It can be quite a daunting prospect trying to form your mastermind group for the first time. You start to wonder where can you find the right people, questions start to be asked, you doubt the practicality of your efforts and eventually a cloud of uncertainty pollutes your mind. Soon enough, you may even drop the whole idea!
To avoid descending into this pitfall, you must learn to make the power of the mastermind work for you, regardless of what you are pursuing.
The identity of a group is paramount to its success. By identity, I refer to the vision as perpetuated by the individual/s who founded the group. A mastermind group cannot achieve its desired results should the members lose focus or deviate from its vision. The vision stems from the reason why the mastermind group is put together in the first place. There must be a purpose, which not only serves the interests of one or two members in the group but that of the entire group. Hence, the challenge would be looking for the kind of people who would benefit from being in your group yet are savvy enough to offer something to your group.
The foundation work done is crucial because you do not want a high turnover rate, when you realise that the members in your group are not quite like what you are looking for. Starting a mastermind group takes a lot of time and energy, and this energy must be reverberated throughout the group so as to bring out the best in the members. Therefore, it is recommended you take your time to source for the most suitable candidates possible for your group.
The next aspect is the selection of members for your group. Members constitute the most important element of any mastermind group. As in any venture, when human relations and emotions are involved, conflicts might arise and along with them, irreparable damage and subsequent split follows. Hence it is important to choose people who do not have a huge ego and think they are above everyone else. No matter how good they may be, these are the sort of people who would bring any group down, even if they might be your friends. In a business-like environment as delicate as this, friendship and past business relationships go out of the window.
The overriding criterion for inclusion is the individual's ability to bring significant knowledge to the group and the willingness to share that knowledge with others. A member must be willing to contribute to the group, be it through his experience, contacts, innovative suggestions or the energy that he offers. However, he must be willing to listen to the opinions of others as well.
Though a leader can be appointed, there is no room for people who refuse to accept the views of others and tend to argue ostensibly. The general code of conduct of members is essential as well. Punctuality and commitment must be forthcoming. Members must share an insatiable thirst in the sourcing of solutions to problems and coupled by the positive outlook, which they are encouraged to adopt, the mastermind group has a good chance for success.
Even after you have your group in place and agreed upon a systematic way of working, conflicts can still occur when members disagree with one another. At this moment, I feel obliged to share with you a case study dating all the way back to January 28, 1986. A space shuttle named "The Challenger" exploded within moments of being launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. During the investigations that followed, it was found that an engineer warned of the dangers of the mission due to the low launch temperatures. However, the senior personnel involved in the launch of the shuttle, worried that the delay in the launch might cause them to lose out in contracts in the future, pressed ahead with the launch, resulting in the catastrophe.
Through this example, it demonstrates the devastating impact on any group should people who are ill make a decision advised and the rest have to follow suit. This applies to your mastermind group. If you are the leader, what would you have done should you sense a great business opportunity and decided to go for the kill, with members of your group urging caution? Or imagine that you belong to a mastermind group and the leader and the other members are in favor of a particular business decision, which you voice strong disapproval to. Do you follow the group's decision due to a majority vote even though you have a feeling that this project is doomed to failure? Would you want to get implicated by the group's decision? Or do you brush aside that sentiment, and allow your group to convince you beyond all reasonable doubt of the project's benefits, just because you do not want to be portrayed as a member who brings a negative vibe to the group? To this, I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of the focus and the unity within the group. It would be best that members of the group share similar traits, have a shared ethical sense and generally display characteristics reminiscent to that you like it to be. This can in some ways alleviate some potential conflicts arising from a clash of personality to a certain extent but not totally. There can be no definite solution for these sorts of problems, as it deals with the sensitive nature of the emotional side of things.
There is not a soul in this world who does anything with the goal of failing. Likewise no one forms a mastermind group with the intention of it failing. While this article is definitely not exhaustive, it is hoped that it does aid in making the power of the mastermind work for you to a certain extent.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1075847/joining_a_mastermind_group_be_careful_pg2.html?cat=35
Saturday, September 26, 2009
7 Mistakes Masterminds Make
Yes! Joining mastermind groups played a major factor in building my business from zero to six figures in less than two years. However, I also learned that you have to be choosy otherwise you'll throw away thousands of dollars.
Here Are the Top 7 Mistakes Most Mastermind Groups Make:
1. No Quick-Start Guide
As an Internet business entrepreneur looking to build your business, you're already bombarded with "things to do", emails, and promises of multiple ways to grow your business.
Now, add everything that you will get once you join a mastermind group and you will automatically get overwhelmed. Two things will then happen:- You'll quit and your business will stay stagnant.- You'll try everything at once. This will result in NOTHING getting done right and again you will NOT see the results you were expecting.
So make sure the mastermind group you choose has a step-by-step guide of how to best benefit from the group.
2. Lack of Focus
Many mastermind group leaders will throw at you dozens of ideas. But the problem is, most people can only implement one idea at a time. So all the other great, business-changing ideas get forgotten about. That's why in our "Write Your Way to Profits Insiders Circle" we:
- Give NEW article marketing information in "spoon-fed" doses each and every single month.
- Review ONE article writing, article marketing or e-commerce topic at a time in a clear, simple way
3. No mixture of top speakers and underground experts
Yes, you want to hear interviews from TOP Internet marketers and entrepreneurs like Yanik Silver, Tom Antion, Alexandria Brown and many others who have proven their expertise. And, yes I have interviewed Bob Bly (America's Greatest Copywriter) and Robert Skrob (President of the Information Marketing Association) on my tele-classes.
But, most well known names teach the same thing over and over again. They're NOT teaching anything new. That's why, in our mastermind group, we also interview "underground" marketers you may not have heard of.
But they're in the trenches making things happen every single day. And, every one of them has built a 6 and 7 figure business -- their way. We look at their business structure. We review their articles, ezines, websites, and sales pages. And, we pick them apart, so you can see what really WORKS
4. Not Enough Support
Even the best entrepreneurs get stuck. Without proper knowledge and support they lose confidence and stop in their tracks. That's why mastermind owners shouldn't stop at just interviewing successful business owners who use proven strategies and resources that work.
That's why we also give members a NEW product each month that will reveal even more insider secrets so they can get a mile ahead of the competition. It could be a new eBook, special report, checklist, video tutorial, or audio program filled with new secrets not covered before. And, we archive every interview and every product on our membership website so you can access it at any time.
5. No Access After the Mastermind Call
You listened to the expert interviews. You've read the transcripts. You've read all of the mastermind materials. But then you have questions and it's not time for your group mastermind session. Or, maybe your session already passed. Now what? You don't want to wait to get answers to your questions. So make sure unlimited email access is offered, and that you receive emergency-as-you-need-it private coaching calls too!
6. Not holding you accountable
Mastermind groups that truly care about your success will have a system to hold you accountable. This way you stay on track and keep focused no matter how many new ideas pop into your head. And, this way you will be motivated to keep taking the right action to build your business.
7. Failure to Motivate You to Take Immediate ActionIf you don't take action on the ideas you discover, what good is joining the mastermind group? That's why each week we give practical mini-homework assignments that are related to that month's featured product or interview. This gives you the chance to put the newly discovered practical skills to use to grow your business.
I know many entrepreneurs who have wasted thousands of dollars on marketing programs and mastermind groups that got them nowhere. Don't make that mistake. Invest in someone to show you the way - the right way - the first time. Don't know where to start? Join our Write Your Way to Profits Insiders Circle and get the first month free!
Here Are the Top 7 Mistakes Most Mastermind Groups Make:
1. No Quick-Start Guide
As an Internet business entrepreneur looking to build your business, you're already bombarded with "things to do", emails, and promises of multiple ways to grow your business.
Now, add everything that you will get once you join a mastermind group and you will automatically get overwhelmed. Two things will then happen:- You'll quit and your business will stay stagnant.- You'll try everything at once. This will result in NOTHING getting done right and again you will NOT see the results you were expecting.
So make sure the mastermind group you choose has a step-by-step guide of how to best benefit from the group.
2. Lack of Focus
Many mastermind group leaders will throw at you dozens of ideas. But the problem is, most people can only implement one idea at a time. So all the other great, business-changing ideas get forgotten about. That's why in our "Write Your Way to Profits Insiders Circle" we:
- Give NEW article marketing information in "spoon-fed" doses each and every single month.
- Review ONE article writing, article marketing or e-commerce topic at a time in a clear, simple way
3. No mixture of top speakers and underground experts
Yes, you want to hear interviews from TOP Internet marketers and entrepreneurs like Yanik Silver, Tom Antion, Alexandria Brown and many others who have proven their expertise. And, yes I have interviewed Bob Bly (America's Greatest Copywriter) and Robert Skrob (President of the Information Marketing Association) on my tele-classes.
But, most well known names teach the same thing over and over again. They're NOT teaching anything new. That's why, in our mastermind group, we also interview "underground" marketers you may not have heard of.
But they're in the trenches making things happen every single day. And, every one of them has built a 6 and 7 figure business -- their way. We look at their business structure. We review their articles, ezines, websites, and sales pages. And, we pick them apart, so you can see what really WORKS
4. Not Enough Support
Even the best entrepreneurs get stuck. Without proper knowledge and support they lose confidence and stop in their tracks. That's why mastermind owners shouldn't stop at just interviewing successful business owners who use proven strategies and resources that work.
That's why we also give members a NEW product each month that will reveal even more insider secrets so they can get a mile ahead of the competition. It could be a new eBook, special report, checklist, video tutorial, or audio program filled with new secrets not covered before. And, we archive every interview and every product on our membership website so you can access it at any time.
5. No Access After the Mastermind Call
You listened to the expert interviews. You've read the transcripts. You've read all of the mastermind materials. But then you have questions and it's not time for your group mastermind session. Or, maybe your session already passed. Now what? You don't want to wait to get answers to your questions. So make sure unlimited email access is offered, and that you receive emergency-as-you-need-it private coaching calls too!
6. Not holding you accountable
Mastermind groups that truly care about your success will have a system to hold you accountable. This way you stay on track and keep focused no matter how many new ideas pop into your head. And, this way you will be motivated to keep taking the right action to build your business.
7. Failure to Motivate You to Take Immediate ActionIf you don't take action on the ideas you discover, what good is joining the mastermind group? That's why each week we give practical mini-homework assignments that are related to that month's featured product or interview. This gives you the chance to put the newly discovered practical skills to use to grow your business.
I know many entrepreneurs who have wasted thousands of dollars on marketing programs and mastermind groups that got them nowhere. Don't make that mistake. Invest in someone to show you the way - the right way - the first time. Don't know where to start? Join our Write Your Way to Profits Insiders Circle and get the first month free!
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Mastermind Article - Questions to Ask Yourself Before Beginning
I’ve been running mastermind groups for 15 years and I’ve seen groups of all sizes. There are some questions you need to ask yourself before deciding how many members should be in your mastermind group:
How much total time is available at each meeting? Meetings need to have a begin and end time, and many meetings that run over 90 minutes can run out of steam without frequent breaks. Yet breaks also cause interruption of the energy levels. So first decide how long each meeting will be, then go on to Question 2.
How much time should each member get to be in the “hot seat” to talk about their problem, challenge or decision? Members need time to first verbalize their situation before masterminding can begin in earnest. Some members are quick and can sum it up in five minutes or less. Others need 10-15 minutes just to set the stage. THEN you need time to mastermind after that. We did an experiment in one of my mastermind group meetings recently: we had a non-timed meeting, just to see what would naturally occur. Thirty minutes per member was our average time for each hot seat.
What other items are on your agenda? Remember that your meeting typically includes some sort of opening and closing, as well as possible guest speakers, training or other events. Allow time for those in your agenda, then plan accordingly.
In my mastermind groups, I tend to look for 4-6 members per group. Less than four and the energy level can drop (though I know several very successful mastermind groups with three members in them!), and more than six members will probably cause you to run out of time. However, if you’re doing half-day or full-day meetings, you may be able to include more members.
For more articles about mastermind groups, visit www.TheSuccessAlliance.com
http://www.passionforbusiness.com/blog/mastermind-group-member-number/
How much total time is available at each meeting? Meetings need to have a begin and end time, and many meetings that run over 90 minutes can run out of steam without frequent breaks. Yet breaks also cause interruption of the energy levels. So first decide how long each meeting will be, then go on to Question 2.
How much time should each member get to be in the “hot seat” to talk about their problem, challenge or decision? Members need time to first verbalize their situation before masterminding can begin in earnest. Some members are quick and can sum it up in five minutes or less. Others need 10-15 minutes just to set the stage. THEN you need time to mastermind after that. We did an experiment in one of my mastermind group meetings recently: we had a non-timed meeting, just to see what would naturally occur. Thirty minutes per member was our average time for each hot seat.
What other items are on your agenda? Remember that your meeting typically includes some sort of opening and closing, as well as possible guest speakers, training or other events. Allow time for those in your agenda, then plan accordingly.
In my mastermind groups, I tend to look for 4-6 members per group. Less than four and the energy level can drop (though I know several very successful mastermind groups with three members in them!), and more than six members will probably cause you to run out of time. However, if you’re doing half-day or full-day meetings, you may be able to include more members.
For more articles about mastermind groups, visit www.TheSuccessAlliance.com
http://www.passionforbusiness.com/blog/mastermind-group-member-number/
Friday, September 4, 2009
7 Ways to Use Your Mastermind
Are you feeling lethargic managing your business? Or perhaps you know that you need to do something in order to drive your business up and on, but do not know where and how to start? Is all that you can see ahead of you a dark, gloomy and never-seem-to-be-ending road?
Well your worries are over! We shall discuss the top 7 ways which you can actually utilize to move ahead with your Mastermind group through collaboration with like-minded people and be that one step closer towards realizing your objectives!
Here is a summary of the top 7 ways.1. Clarity of your Mastermind group's objective. 2. Be positive and encouraging.3. Setting up an accountability structure.4. Building trust and privacy.
5. Asking and receiving help.6. Brainstorm to get an influx of great ideas.7. Contribute to receive more.
Clarity of your Mastermind group's objective. Make it a point to go through in your mind the very objective for the existence of this Mastermind group, and note it down. Your objective serves to concentrate the mind and the focus of your group right. With that the results will follow, otherwise your group could be languishing in mediocrity and not progressing.
Be positive and encouraging. This is done by...the words you use which effectively set the tone for the whole Mastermind meeting. Be positive and encouraging and at the same time show your Mastermind members that you care. While we are ruling out outright flattery here, complimentary words as well as gestures to show the appreciation that you have for your group members will not go unnoticed and will go a long way towards ensuring a harmonious and united mastermind group.
Setting up an accountability structure. Having a system in place is vital to ensuring your group does not stagnate. Many a times the full potential of a Mastermind group is not able to be harnessed due to the small matter of accountability. During the mastermind meeting itself, ideas abound and many suggestions are made but who is to ensure who does what? The person offering the idea might not be willing to get down to sorting out the nitty-gritty of the issue at hand, and responsibilities start to be pushed among members. This causes friction and over the long hauls results in tension brewing among members which will certainly not aid your cause. Hence, have a structure in place to ensure no one shirks responsibility and everyone does his/her part.
Building trust and privacy. The basic ingredient needed for any successful Mastermind group is for members to trust one another. And how do we foster trust within the group, whose members may hail from a diversity of backgrounds? Well, we aim to build lasting relationships over the long run. To do this, there must be complete honesty and absolute clarity in communication among members. This sets the foundation for the group to be taken to a whole new level in terms of the intangible factor that is trust. Oh, and always be prepared to listen to what others have to say, no matter how trivial or seemingly irrelevant that opinion may be. Everyone wants to be heard.
Asking and receiving help. As you work on that, do not forget that you are here in a Mastermind group not only to give but to receive as well. Share any problems that you might have come across since the end of the last meeting as well as any help you would like to receive. Do not be afraid to ask. There is no harm in asking. Failure only occurs when people keep their problems inside of them and do not request for help. Once you have established some form of rapport or other with your group members, you will find that they are more than willing to lend a helping hand.
Brainstorm to get an influx of great ideas. Once you have mustered up the courage to ask for help, expect to have lots of ideas and suggestions from your group members to work with. There will be ideas being bandied about and this is where the real brainstorming starts. Do not judge any suggestion offered by your group members by brandishing them as "impractical" or "not workable". Simply jot all the ideas down and you will soon find that you have a stack of ideas to work with. You can then slowly discard those you feel are not feasible. In this way, there is a higher chance of you solving your problem, when you learn to become less judgmental.
Give before you receive. Everyone has his/her own purpose in joining a Mastermind group. Think about it this way, should everyone give right from the start, then everyone would be receiving in one way or other right? It does not matter who gives first. As long as you are willing to give, you will definitely receive. Translated into reality, this theory can be construed as follows: Should you be willing to help your group members by going the extra mile to ensure that their needs are met, you can be assured that when the time comes to doing the honors for you, your group members will put in the same amount, if not even more effort for you.
Above are the top 7 ways for you to use your Mastermind group to move ahead. If you find that the progress of your group is mired in mediocrity and would like to improve its fortunes, would you like to take on this challenge and use the tips above to inspire your group to scale greater heights and achieve even more success than never before? The choice is yours.
About the Author
Joel Chue and Alex Cheong Expert Authors in the topic Mastermind groups
How Can Ordinary People Leverage a Mastermind Group System to Produce Extraordinary Results Over and Over Again?
A Free 24 page Report Shows You How
Copyrights © 2006 Alex Cheong @ http://www.mastermind-your-way-to-success.com
Well your worries are over! We shall discuss the top 7 ways which you can actually utilize to move ahead with your Mastermind group through collaboration with like-minded people and be that one step closer towards realizing your objectives!
Here is a summary of the top 7 ways.1. Clarity of your Mastermind group's objective. 2. Be positive and encouraging.3. Setting up an accountability structure.4. Building trust and privacy.
5. Asking and receiving help.6. Brainstorm to get an influx of great ideas.7. Contribute to receive more.
Clarity of your Mastermind group's objective. Make it a point to go through in your mind the very objective for the existence of this Mastermind group, and note it down. Your objective serves to concentrate the mind and the focus of your group right. With that the results will follow, otherwise your group could be languishing in mediocrity and not progressing.
Be positive and encouraging. This is done by...the words you use which effectively set the tone for the whole Mastermind meeting. Be positive and encouraging and at the same time show your Mastermind members that you care. While we are ruling out outright flattery here, complimentary words as well as gestures to show the appreciation that you have for your group members will not go unnoticed and will go a long way towards ensuring a harmonious and united mastermind group.
Setting up an accountability structure. Having a system in place is vital to ensuring your group does not stagnate. Many a times the full potential of a Mastermind group is not able to be harnessed due to the small matter of accountability. During the mastermind meeting itself, ideas abound and many suggestions are made but who is to ensure who does what? The person offering the idea might not be willing to get down to sorting out the nitty-gritty of the issue at hand, and responsibilities start to be pushed among members. This causes friction and over the long hauls results in tension brewing among members which will certainly not aid your cause. Hence, have a structure in place to ensure no one shirks responsibility and everyone does his/her part.
Building trust and privacy. The basic ingredient needed for any successful Mastermind group is for members to trust one another. And how do we foster trust within the group, whose members may hail from a diversity of backgrounds? Well, we aim to build lasting relationships over the long run. To do this, there must be complete honesty and absolute clarity in communication among members. This sets the foundation for the group to be taken to a whole new level in terms of the intangible factor that is trust. Oh, and always be prepared to listen to what others have to say, no matter how trivial or seemingly irrelevant that opinion may be. Everyone wants to be heard.
Asking and receiving help. As you work on that, do not forget that you are here in a Mastermind group not only to give but to receive as well. Share any problems that you might have come across since the end of the last meeting as well as any help you would like to receive. Do not be afraid to ask. There is no harm in asking. Failure only occurs when people keep their problems inside of them and do not request for help. Once you have established some form of rapport or other with your group members, you will find that they are more than willing to lend a helping hand.
Brainstorm to get an influx of great ideas. Once you have mustered up the courage to ask for help, expect to have lots of ideas and suggestions from your group members to work with. There will be ideas being bandied about and this is where the real brainstorming starts. Do not judge any suggestion offered by your group members by brandishing them as "impractical" or "not workable". Simply jot all the ideas down and you will soon find that you have a stack of ideas to work with. You can then slowly discard those you feel are not feasible. In this way, there is a higher chance of you solving your problem, when you learn to become less judgmental.
Give before you receive. Everyone has his/her own purpose in joining a Mastermind group. Think about it this way, should everyone give right from the start, then everyone would be receiving in one way or other right? It does not matter who gives first. As long as you are willing to give, you will definitely receive. Translated into reality, this theory can be construed as follows: Should you be willing to help your group members by going the extra mile to ensure that their needs are met, you can be assured that when the time comes to doing the honors for you, your group members will put in the same amount, if not even more effort for you.
Above are the top 7 ways for you to use your Mastermind group to move ahead. If you find that the progress of your group is mired in mediocrity and would like to improve its fortunes, would you like to take on this challenge and use the tips above to inspire your group to scale greater heights and achieve even more success than never before? The choice is yours.
About the Author
Joel Chue and Alex Cheong Expert Authors in the topic Mastermind groups
How Can Ordinary People Leverage a Mastermind Group System to Produce Extraordinary Results Over and Over Again?
A Free 24 page Report Shows You How
Copyrights © 2006 Alex Cheong @ http://www.mastermind-your-way-to-success.com
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