“Each member of SB Forum is responsible for his/her own Forum experience.”

What is SB Forum?

SB Forum is a structured support environment that allows members to give and receive the benefit of their experience, insight and resources. Groups are comprised of six to twelve members who meet monthly for three hours. SB Forum operates with a set of sophisticated ground rules and processes that have evolved over several decades of practice. SB Forum is not a “fix it” or a “therapy group.”

Forum Benefits

The benefits of SB Forum are unmatched in other business arenas in terms of integrity, quality and value. They include:

A support network of other senior executives or business owners
Emotional Support
Management Support
Close friendships
Learning from the valuable experience of your group members
A confidential environment to share issues that you may not be able to share with anyone else
A place to improve communication and people skills

Important basics

Confidentiality is the most basic and most important aspect of a SB Forum group’s success. In order for SB Forum to work, members must share openly and honestly which requires the confidence that everything is treated as confidential information.

Gestalt Language Protocol

The Gestalt Language Protocol comes from Gestalt psychology. Practicing this protocol is a discipline that has far reaching effects on the quality, operation and value derived from a Forum meeting. The six points of the protocol are difficult to absorb and practice for new SB Forums. They are however a key component in creating a safe environment where members will feel comfortable sharing openly.

Speak from experience and refrain from talking down to the group or person – “sharing experiences, we end up with data that promotes better decision‐making. Sharing experience also allows for bonding and cohesion building in a group”.
Use “I” statements – “ here is what I did …” or “This worked for me …” is better than “ This is what you should do…”. Replacing the “You” with and “I” should be the first step.
Speak in Specifics – say “ Here is what worked for me” – while at it, share negative experiences along side positive ones. That builds credibility.
Ask “How” – instead of why. Do not ask “ Why did you do that?” but “How did you arrive at the decision to do that?” Empathizing the other person’s point of view is critical.
“Make a statement to declare your position” – before you ask a question define its purpose, there is no inquisition – it is important that the presenter is not treated like a defendant.
Paraphrase your understanding before you respond. “What you said and what I heard” moment.

Forum meeting Format

Each Forum meeting follows a standard format that enables members to give a monthly update to the group. Once all members have given and rated (as a level of urgency) their updates, the group will select 1-2 members to present a pressing issue. The presenter may select a coach who helps to frame the subject. After the presentation of the issue, members have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions. After all questions have been answered, each member will have the opportunity to share their relevant experience. At no time is advice given.