How They Work

How they work

Typically, a RWG has four phases:

ExplorationThe Conference Board engages a small group of executives from member companies to frame a compelling problem, determine objectives, and assess the scope and scale of the project. These executives become RWG Founding Members.

Recruitment Founding Members have the option to recruit, with the help of The Conference Board, additional members who can make distinctive contributions to the group.

Delivery RWG members meet face-to-face three times and via webcast at least twice over the six-month time frame. All meetings are led by a RWG Director and a lead researcher from The Conference Board, joined by a range of experts. Between meetings, the lead researcher explores issues the members have identified as requiring further study and reports regularly back to the group.

Roll-out RWGs typically produce a summary for their own members shortly after the final meeting and a report for members of The Conference Board within two months. These summaries capture the findings of the group and illustrate the thought leadership provided by its members. They take a variety of forms depending on the topic and the needs of members.

 

Format

By the time RWGs start, participants have framed a compelling problem with the help of The Conference Board. RWG members meet three times in person over the course of six months (or, if participants require, for a shorter period). They also communicate and collaborate via web meetings held between face-to-face sessions. Meetings feature presentations by best-practice experts as well as focused discussions among members in a confidential setting. After each session, researchers probe into the issues raised. They report their findings to the members through webcasts or at the next face-to-face session. After the final meeting, the RWG researcher creates a formal report encapsulating the group’s findings.