Forum

Basic information about forum
5% reflections
Deep dive
Icebreakers & short exercises

Basic information about forum

EO Forum is one of the most important development tools within the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO), designed to support experience sharing and mutual learning in small, trusted groups of entrepreneurs. EO members are assigned to forums, which typically consist of 6–10 people.

Key Features of EO Forum:

Privacy and Confidentiality – Forum members meet regularly (e.g., once a month) and discuss business and personal matters, maintaining full confidentiality, which fosters open and honest conversations.
Experience Sharing – Instead of giving advice, members share their experiences from similar situations, helping others draw conclusions and make better decisions.
Personal and Professional Support – EO Forum is not just a platform for business development, but also a place where members can discuss personal challenges, stress management, family relationships, or health, benefiting from the experiences of others.
Structured Meetings – Meetings follow a pre-set structure to ensure efficiency, usually with an agenda that includes reviewing personal and professional successes and challenges, as well as discussions on selected topics.

Purpose of EO Forum:

The main purpose of the forum is the personal and professional growth of EO members through peer group support, building deeper relationships, and sharing valuable experiences that can help others develop their businesses and personal lives.

5% reflections

"5% Reflections" are moments during EO forum meetings where members share the most personal and intimate experiences, which usually represent the 5% of their lives they rarely speak about publicly. It is a space for honest, deep dialogue, allowing for strong relationships and mutual support within the group of entrepreneurs, both professionally and personally.

Each forum member prepares their "5% Reflections" in the form of a simple table.

Below you will find some examples of such tables.

Example no. 1

Area	Feelings	Headline	Significance (5%)
Work	Stress, Anxiety, Confusion	The company is growing rapidly, but I feel like I’m losing control over it.	I’ve always been in control, but now I’m losing balance between the company and personal life. I’m afraid that further growth may lead to burnout.
Family	Sadness, Disappointment, Concern	Due to lack of time, I’m starting to drift away from my family.	Family relationships are my foundation, but now I feel like I’m neglecting them. This worries me greatly because I find it hard to function without their support.
Personal	Loneliness, Anxiety, Resignation	I’ve been struggling with a sense of emptiness and lack of purpose for some time.	I’ve always had clear goals, but now I feel like I’ve lost my sense of direction. The lack of motivation is starting to affect my daily actions and well-being.

Example no. 2

Area	Feelings	Headline	Significance (5%)
Work	Uncertainty, Frustration, Anger	I’m struggling with a major project that’s stalled despite my efforts.	It’s frustrating because I’m putting in a lot of effort, but the results aren’t coming. I feel that my role as a leader is being undermined by this lack of progress.
Family	Gratitude, Love, Exhaustion	I’ve been spending more time with my family lately, but I still feel drained.	I’m grateful for the time with my loved ones, but I can’t fully focus on it because of work problems. I’m worried that I’m neglecting important relationships.
Personal	Fear, Doubt, Sadness	I feel like I’m not making progress in my personal development, and it’s overwhelming.	I’ve always strived for self-improvement, but now I feel stuck. This makes me feel like I’m not living up to my own expectations.

Example no. 3

Area	Feelings	Headline	Significance (5%)
Work	Excitement, Stress, Anticipation	The new project I’m leading has great potential, but the pressure is immense.	I’m excited because this project could be groundbreaking for the company, but I fear the expectations are so high that it will be hard to meet them.
Family	Concern, Frustration, Impatience	My partner and I are having strained relations due to my lack of time for the family.	Family has always been my top priority, but now I feel like I’m neglecting them because of my intense work. This creates tensions that are hard for me to understand and resolve.
Personal	Contentment, Pride, Fatigue	I’ve recently focused on improving my physical fitness, which has shown results.	I’m proud of what I’ve achieved, but I feel like I’m depleting my resources. I wonder if I’m investing too much energy in one area while neglecting others.

Deep dive

Deep Dive in the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) is a special moment during forum meetings where a participant has the opportunity to share an important, unresolved, and emotionally complex problem. The session involves an open and deep exploration of internal struggles, while the rest of the forum members listen and share their resonating experiences, avoiding giving advice or solving the problem.

The goal of Deep Dive is to reach the deepest emotions, needs, and challenges the participant is facing, helping them better understand their difficulties. It is a space for authentic reflection and sharing in an atmosphere of trust and confidentiality.

Deep Dive: Example Presenter Form

1. Headline or Summary Statement

I would like to discuss the challenge of managing a rapidly growing company that is consuming more and more of my time and energy.

2. Context

Background: My company is growing quickly, which brings many opportunities, but it is becoming harder to control.
Current situation: I feel like I’m losing control over processes and the team, and at the same time, I’m starting to neglect my personal life.
Next steps I am considering: I’m considering hiring additional management staff to relieve myself, but I’m afraid that this may not be enough.

3. Diving Deeper into My Struggle

What is hardest for me? The difficulty of maintaining balance between company growth and personal life.
How might my own actions be contributing to the challenge I face? My tendency to control every aspect makes delegation harder.
Where am I stuck? I feel like I can’t trust others on the team, which makes delegating responsibilities difficult.
What do I most want to change? I would like to build a more self-sufficient management team that can relieve me and allow me to focus on other aspects of life.

4. My Feelings

My strongest fear/uncertainty/concern: I’m afraid that if I lose control, the company may start functioning worse, which would hurt the entire team.

Feelings/emotions	Where are these coming from?	Thoughts/story creating these feelings...
Fear	Arises from the fear of losing control over the company	I think that if I don’t control everything, the company will start losing efficiency
Frustration	Stems from the overload and inability to delegate tasks	I’m frustrated because I feel like I can’t trust the team to relieve me of daily tasks
Fatigue	Due to lack of balance between work and personal life	I feel burned out because all my resources are going into growing the company, and I’m neglecting my health and relationships

A metaphor or image that comes to mind that describes my situation: I feel like a captain of a ship in a stormy sea, who needs to trust the crew but is afraid to hand over the helm.

5. Looking Forward

My hope, dream or ideal outcome is: I want the company to run smoothly without my constant involvement, allowing me to regain balance between work and personal life.
What would failing mean for me and those around me? Failure would mean that the company might start to fall apart, and I could lose not only the business but also my family relationships.
What would success mean for me and those around me? Success would bring me more peace and time for my family, and the company would run efficiently without my constant presence.
Are there any beliefs or biases I might need to shift in order to get what I want? I need to break the belief that no one can do it better than me and start trusting others.
My core opportunity or dilemma might be: The key challenge is learning how to delegate effectively and trust the team.

Icebreakers & short exercises

Icebreakers & Short Exercises

This document contains a variety of icebreakers and short exercises, each designed to take less than 30 minutes. These activities are intended to break the ice, open or close retreats, and facilitate team-building among members. The exercises vary in style and objective, providing an assortment of ways to engage members and create a positive atmosphere.

1. Communication Starters

EO Chapter
Shared by
Type of Exercise	Closer or Icebreakers (icebreaker, team-building, closing, etc)
Time Required for this Exercise	10 minutes
Objective of the Exercise	Helps to break the ice and get to know Forum mates
Outcome of the Exercise	Connection
Tools Needed	None
Handouts and Pre-Work if Any	None

Opening

This is beneficial for newer Forums or Forums that have just brought in new members. They may also be used by mature Forums to bring some levity to the meeting. The questions tend to be light-hearted, but Level 1 questions can lead to deep responses as well!

Questions:

As a child, my favorite game was _______.
My favorite movie of all time is _______.
Today, I have the most fun when _______.
I would be the happiest person in the world if I had _______.
I will eat anything put in front of me except for _______.
I can explain my life as an animal, and that animal is a _______.
If I had all the money in the world, I would _______.
School for me was _______.
If I had to give up some modern conveniences, like my TV, car, toilet, telephone, or lighting, I would choose _______.
If I had to choose between losing my hearing or sight, I would choose _______.
If you could be a character in any book, who would you be, and why?
If you had the option to live in any period in history, what era would you select, and why?
If you could relive your childhood in a country other than your own, what country would you choose? Why?
List three things that bring you energy. List three things that drain your energy.
How attentive are you to your physical health?
If you could speak one language other than your native language, what would it be, and why?
You are in a library that is burning down, and you can only save two books. Which two do you choose? What would the world lose if those two books were gone for good?
What is the most transformative travel experience you have ever had? What made it so?
A gift I can give to others is _______.
A gift I would like to receive from others is _______.
What makes me laugh is _______.
Talk about a mistake you recently made.
If you magically had two more hours every day, how would you spend the extra time?
If you suddenly lost two hours every day (a twenty-two hour day), how would you cut that time?
If there were NO restrictions and you could live anywhere, where would you live, and why?
What restrictions did you have to "remove" from your thought process in order to live there?
What was the last book that you read? Why did you read it? What did you learn from it? Would you recommend it to others?
Share something mischievous you did as a child.
Your home is about to be hit by a tornado! You have 10 minutes to grab a few things and get out. What would you take?
What is the most surprising thing you have learned about your childhood?
Name something that happened in the past 90 days that you are proud of.
Which holiday has the most meaning to you? Why?
Complete the sentence: “I wish all people would _______.”
Describe the perfect vacation for you.
Think of the three things about yourself that you like the best.
What dream do you have that you would like to become a reality?
If you had one wish that was guaranteed to come true, what would you wish for, and why?
How many hours of TV do you watch each week? In what way does TV influence your life?
What would you like to be doing five years from now? What do you think you’ll be doing five years from now?
Do you feel you have achieved mastery in any part of your life? If so, which part(s)?
If you were a lawyer, would you be a prosecutor or a defender, and why?
What three adjectives best describe you?

1. Communication Starters - 5%

This is beneficial for Forums that have been together for a while (one or more years). To be completely open and honest with members’ responses, a strong level of trust and confidentiality in the Forum is required.

Questions:

My most prized possession (material item) is _______.
If I could throw caution to the wind and really take a risk, I would _______.
I cry when _______.
If you could choose a second set of parents in addition to your own, who would you choose, and why? What would they offer or contribute to you?
How many of your friendships have lasted more than 10 years? Which current friendships will last 10?
Describe what would be a perfect day for you, from beginning to end.
If you were magically granted your dream talent, what would it be? How would that change your life?
How do you react to difficult situations in your life?
Describe your relationship with your mother and/or father. What was it like growing up?
Who has been the most powerful influence on who you are today? How was that person significant to you?
Can you be counted on to do what you say you will do? What does it take for you to trust someone?
If someone were to write a biography about you, what would the title be?
Name one thing you could do to improve an important relationship in your life.
What could you stop doing now that would benefit your own growth and well-being?
Imagine you could go back in time and change one decision in your life. Which one would it be, and why?
Who would you like to apologize to, but haven’t yet done so? What happened? What are you waiting for?
Who owes an apology to you? What is the situation? Why haven’t they apologized to you yet?
What is your exit strategy for your business?
Summarize your childhood in three words.
Is it easy for you to accept help when you need it? Will you ask for help?
Think back to when you were a child. What did you think your life would be like when you grew up?
What were your dreams? Have any of them come true?
Think of a positive or negative remark that was said to you as a child. How did it affect you then? What is the impact of it on you now?
When was the last time you felt intimidated in a Forum meeting?
What has been the greatest joy in your life?
What are your most compulsive habits? How do you handle these?
What is one thing you could do to improve your business?
What is the most risky decision you ever made in your life? What made the risk so great?
On a scale of 1 to 10, rate how balanced you think your life is right now. Name one thing you could do to improve the balance.
When is the last time you were in a fight with someone? Who caused it?
If you could change one physical feature about yourself, what would you change, and why?
Imagine you are diagnosed with a rare disease. Would you choose to live healthily for six more months, or dependently and debilitated for six more years? Why?
What is the single best decision you have made in your business?
What is the single best decision you have made in your life?
Describe the funeral service you would like to have held for you.
When was the first time you fell in love? Share that story—how long, with whom, and why?
Are you a good judge of character? Think of a time when you were wrong about someone’s character, and describe the situation.
Which photograph means the most to you? Describe the photo and why it is so powerful.
Share a childhood experience with death.
What are your top five priorities in life?
Imagine you are going to be stranded on a desert island with two people for the rest of your life. Who are the two people you would choose to take with you and why?
Describe your perfect day. How would it start? How would it end? What would you do in the middle of the day?
Talk about a time when you have lost your temper.
What has been your greatest success? Your greatest failure?

2. One-Word Feedback

Type: Icebreaker or Closer
Time Required: 20 minutes
Objective: Boost self-esteem and help individuals bond
Outcome: Feedback on how others see you
Tools Needed: Paper for raffle
Handouts and Pre-Work: None

Description:

Each Forum member goes around the table and says one word that best describes a particular Forum member. After everyone has shared, switch to another Forum member and repeat until all members have been described.

3. Two Truths and a Lie

Type: Icebreaker
Time Required: 3 minutes per person
Objective: Learn more about peers in a fun way
Outcome: Increases engagement and understanding
Tools Needed: Pens and paper
Handouts and Pre-Work: None

Description:

Each person writes down two truths and one lie about their life. Then, they take turns reading them aloud, and the group guesses which one is the lie. After the lie is revealed, the group can ask clarifying questions.

Option:

Award a point for every member fooled, and crown a winner at the end.

4. I Love My Neighbour

Type: Icebreaker
Time Required: 10-20 minutes
Objective: Help people get to know each other better and recognize commonalities
Outcome: Reveals shared characteristics and creates fun
Tools Needed: None
Handouts and Pre-Work: None

Description:

Participants stand in a circle. One person stands in the center and says, “I love my neighbor who _______,” completing the sentence with a piece of information that applies to them (e.g., “I love my neighbor who has a pet”). Everyone for whom this statement is true moves to a new chair. The person left without a chair takes the center position and starts a new round.

5. Ungame

Type: Icebreaker
Time Required: 10 minutes
Objective: Share opinions, feelings, and beliefs; increase understanding of fellow Forum members
Outcome: Deepens engagement and builds trust
Tools Needed: Ungame card deck
Handouts and Pre-Work: None

Description:

Randomly pull a card from the Ungame deck and use the question on the card for everyone in the Forum to answer.

6. Five-Minute Mindfulness to Start Each Meeting

Type: Icebreaker
Time Required: 5 minutes
Objective: Center and focus the group
Outcome: Creates a calm, focused environment
Tools Needed: Computer or audio device
Handouts and Pre-Work: Search YouTube for a “5-minute guided meditation”

Description:

Play a pre-selected guided mindfulness recording at the beginning of an exercise or when coming back from a break.

7. This or That

Type: Icebreaker - Dinner Conversation
Time Required: 20 minutes to several hours
Objective: Engage everyone in one conversation
Outcome: Depth, insight, and thought-provoking conversation
Tools Needed: None
Handouts and Pre-Work: None

Description:

One person offers a dichotomy choice (A or B) and everyone at the table picks one. Repeat around the group multiple times to deepen the conversation.