Studer Community Institute CEO Breakfasts offer training and development opportunities for Pensacola CEOs. Photo credit: Randy Hammer

If you could pick the brains of some of the best business leaders in the community, what would you ask?

That was the premise behind launching the Studer Community Institute’s CEO Rectangular Table Breakfasts, which continued on Sept. 2. These conversations are aimed at helping business leaders deal with the challenges and opportunities they face.

Growing businesses is a key to job creation and improving the quality of life in Pensacola, and a commitment to helping small businesses grow and develop is a core tenet of the Institute’s training and development arm.

The Institute’s founder, Quint Studer, hosts these sessions. The most recent session offered a chance for the CEOs from the first breakfast, hosted in June at Studer’s Pensacola home, to receive follow up on their 90-day plans for improving their businesses.

The CEOs have started implementing the 90 day work plans, which include setting up overall goals for the business and weighting those goals by priority level.

They’ve also talked about how to build up the middle performers in their organizations. Third, Terri and Randy Ramos with Global Business Solutions shared why they are reading “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek. https://www.startwithwhy.com

During the discussion, Jeff Phillips with Accountingfly asked the group, “as the CEO, what are your top three priorities every single day?” This question sparked an in-depth discussion that the ultimate priority of the CEO should bring clarity to the organization.

Studer recommended reading, “What Your Clients Won't Tell You and Your Managers Don't Know” by John Gamble. Through reading this book you will learn about conducting expectation meetings with clients.

In these meetings, ask what do you expect of me and clarify deliverables and method of delivery. Ask particularly, “How do you want us to deliver bad or unfavorable information?”

Hiring the right employees continues to be at the forefront for many CEOs. Studer’s recommendation is to follow the interview matrix found on page 15 of the Hiring Talent Toolkit. http://studeri.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/sci-hiring-talent-toolkit.pdf

Additional recommended reading:

— “Change When Change is Hard” by Heath Brothers. http://heathbrothers.com/books/switch/

— “What Your Clients Won't Tell You and Your Managers Don't Know” by John Gamble http://www.amazon.com/What-Your-Clients-Wont-Managers/dp/0966543815

— “Management by Strengths” http://www.strengths.com

CEO Breakfasts will continue throughout the year. If you are interested in attending, email Nicole Webb, director of marketing and partnerships at [email protected].