Circle of Trust

When it comes to business success, the nine members of Vistage Springfield are giving away all their secrets.

An invitation-only peer advisory group for top-level corporate executives, the Springfield branch of the San Diego-based organization is only seven months old, but members say it has already helped in numerous ways.

Employee Screening Services of Missouri LLC owner Mickey Moore said the group’s knowledge helped save him about $24,000 a year.

“During a recent evaluation of my company, I felt I needed to add a position, costing me about $30,000 a year,” he said. “Upon vetting the idea with the group, they asked me what I hoped to achieve from the new position and presented me with different solutions. In the end, I outsourced the work for about $6,000 a year.

“This is just a small example of ways in which we help each other. We’ve all had successes and failures, but through Vistage, we’re learning from each other and succeeding.”

Moore is one of three members to join the Springfield group since its six-member September inception. The group is currently recruiting and is meeting with two potential members.

Springfield Vistage chairman Jeff Hindman, owner of St. Louis-based executive search firm The Hindman Group Inc. and chairman of one of 11 Vistage groups in St. Louis, said the groups are limited to 16 members and comprise diverse industries such as insurance, food distribution, law, construction, manufacturing and printing. Hindman declined to disclose a full list of local members or membership costs, citing confidentiality.

“We only allow one person from each industry sector in each group to rule out competition,” he said of Vistage, which claims 16,000 members in 15 countries. “Imagine 16 noncompeting CEOs in one room with no other agenda than to help you – that’s Vistage.”

Hindman said many leaders use the groups as an independent board of directors of sorts, helping work through businesses problems and celebrate its successes.

According to the first-quarter 2013 Vistage CEO Confidence Index, CEOs reported a 96.6 percent confidence rate in their firms, compared to 87 percent in the prior quarter. The nationwide survey group also reported an improved pace of economic growth which has nearly doubled in the past six months. In the recent survey, 49 percent reported improved economic conditions, up from just 27 percent in the second quarter of 2012.

“The discussions we’ve had in this group have given me clarity in my own endeavors,” said Dale Donat, president and CEO of Forsyth-based Mid America Metals, a metal, stone and wood refinishing company with $2.2 million in first-quarter 2013 revenues. “This is a group of decision makers who have been in the trenches.

“We are open and honest about every aspect of our businesses together and therefore can help make informed decisions on everything from new products to hiring decisions.”

Donat, also a current member of a St. Louis Vistage group and a founding member of the Queen City branch, said the monthly meetings held at members’ businesses are more than networking events.

“This is not personal, its all about business,” he said, of the day-long meetings.

“There is a wealth of knowledge exchanged between these men you can’t find anywhere else.”

As the Springfield Vistage chairman, Hindman also meets regularly with individual members to address issues one-on-one.

“I’m not there to tell them what to do. I’m there to listen to problems, concerns and most importantly goals,” he said. “I try to keep them accountable to their goals. To challenge them, ask probing questions and try to think differently about the situation.”

Thinking differently is exactly what Donat wants from his membership.

“This group has helped me in so many ways,” he said, citing a monthly video he uses to improve companywide communication, an idea from a Vistage meeting. “My employees can see the impact these meeting have had on me and the business. It’s one of the best things I’ve even done.”[[In-content Ad]]