| FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How are HTG peer groups
set apart?
HTG is organized
by Arlin Sorensen, president of Heartland Technology Solutions, one of
the member companies. Arlin launched the first HTG peer group in 2001
based both on his desire for an opportunity to interact with peers in a
non-competitive setting and on his observation of a lack of peer groups
in the mid-market space. HTG Peer Groups are composed of
industry leaders led by industry insiders with years of experience.
HTG Peer Group leaders lead by:
-
Developing the agenda
around the group's needs
-
Bringing industry
experts to the meetings
-
Researching topics for
the meeting
-
Sharing feedback on
ideas offered by other companies
-
Publishing follow-up
documentation/action plans for members on the HTG website. We
provide a secure website for members to access information from each
meeting and to make plans for subsequent meetings. We screen and
recruit new member companies.
How can I benefit from
an HTG peer group?
Learning about new
ideas, benchmarking performance, and identifying ways to improve
profitability are key ways that members can benefit.
How much time does it
take to participate in an HTG peer group?
We ask members to commit
to attend four quarterly 2-day meetings. We try to meet in members’
host cities. Outside of the meetings, members commit to doing 1-2 hours
of preparation for each meeting and to bringing an innovative idea from
their own business practices to share. If you are hosting the meeting,
hotel/logistic arrangements will have to be considered and communicated to
all members.
Who attends the Peer
Group meetings?
Usually, a member of the executive
team
represents each company. For certain meetings, key business
members from similar departments (such as the human resources
department) attend. A consistency of members at each meeting is
critical.
How long does my
membership in the peer group last?
As long as interest
remains high and the group members continue to receive high value from
the group, the group will continue.
How do I know there are
no competitors in the group?
Membership is by unanimous vote of the
group. Before joining an HTG
peer group, members are required to sign a contract with a non-compete
clause. This is vital because members must have 100% trust in one
another for the group to be successful and for the members to find
maximum benefit from participating in the group.
Can I trust the others
in the group?
We depend on the
professional integrity of the members within the groups to respect each
other’s privacy and confidentiality. HTG has never experienced a
problem with confidentiality in our previous peer groups.
Homework?? Please
explain.
To maximize time and to
make the short two-day meetings as productive as possible, members are
occasionally assigned homework as it pertains to the topic for the next
meeting. In addition, it is a standing expectation that each member
company would come prepared to every meeting with a handout explaining
an innovative idea from their own business practice. Our expectation is
that each member will arrive at the meeting prepared and ready to
actively participate in the meeting.
Where can I learn more?
Microsoft recently delivered a webinar outlining the power of peer
groups.
Click Here to view the webinar |
