You have heard it said, "Two are better than one," well when it comes to masterminding it turns out that 12 can be even better still.
The concept of the Mastermind Group originally came from Napoleon Hill and his book "Think and Grow Rich," first published back in 1937. The idea is simple yet powerful. The goal is to surround yourself with a group of people who share similar interests and desires. As you meet together you share ideas, hold one another accountable and use your collective brains to help one another out. The only problem with Mastermind Groups is that they can be hard to find. I mean when was the last time you dropped by a friends house only to find them immersed in their Mastermind Group. Chances are this has never happened. If you can't find one you can always go ahead and start one yourself. Here are a few tips to guide the process.
Find the people - You want the right people in your group. Mostly you are looking for individuals as committed to personal growth as you are If you are an entrepreneur then you may want to find other entrepreneurs or small business owners to team up with. A lot of associations will not allow more than one person per trade to join their group, but in masterminding this is not necessary. I have seen groups made up completely of individuals who are competing with each other for business. Start getting word out, you'll be surprised at how many of your friends or colleagues will be interested in the idea.
When, Where, and How often. - It's a good idea to commit to a time period like one year or 6 months. This gives people a starting and ending date. People are busy enough so don't have too many meetings. Once a month is fine. Try and schedule all of them when you first begin i.e. "We'll meet the last Thursday of every month."
Size - This one's up to you. Mastermind Groups can consist of two or even 20. However the bigger they are the harder they are to manage. I think an ideal size is 6-10 people but as I said it's really up to you.
Ask for a commitment - This is essential. If you don't ask for a minimum attendance commitment you will soon be having half the group show up at your meetings. Even the most driven and committed among us sometimes wane in their convictions. Make sure you all agree up front what you want to commit to.
Format - There is no standard here and the possibilities are only limited by your creativity. Some groups have every member chair at least one meeting taking the responsibility of setting the agenda as well. The agenda can include a short talk or discussion on a relevant topic (i.e. goal setting, or marketing strategies) a brainstorming session, or problem solving for one of the members. Usually there is also a time for each member to publicly commit to one action item between now and the next meeting as well as accountability regarding the commitments made since the last meeting.
Keep it fresh - Like anything, Mastermind Groups can fall into a rut from time to time. Keep your meetings alive by being creative. Have great food, change the theme, rotate locations, or invite a guest speaker to address the group. Again the sky is the limit; just don't deviate too far from the original purpose of the group.
Have Fun - There is no point in doing it if you can't have a lot of fun. During a dead month like December go and do something social together.
Mastermind groups can help accelerate your own personal growth and effectiveness if you find the right people to share the journey with. Good luck. Have fun and work hard.
James Robbins is creator of The Summit; the online goal setting game guaranteed to help you reach your peak potential. He delivers keynotes on personal excellence and leadership issues such as employee retention and creating engaging workplaces. To find out more go to www.ontothesummit.com
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