING MARK RESPECT
CORE
VALUES Bet on your Be a student Leave a legacy Build a safe haven Create, seek out
own abilities of opportunity for learning and celebrate
and growth once-in-a-lifetime
experiences

PEER-TO-PEER ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME CONNECTIONS

LEARNING EXPERIENCES TO EXPERTS
Forum Executive Learning Mentorship
Spousal / Life Partner Forum Regional Conferences Healthnetwork Foundations
(SLP Forums) EMP/KEP EOconnect
VALUE Global Leadership Conference Presidents’ Meetings Event Speakers/Keynotes
PROPOSITION EO Leadership Chapter Events
EOnetwork EO Leadership Academy
MyEO Universities

Peer Content Mix of Peer and Expert Content

Expert Content

EO MEMBER BENEFITS EO GLOBAL STATS

Don’t miss out on the wide array of benefits beyond Check eonetwork.org or
Forum and your Chapter events that you have scan QR code to see the
unlocked by joining EO.
latest stats for EO.
Check EOnetwork or scan this
QR Code for a one page summary
of your benefits.

4 FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL

PATH OF LEADERSHIP (PoL)

Elevate your leadership journey to the next level

Global
EO Forum Chapter Regional Task
Experts Committees Board of
Members Moderators Boards Councils Teams
Directors

Benefits of PoL:
» Learn leadership skills to transform your business and life
» Participate in developing local and global strategy
» Enhance your external networks
» Give back to EO by building its future and your own

EO IS A GLOBAL MEMBER-LED NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION.

EO’s financial health is a direct result of actively

engaged members experiencing educational and
peer-to-peer learning opportunities around
16%
the globe.

Chapter and Member Support: 26% (US$559)

Organizational Leadership and Operations: 16% (US$345)

26%
Learning and Leadership Opportunities: 17% (US$366) FY2017/2018 17%

Forum/MyEO: 14% (US$301) ALLOCATION OF

Member Communications/PR/GSEA: 11% (US$236) MEMBERS’ GLOBAL
Technology: 5% (US$108) ANNUAL DUES
Reserve for Future Investment: 9% (US$193)
2% (US$2,150)
Alliances and Partnerships: 2% (US$42)

9%
14%

Check EOnetwork or scan this

5%
QR code to see the latest stats of EO.
11%

FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL 5

 FORUM OVERVIEW

Forum is: Forum is not:

»» A peer-to-peer learning structure to cultivate collective wisdom »» A fix-it group
»» A stable group of 6-10 EO Forum-trained members »» A social club
»» Regularly scheduled, four-hour meetings led by a trained moderator »» A therapy group
»» Inclusive of a structured agenda with 5% Reflections and Deep Dives »» About giving advice
»» A judgment-free, confidential and safe environment »» About judging
»» A powerful communication practice of Forum mindset (Gestalt) »» A networking group

DID YOU KNOW?

In many chapters your EO member benefit of Forum may be available for your Spouse/Life Partner (SLP), Key
Executives (KE) and/or Adult Children. Ask your local Forum Chair to learn what is available in your Chapter.
Remember, as a member-led organization, you can always champion an initiative to lead a program that
your chapter currently does not have.

THE FOUR CORNERSTONES CRITICAL TO FORUM SUCCESS ARE:

VULNERABILITY FORUM MINDSET (GESTALT)

• 5% Experience • No judgment or advice
• Leave your ego at the door • Share experiences and resources
• Bring a level of self-disclosure that builds trust • Respectful listening
• Self-discovery, learning together

CONFIDENTIALITY PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

• I will never share your stories • Goal of 100% attendance
• Reinforced at the beginning of each meeting • Undistracted attention
• Automatic expulsion for any breach • Willingness to raise concerns during clearing

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 VULNERABILITY

Speak your Be the first Bring your 5%

authentic truth to share to the table each
(Masks off) and every time

THE FORUM 5% EXPERIENCE

5% WORST 90% 5% BEST

FILTERS FOR 5%
»» Focus on highest impact »» Hold up the mirror
»» Share emotions »» Does “The Google” know?
»» Share true significance »» Occurred or occurred to me?
»» Be yourself

JOHARI WINDOW
Known Unknown
by Self to Self

Known to OPEN BLIND

Ask

Others
PUBLIC

Share / Disclosure Shared

Discovery

Unknown to HIDDEN UNKNOWN

Others PRIVATE POTENTIAL

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 FORUM CONFIDENTIALITY

Why is confidentiality critical?

»» It creates a “bold safe environment”
»» Authentic, deep sharing occurs when there is trust that confidentiality is fully adhered to
»» Reinforced with the knowledge that details shared will never leave this room
»» I can share my full story and the critical details, even those that are sensitive

What is Forum Confidential?

»»  e all agree that we own our stories and that I will never share any part of another member’s story.
W
My learning can leave the room, their stories stay in the room.
»» Each Forum needs 100% clarity on their confidentiality agreement, i.e.:
–– confidentiality begins when the meeting begins, and ends when the meeting ends, or
–– the entire duration of the Forum gathering, even the ‘social’ conversations before, at breaks, and after the meeting is
assumed to be confidential, or
–– any sharing between Forum members whether they are in a Forum meeting, at a social function, etc, is confidential.
»» It is important to discuss and document the specific agreements for each Forum. What about social media? Retreats? Notes
taken in a Forum meeting?
»» It is important to create spousal alignment, not resentment. Confidentiality does not mean you can’t share YOUR stories with
your spouse, rather that you can’t share STORIES OF OTHERS. Only your own.

No Pillow Talk Members should not discuss other members’ stories or any details with anyone, even with a spouse
or partner as these are not our personal stories to share.
Walls Have Ears Discussions and communication outside of the Forum meetings can be overheard or intercepted
causing breaches of confidentiality. Don’t trust email, mail or even voicemail when it’s a
confidential issue.
No Gossip Members should not talk about a fellow Forum member who is not present. Members are to
communicate directly with other members of the Forum.
No Insider Trading Insider trading is illegal. Members are not to trade stock as a result of information shared in Forum.
Forever Forum Confidential is forever. All members remain bound by Forum Confidentiality forever, whether
they remain in Forum or not.

Consequences
»» 1: The offending member is AUTOMATICALLY expelled
»» 2: Member is expected to apologize and discuss with Forum
»» 3: Member is only accepted back with a unanimous vote

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 FORUM MINDSET (GESTALT)

Our Forum Mindset supports the risk being taken by others in our Forum– it is what makes Forum a safe place.

“SPEAK ONLY FROM

EXPERIENCE” FORUM MINDSET
» We love to problem solve, and advice is
a frequent default in a problem solving Experience Advice
conversation – Tell your story – Should
– Use I – Would
» Problem solving interferes with Forum
Mindset by introducing opinions and
– Speak in Problem – Could
past tense
suggestions Solving Engine – Future tense
– Feelings are – YOU
» Forum Mindset enables us to think important Ideas, Analysis
differently– we become better listerners and
Suggestions,
Brainstorming
we improve our story-telling skills
» Forum Mindset encourages people to find
their own answers THE IMPLICATION
You know best I know best

FORUM MINDSET (GESTALT) I trust you

TRUST
I trust me
IN QUESTIONS: RESPONSIBILITY
You keep it I’ll take it
1. WE ONLY ASK QUESTIONS TO HELP
RESULT
US UNDERSTAND WHICH ONE OF I hear you You hear ME
OUR EXPERIENCES WOULD BE BEST
MOTIVATION
TO SHARE Generous Selfish

2. WE DO NOT ASK QUESTIONS TO

PROBLEM SOLVE OR TO ‘LEAD’
ANOTHER MEMBER TO A SOLUTION PROVIDING PEER VS EXPERT SUPPORT
WE THINK WE SEE FOR THEM

How to create Forum Mindset (Gestalt)

NO SHARE NO
JUDGMENT STORIES ADVICE

ACTIVE TAKE YOUR SHARE NO

LISTENING MASK OFF! FEELINGS SUGGESTIONS

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 FORUM MINDSET (GESTALT) EXERCISE

A Deep Dive is a chance to share an opportunity, issue or challenge with a small group of close peers who are willing to share their
own experiences in a safe, non-judgmental way in order to give you clarity on how to move forward.

Deep Dive scenario

I discovered last week that our bookkeeper embezzled almost $47,000 over the last few months. She used blank checks and forged
my signature to pay her own bills. When I found an entry for exactly $1,000, it seemed odd, and I went online to investigate. My
heart sank. I couldn’t believe that someone I trusted so much could steal from me. This is the worst financial betrayal I have ever had.

I have yet to confront her. I am afraid of the impact in my organization. I don’t know how to share this challenge with my team. I feel
so stupid. Why has this betrayal frozen me?

Sample Questions Posed: Yes or No

Have you considered having your bank send statements to you personally?
What is the strongest emotion you feel as you think about how to share this with your team?
How many bad checks were written? What was the largest check?
Do you feel it is important to make an example out of this employee in front of your team?

Is there a question you would ask to find your most resonant experience?

Experiences Shared: Yes or No

I had a betrayal from a key leader in my company and I was very worried about telling the team. I felt I had no
choice. I was completely open and vulnerable with them, and told them everything. I was worried about them
perceiving me as a weak and ineffective leader, but they amazed me by pulling together and rallying for the same
cause. Although this was a major setback for us, it really created a bond that wasn’t there before in my team, and
we made some important changes that led to the best years ever in my company.
Six years ago, I found out that my operations person was taking some of our old product and trying to sell it
directly to our customers. I only found out because one of our customers told me they had been approached.
I, of course, fired him immediately . . . That is the only way to handle theft. When employees are disloyal they
need to be fired publicly.
In my experience, our accountant told us to have unopened bank statements sent to my house to prevent this
from happening. We also have one person in charge of paying bills, and another person in charge of reconciling
accounts to keep things separate.
Wow! I’m sorry that happened to you. I’ve never had anyone steal from me. However, I can relate to the feeling
of betrayal. Three years ago, I was engaged to be married. A mutual friend told me that they suspected my fiancé
was still pursuing their previous relationship. It was tough to confront my fiancé, and I was so shocked and hurt
by their angry response. It led to the end of our relationship. At the time, I thought I would never get over that
breakup and trust again. I’m so glad that I had this experience, and now that three years have past, I’ve found
someone who I trust more than anyone else in my life.

Do you have an experience share for this Deep Dive?

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 PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY

PHYSICALLY PRESENT MENTALLY PRESENT EMOTIONALLY PRESENT

Be Committed Be Engaged Be Yourself

»» Forum is not compulsory, so by Value is directly proportional to your level »» Check ego at the door. Be humble,
agreeing to join a Forum, you are of participation take your mask off
making a commitment to the other »» Give yourself in order to gain »» If you’re not happy with the structure
members of your Forum maximum value from Forum or processes of the Forum, it’s your
»» Attend all meetings. Be prepared. responsibility to speak up
»» Continually evaluate that you
Be on time, and stay until the end. are fully present »» Don’t dwell on concerns, but rather
raise any issues and clear the air, use
»» Every member is an equal
conflict resolution tools if required
shareholder

TIME
COMMITMENT

PERSONAL
PEER
RESPONSIBILITY COURAGE

FULLY ACCOUNTABILITY
PRESENT

MAXIMIZE YOUR EO EXPERIENCE

In order to maximize your EO membership, plan to invest at least six hours per month on EO.

Forum: Learning: Leadership Roles:

Forum meeting Chapter Events or Socials Chapter board
Deep Dive preparation Regional & Global Events Regional leadership
Coaching EO Executive Education Championing MyEO
Virtual Learning MyEO Group or Event

FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL 11

 FORUM DEVELOPMENT

Forum’s 4 Principles are a framework from which a Forum develops. Forums (and all small groups) develop, connect
and build trust over time.

Levels of Forum Development

Every team, Forum, and indeed relationship develops through stages. You will have experienced this in your teams at work
and in personal relationships as well as in Forum. Understanding the stages is helpful to move through them effectively.

Bruce Tuckman. Stages of Group

PERFORMING
Development. 1965.

Psychologist Bruce Tuckman first

NORMING came up with the memorable phrase
"forming, storming, norming, and
performing" in his 1965 article,
"Developmental Sequence in Small
VALUE

Groups." He used it to describe the

path that most teams follow on their
way to high performance. Later, he
added a fifth stage, "adjourning"
STORMING
sometimes known as "mourning").
FORMING

TIME

CREATING MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS

A Forum is made of a group of entrepreneurs who each bring their own sets of skills, knowledge and abilities to the group.
For the group to function at high levels of interaction, it is important that participants know each other and feel open to
sharing key things about themselves. Exercises that create a level of empathy and understanding can be helpful in building
trust and confidence in each other. You can find icebreakers and relationship building exercises
at www.eonetwork.org under Forum Resources.

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 LIFELINE
Think of your life from the day you were born until today. Think of the high points, the low points and the significant events that shaped your life. Plot each of these points on the graph below.

Life was Great

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
Life was Average

Life was Bad

13
 THE FORUM MEETING

MEETING LOCATIONS MEETING DATES & TIMES MEETING LENGTH

» Each Forum decides » Each Forum decides » Each Forum decides

» Rotate offices, homes » Dates – Forum schedules 6-12 » Best practice is 4hrs depending
months in advance on group size
» Private space to ensure
confidentiality » Times – morning, afternoon
or evening

SAMPLE FORUM ROLES AND RESPONSIBILTIES

Selection
Role Responsibilities Term Process
Moderator Prepares meeting agenda—distributes one week in advance; asks for volunteers for One year Election
other roles; leads group through establishing Vision and administration of Forum;
leads by example; and participates in Moderator meeting with the chapter Forum
Chair. Attends Moderator training.
Moderator-Elect Facilitate meeting when Moderator is absent. Attend Moderator Training and prepare One year Election
to takeover as Moderator.
Retreat Planner(s) Plans and organizes the retreat. May want to assign logistics to one person and Variable Volunteer
content to another person.
Member Follow group’s constitution and comply with rules, particularly confidentiality, Forum As long as member Group
Mindset, attendance and commitment. Each member presents at least once a year. is compliant and consensus
continues to give
and receive value
Parking Lot Leader Keeps track of upcoming deep dive themes, scribes for topics during monthly One year Volunteer
5% reflections and keeps the parking lot current.
Timekeeper Manages time for all Forum sections. Gives warnings as time elapses and notice when Variable Volunteer
time is up.
Social Manager Plans all aspects of the Forum social events, e.g., holiday party, family summer Variable Volunteer
picnic, etc.
Board Representative Attends and reports Chapter Board meetings and reports chapter updates and One year Volunteer
information to the Forum.

Timeline to prepare for Forum

ONGOING
Each member thinks about
5% Reflection topics and 7 DAYS BEFORE FORUM

Deep Dive subjects Moderator confidentially

sends agenda to all members

FORUM

14 DAYS BEFORE FORUM 1 DAY BEFORE FORUM

Coach and Deep Dive member All members complete final version of
meet. Coach informs moderator 5% Reflections form and prepare any
that coaching happened. additional materials needed for Forum

14 FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL

 SAMPLE FORUM AGENDA

Plan Actual
:00 ______ Arrive
» Welcome
» Electronics turned off and put away
» Confidentiality
» 1-5 Minute meditation
Check-In
» One-word 5% Reflections - Monthly
» Clearing round » The monthly 5% Reflection segment is an
opportunity for members to share their most
:10 ______
Communication Starter significant moments and impact over the past
(Optional inclusion & self disclosure exercise) month in their business, personal and family life
» Come to your Forum meeting having prepared your
:20 ______ 5% Reflections 5% Reflection and given thought to what you intend
» FULLY prepared before meeting to share
» 3-5 minutes per member
» Parking Lot Discussion

1:20 ______ BREAK – 10 Min. Deep Dive

» The Deep Dive is the section of the meeting when a
1:30 ______ Deep Dive #1
member shares where they feel stuck or seek clarity
» 50 min. prepared on an opportunity or issue. This is a group learning
» WHY topic activity where members share experiences and learn
» Coaching in advance from each other on the given topic

2:20 ______ BREAK – 10 Min. DEEP DIVE AGENDA

Scheduled Open
What Who
2:30 ______ Deep Dive #2 Coaching Coaching
» 40 min impromptu One word open, Less than Less than
Moderator
confidentiality 1 minute 1 minute
» WHY topic
» Could be open coaching Coach’s intro
Communication Coach/All 5 minutes –
starter
3:10 ______ Alternate Format
Deep Dive (no
» Topical discussion, subject matter Member 10 minutes 15 minutes
interruptions)
expert, connection exercise, other
Optional
» HOW topic All 5 minutes –
questions
Silent reflection All 3 minutes 3 minutes
3:40 ______ Housekeeping
Reminder: listen Less than Less than
» Future meetings, retreat planning, Moderator
for own value 1 minute 1 minute
membership
Experience- 3-5 minutes About
» Debrief meeting – Stop:Start:Continue All
sharing each 25 minutes
All, with
Individual take-
presenter 5 minutes 5 minutes
home value
last
One-word close All 2 minutes 2 minutes

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 5% REFLECTIONS

TIPS PREPARE!
»» USE quality words to describe feelings
It matters & it shows
»» Headline…one sentence only,
Don’t get stuck in the story Reflections are for me –
»» Tell the group every time you move boxes not for group to catch up
»» Only focus on the 5%
I filter for events that are
PREPARATION + SHARING FOR 5% REFLECTIONS my 5% significance
10%
Emotions: Start where it matters most
3-5 feelings

My Events and Epiphanies

10%
Elegant headline:
1 sentence

80%
Explain significance:
why it matters to YOU

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 5% REFLECTIONS WORKSHEET

FEELINGS HEADLINE SIGNIFICANCE (5%)

Strongest feelings this What caused these How was this personally significant to me?
past month feelings? Dig deep
Single words. Joy, sad etc. One sentence only
3-5 words each box

Work

Family

Personal

Next 30-60 days

A challenge or opportunity I would like to explore further with the group is...

17
 DEEP DIVE: TOPIC SELECTION

PARKING LOT URGENT VS IMPORTANT

It’s ideal to have a parking lot leader in the Forum. Powerful topics are always Important but often not Urgent.

URGENT NOT URGENT

Parking Lot – Purpose
»» Identify meaningful, critical, unresolved issues among PREVENTION

IMPORTANT
CRISIS
PLANNING
Forum members EMERGENCIES
IMPROVEMENT
»» Prioritize issues for Deep Dives Quadrant 1
Quadrant 2
»» Monthly frequency

NOT IMPORTANT
»» Quarterly or Annual review
INTERRUPTIONS TIME WASTERS

Quadrant 3 Quadrant 4
Parking Lot – Process
»»  sk each member to identify their most critical
A
business and personal issue
SOURCE:

»» Using a flip chart, write down the issues for each First Things First
Stephen R. Covey
member Published by Simon & Schuster
Publication date: 1 March 1994
»»  sk each member to rate their issue using the
A
The Eisenhower Box
“Urgent” and “Important” grid
Dwight Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States
»» P rioritize issues to a new list, focusing on
Quadrant 1 and 2 issues
»»  iscuss the issues and determine the order of
D
future Deep Dives

DEEP DIVE: PREPARATION

Your Deep Dive is: Your Deep Dive is not:
»» An opportunity to share ANY topic that is important, »» A counseling session
unresolved and emotionally complex
»» A fix-it session
»» An opportunity to hear the experiences of others
»» An opportunity to debate solutions
»» A gift of vulnerability to your Forum

FROM PROBLEM SOLVING TO SELF DISCOVERY

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 DEEP DIVE: WORKSHEET

Complete prior to your coaching session. Come prepared to your coaching session to present all the information on this worksheet.
After the coaching session, you may want to update this document to reflect your current thinking.

1. ISSUE STATEMENT
What do you want to explore with the Forum?

2. OVERVIEW
a. Background

b. Current situation

c. Future options (pros and cons)

3. DIVING DEEPER
a. Where do you feel most uncertain, confused or afraid?

b. How might your own actions be contributing to the challenge you face?

c. What would failing in this mean for you and those around you?

d. What is your biggest personal challenge here?

e. What feelings do you have?

f. What is the outcome you hope for? What is your level of confidence right now that you can achieve this outcome
on a scale of 0-100 percent (0 percent: no hope; 100 percent: completely confident)?

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 DEEP DIVE: COACHING

VISIBLE 20%
WHAT HAPPENED? WHEN?
DEEP DIVE: WHAT WAS SAID? WHO?
HEADLINE DATA
WHERE?
WHAT HAPPENED?

INVISIBLE 80%
EMOTION

FEELINGS:
HOW I FEEL? FEELINGS

MOTIVES

SIGNIFICANCE: GUT
WHY IT MATTERS TO ME?
SENSATIONS

»
»
Quiet mind. Let go of the noise in your head and LISTEN.
Reflect back. Is what you are hearing accurate?
DILEMMA
» Listen for the struggle BENEATH the story. Where is the challenge?
» Focus on core issues. What matters most?
QUESTION
» Coaching is NOT the main event! No problem solving or sharing!!
OF ESSENCE

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Notes

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 DEEP DIVE: COACH’S WORKSHEET

PREPARE
»» Meet one to two weeks before your Forum meeting, not the day of the meeting
»» Meet in a comfortable, private space, allocate about an hour
»» Member brings completed Deep Dive Worksheet to begin the coaching conversation
»» Important Coaching Mindset: Quiet mind. Listen curiously and reflect back. Focus questions on core issue or challenge,
NO problem solving. Find clarity for Deep Dive ONLY

COACHING CONVERSATION:
“Tell me about the situation you’d like to share. What’s the background, current situation and what are some future options you’re
considering?” Paraphrase three to five times.

Notes

DIVING DEEPER:
As you listen to the member’s responses, watch and listen for indicators that suggest deeper layers to the situation. Focus on these:

»»  se open-ended questions to learn more about anything that sounds important. “Tell me more…”
U
Help me understand…”
»» Ask why three times to understand what something really means
»» Does their body language or tone of voice catch your attention?
»» Do you notice them using any powerful words or metaphors, indicating intensity?
»» Do you hear them come back to something again and again?
»» Do you hear or see in them something that they’re not identifying and might not be aware of?

Notes

22
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 DEEP DIVE: THE COACH’S INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION
Define the topic by narrowing it down using this question:

“Of everything that you’ve shared, what are you most troubled by, uncertain about or stumped by today?”

Where are you in your decision-making process?

What question(s) do you hope to answer for yourself in this Deep Dive?

The feelings I heard as I coached this Deep Dive:

» » »

» » »

Intensity level: How much emotion, distress, excitement, pain was there as I coached this Deep Dive?

Low Medium High

Communication Starter:
Think about a time when you felt­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­_______________ (presenter’s strongest feeling) because _____________________
(link back to a general description of the topic).

Example: Think about a time when you felt frustrated because an important person in your life was holding you back.

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 SAMPLE FORUM CONSTITUTION

Constitution guidelines Constitution purpose

»» Each Forum writes its own constitution »» Establish alignment of group mission
»» The constitution should be reviewed and updated each year »» Define expectations of member participation
»»  nable maximum benefit and value of Forum to all
E
members

Here is some sample content that you might find in a Forum Constitution.

Mission & Vision To share, learn and grow personally and professionally as individuals and as a Forum.

Confidentiality Any breach of confidentiality will result in immediate expulsion from the Forum. After a
Forum discussion (impact, apology, etc.) , the offending member may be readmitted only by
unanimous vote.
Fiscal Year 1 July to 30 June

Number of Meetings and 11 meetings and one retreat are held each year. One of the meetings may be social and
Retreats is counted for attendance purposes.
Attendance A member who misses two meetings or a retreat within a fiscal year is automatically removed
from the Forum unless unanimously voted back in.
Tardiness A member who is late for one meeting is docked for one-half an absence and fined US$___ per
minute, up to US$___.
Forum Mindset (Gestalt) Forum members will follow the Forum Mindset (Gestalt) and speak only from experience at our
Forum meetings.
The Member Experience Each member of Forum is responsible for his or her own Forum experience.

Cell Phones and Electronics No cell phones are allowed during Forum meetings or retreats, except during designated times
or as pre-approved by the Forum. Violation results in a US$___ fine.
Group Size Our forum will have 8 - 10 members.

Members Joining Forum Members joining the Forum must meet majority consent of the existing members.

Members Resigning from Group Members resigning from Forum are expected to make an exit deep dive. A member who
chooses not to make an exit deep dive forfeits his or her unspent balance of Forum dues.
Emergency Meetings Emergency meetings are available to a member in need. Attendance is not mandatory.

Term Moderator, secretary and financial officer have one-year terms coinciding with the
fiscal year.
Food/Alcohol No consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted during meetings or prior to meetings.
Drinking during retreats is only permitted during designated times. While food may be available,
it should not distract from our Forum experience. Respecting when members speak is expected.
Business Dealings All business transactions more than US$_______ are strongly discouraged among Forum
members and must be disclosed to the Forum.
Romantic Relationships No romantic relationships are permitted among Forum members.

24 FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL

 FORUM OFFERINGS

AVAILABLE FORUM PROGRAMS

The Forum Framework was created to enable members to experience and apply the power of Forum in every aspect and phase of
their entrepreneurial journey. The Framework allows EO to organize Forum types more effectively, addressing experiences related
to personal life, family life, business and member communities. With this enhancement, every member will have access to an ideal
Forum experience that provides unique value tailored to address their specific needs.

CHAPTER FORUM BRIDGE FORUM EXPERIENCE FORUM

Chapter members, and their SLP, KE Regional members with Forum Local or regional members with
WHO
and/or Adult Children experience Forum experience

Custom (based on specific experi-

WHAT Monthly meetings + retreat Trimester or quarterly meetings
ences, interests, life phase, industry
8-10 members 12-16 members
type, time in EO or passion)

Opt-in for members Opt-in/Recruited by Forums

NEW MEMBERS Forum chair
Placed by Bridge team EO communications

Local Experience Forums:

Chapter Forum chair
MANAGEMENT Chapter Forum chair Bridge Forum chair
Regional Experience Forums:
Experience champions

EXPERT SUPPORT Regional Forum expert Regional Forum expert Forum committee member

Chapter admin + standardized Bridge admin + standardized Self-admin + standardized

STAFF SUPPORT
services from global services from global services from global

ACCESS TO
Self-service booking Self-service booking Self-service booking
TRAININGS

Retreat and social fees Event fee, airfare and lodging Retreat and social fees
COSTS
Varies by Forum Varies by event Varies by Forum

Search EONetwork.org for Bridge

Locally: ask your Forum chair
HOW TO JOIN Forum Chair events in your region or contact
Regionally: Search EONetwork
forum@eonetwork.org

FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL 25

 FORUM WORKSHOPS

FORUM CORE CONTENT WORKSHOPS LEADERSHIP FOR FORUM WORKSHOPS

Leadership skills for forum and life
FORUM LAUNCH
Set Up for Success STORYTELLING

»» Customized to fit your new Forum’s unique needs Tell Powerful Stories
»» Understand story structure and archetypes
»» Build a strong foundation and rhythm for your new Forum
»» Craft and deliver authentic, powerful stories
»» Design your constitution, define core values and share
5% Reflections »» Tell better stories in Forum, business and life

FORUM ESSENTIALS LIVE YOUR LEGACY

Increase Meeting Effectiveness Build a Plan, Live with Intention
»» Review agenda, structure and processes »» Why and core value discovery

»» Deepen Forum Mindset (Gestalt) to increase vulnerability »» Design your life; now and the future
and trust »» Create actionable, aligned plans and powerful
»» Strengthen understanding and commitment to 5% content Forum content

»» Build strong Parking Lot and Deep Dive schedule

FORUM FOR FAMILY WORKSHOP
»» Strengthen coaching skillset Leverage the Power of Forum in Your Family
»» Explore exercises, tools and templates to strengthen your
FORUM TOOLS Forum and your family
Coaching and Deep Dive Mastery
»» Packed with real life examples of EO member’s family
»» Deepen Forum Mindset (Gestalt) to increase vulnerability
experiences
and trust
»» Develop a plan to bring Forum mindsets, tools or skillsets
»» Develop individual coaching beliefs and skills
to your family
»» Practice unplanned coaching and deep dives

MASTERING COACHING
Become A Skillful Coach PLEASE NOTE!! Forum Workshops are not designed
»» Learn and practice the EO 4 step coaching process as interventions for a Forum in crisis, they support
»» Leverage the Deep Dive and coaching worksheets Forum development and value. If you have immediate
questions or concerns contact your local Forum Chair,
»» Build coaching skills for Forum, business and life
Regional Forum Expert or a Forum Trainer.

DEEPER CONNECTIONS
Explore Deeper Levels of Trust and Sharing
»» For connected, effective Forums
»» Structured approach for blind window sharing
»» Explore new depths

GOALS & ACCOUNTABILITY

Set Goals and Create Forum Accountability
»» Set meaningful goals with Forum support
»» Establish accountability partners
»» Design ongoing accountability into Forum

26 FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL

 Scan this QR Code
for Forum Training Evaluation.

Notes

FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL 27

 EO: YOUR JOURNEY,
YOUR SUCCESS
Welcome to EO! You’ve made a life-changing commitment to
yourself! Now it’s time to set your goals and make your plans.
The quality of your journey will shape your success!

Take the EO paths

that enrich YOU

LEARN MORE AT WWW.EONETWORK.ORG

AFTER MEMBER LOGIN, CLICK THE “RESOURCES” TAB, THEN “MEMBER SUCCESS”

28 FORUM: FORUM TRAINING MANUAL