Research Working Groups

Research Working Groups (RWGs) help C-suite executives get ahead of emerging, enterprise-wide issues quickly and cost effectively.

Intelligence in action

Research Working Groups (RWGs) give C-suite executives a competitive advantage by helping them get ahead of emerging, enterprise-wide issues quickly and cost effectively.

A unique offering from The Conference Board, RWGs bring peer companies together to probe an emerging, enterprise-wide issue they have in common. RWGs are tailored for C-suite executives who want to develop a robust perspective for their companies and their leadership teams that significantly improve organizational decision making about those concerns and enhance business performance.

C-suite executives who leverage RWGs benefit by:

  • Alerting their organizations to emerging issues before they become formal agenda items
  • Fostering development of their leadership teams
  • Accelerating organizational learning at a fraction of the cost associated with external consultants and executive education, or much higher quality compared to in-house programs

The RWG approach

RWGs use the Acute Immersion Method (AIM) to quickly field mission-critical business issues faced by 10 to 15 representatives from peer companies. Depending on the issue, the AIM can be a:

  • Wide scan – enabling executives to discover and connect dots they had never matched up before, or
  • Deep probe – yielding a more granular picture, or
  • A combination of the two

RWGs use the best resources available, including:

  • The experiences of peers who have firsthand knowledge of the topic under scrutiny
  • Insights of highly skilled practitioners and thoughtful experts present at RWG meetings
  • The guidance of the RWG Director and Lead Researcher

During a RWG, participating executives set the agenda in an informal and confidential hands-on setting. This work is facilitated by a RWG director and supported by a dedicated lead researcher from The Conference Board. The goal is to develop a robust perspective on a major concern that will help members shape potential solutions.

At the conclusion of the RWG, participating executives will have a deeper understanding of the topic, allowing them to address the issue before it becomes a formal agenda item. In addition, participants will have developed a network of trusted peers. The RWG will generate a formal report, published by The Conference Board, which reflects the thought leadership of the RWG members.

For more information, or contact

Willem Overmeer,
Managing Director Research Working Groups,
+1 212 339-0332
willem.overmeer@conference-board.org.

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