
The Benefits of Retreat
After a 2-year hiatus, this month my forum went on our annual retreat. Retreat is part of the forum protocol that ideally takes place annually. Retreat is an important part of the forum experience. We rented a house in Lake… Read more→


Exciting New Options for EFBC Membership and Forums!
For many of you, July marks the midway point of the year. For us at EFBC, it’s the start of our fiscal year with all the excitement that a new year brings. We are eager to create new opportunities by… Read more→


Back to School Season is Here!
Wow, it’s already back-to-school season. This is my favorite time of the year. The weather is awesome, the Bears have a new coach breathing hope into the city, and the Cubs are making another run at the World Series. On… Read more→


Member Development Opportunities with EFBC family
Members and non-members alike felt a certain energy in the room. How is it that a group can feel a sense of comfort in a space together? EFBC creates an environment of safety across personal and professional topics for our… Read more→


Talk Timer App Helps Bring Equality to Forum
During the updates portion of Forum, each Forum member has equal time to share their business, personal and family update with the group. We frequently hear feedback from Forums that they struggle with keeping the updates equal in terms of… Read more→

Listen More, Talk Less: Maintaining Group Harmony and Success
There is a wonderful Ted Talk with Margaret Herrernan which beautifully captures this challenge in the context of the pecking order at work. Margaret examines a study of chickens which showed that a strong, productive group of chickens failed to… Read more→

Being On Time Shows Your Accountability
We all know what it feels like to have one of those days – running late to a meeting, not quite making that deadline or showing up to an event halfway through the keynote address. It doesn’t feel good to… Read more→

Empathy is in the Eye of the Beholder
Shared experiences and clarifying questions are two aspects that demonstrate the empathy within a Forum meeting. CFBC members say that joining a Forum improved their Emotional Intelligence, empathetic nature and bettered all aspects of their lives. But can empathy really… Read more→

The Power of a Shared Experience
Have you ever wondered why we don’t give advice at the CFBC? Well, the Dilbert cartoon that CFBC member Brent Ogle recently sent me explains better than I can – plus it made me laugh! One of the hardest things… Read more→

Point on Protocol: CFBC’s Best Private Dining Rooms
The CFBC knows that it can be challenging to find safe, private rooms with round tables and great service for your Forum meetings. If your Forum is ever struggling to find the perfect venue for your monthly meetings, please reach… Read more→