I guess I have a lot to share - something from each of my masterminds - now 3. So, first: The more the merrier. The mastermind calls take no time - four hours every two weeks. And each group has different people, of course and a different purpose.
I can't decide how to call them - let's go A,B,C
Group A, the longest and most stable. Each of us has a commitment to fulfill a worldwide mission. The structure is essentially: Share and accomplishment, request coaching, hear the coaching and commit to one or more.
I am currently working on coaching professional staffs on workplace relationships. I've authored a book called The Laws of Relationships. I'm trying to figure out how to spread its influence. I had a flash of inspiration, to generate my book into an e-course and market that to other coaches. Because professional staffs are an under served market. So when I had that mastermind only a few minutes later, I didn't ask for coaching.
One of the participants said, I'm incomplete with this. How come you're not chomping at the bit for the coaching this group provides? I was going to blow her off, but she started me really thinking (so much so that I passed it on to other groups.) I saw she had caught me in, “I already know - so I don't need coaching” - a way of thinking that pops up over and over and keeps me stuck. So a great mastermind question - why aren't you chomping at the bit for the coaching?
Group B. One of our weekly group, R, (now grown to 5 people) is a born-again Christian; the other 4 of us are Jewish. R is called to serve people by 'spreading the word' and wonders whether he belongs in our group. This opened up a profound discussion, that lasted 2 sessions. We were all called upon to look at our own spiritual values and our relationship to his strong feelings. We're perfectly content with his contributions. And -if anything - he has altered our pre-existing assumptions.
Group C, the just begun business group. I was hosting and probably will until we have greater stability. What struck me was when one of the members objected to the coaching mindset. He simply said, why don't we each raise an issue and then have suggestions on how to resolve it? Interesting how the vocabulary shifts the context. I have no objections at all to his phraseology. And I agree with him about the implications that 'a coach' is on a higher level than a mere mortal.
In my last post I discussed the importance of rules in a mastermind group. I read somewhere that without rules there is chaos, and I have to say I agree. I mean, we don't always like the rules but let's face it, they are there for a reason. I am a mother of two and also run a private dayhome and I definitely need rules!
So, if you were to set up your own mastermind group or going to join one what are some rules that your group would benefit from to keep it in tact?
I will give you examples through some of the rules one of the mastermind groups I belong to uses. Now, it's my belief that it's much easier to have accountability when you have a group where people are meeting face to face. But online, I find especially for newer people, that they may have more anonymity and have a tendency to not follow the rules the same way they would in person. Our mastermind group chats online through skype groups, web conferences and the phone. The best way I have seen the rules work is with a monitor. We do have a gentleman appointed by everyone who actually monitors the conversations to be sure they are appropriate and safe for everyone. Especially our chat area that's open 24 hours a day, what we call the "virtual water cooler".
We call our monitor the sheriff because he is unbiased and everyone in the group feels they can turn to him when there is a problem or even a question. This can be a tricky thing when appointing someone in this position because it can be a powerful position or detrimental position if not taken seriously. Our group just happens to be very fortunate to have a sheriff who exudes the leadership and trustworthy qualities that makes him the perfect man for the job. If someone does say something out of line, (including the one who originally started the group), he/she is immediately called on it, any inappropriate words or conversations in the chat are deleted and the person will be given a warning and if not stopped, will be removed from the group.
These enforced rules creates a safe haven where people can discuss what's on their mind or brainstorm ideas without being judged or criticized.
The other point of rules is to keep the atmosphere positive within the mastermind group. The outside world can often be a negative place that doesn't influence creativity, entrepreneurialism and other freedoms of the like. The rules will set the tone of a positive and support place for people to go. So, are you catching my drift of what a fantastic influence rules can be in a mastermind group?
Since our mastermind includes people who run businesses from home, another rule is no cross recruiting, sales pitches, spamming, etc.
Inviting new people into the mastermind group - we can all invite people but we must propose each new member to a leaders board to be approved before entering the group.
Those of us on the leaders board are also expected to lead or be part of the trainings. This is a huge benefit to being part of a mastermind group - the trainings. Our particular group is based around online marketing so the leaders use their strengths to help others who may be new to online marketing, wanting to pick up tips or just share their ideas with so they don't feel all alone in the marketplace. It can take a lot of work to run a mastermind group and having all of these leaders working together to help trainings run, monitoring the chats and answering questions when needed helps everything run smoothly.
This rule is another great one, it's orientation. People are required to attend a type of orientation before being active in the group. This is a huge benefit, so that the new people can feel comfortable when first joining and they aren't fumbling around in the dark, so to speak, when they attend trainings. It takes care of the small stuff first so they can get down to the fun part of joining a mastermind group - participation!
This week I finished the draft for my second children's book and sent it to my publisher to review. A year ago, I would not have believed this accomplishment was possible.
Being in a Master Mind group has helped me think of doing the impossible with my freelance writing career. The friends in my group encourage me to dream and then think of ways to advance my writing career and fulfill my dreams. Over the past year, their suggestions have helped to get my mind off current writing assignments with local publications and focus on bigger markets.
When our Master Mind group began, I sincerely did not want to take on the responsibility of writing a book. The length of time it would take to write a book didn't appeal to me. My negative attitude about book writing experiences was due to stories I had heard from other writers.
However, with the encouragement of my Master Mind friends, during the past year, I approached a publisher of children's books that a professor had recommended from a class I took on children's writing. She said if we had never published a book before, this would be a good publisher to approach to get your foot in the door.
I thought, well, this is what my friends have been telling me to do to enlarge my territory, so to speak (from the Prayer of Jabez). I thought I could probably handle writing a small children's book if given an assignment.
So I contacted the publisher, saying I was interested in writing for them. Within a few days, she wrote back, telling me to send a resume and writing samples. I sent them right away and a couple of days later, she then offered me an assignment with a due date of 2 months.
I finished the book on time and she assigned me three more in a series. I've finished the first one of those and am working on the next ones.
I spell out this process out to let you know how fast your life can change with a Master Mind group. A year ago, I would not have believed this could happen to me.
But this publisher, whose name I'll divulge later when the book is released, is great to work with. It's being produced in a timely manner and will be something I'll be proud of. Over all, it's been a really pleasant and exciting experience.
A step in my career I had not wanted or anticipated is now coming true. It's like a dream and it is due in large part to my Master Mind group.
What giant steps are you taking in your career, due to Master Mind encouragement? What words of advice would you have for someone in your group to encourage them to think big?
Since January we have noticed a key change in the way this year's dental mastermind groups are developing.
Certainly the most significant change to our tactics has been to extend the meeting from one day (9 till 5) to a day and a half - delegates arrive Monday 1.00pm and leave at 5.00pm Tuesday. We are developing the following loose agenda:
Monday afternoon:
1. Welcome and introduction of new members 2. Reminder of the group's mission, promises and expectation; 3. Issue of extra pages to the membership folder, summarising key learning from last series of meetings; 4. Review of last quarter learning; 5. Review of individual member's last 90-days - highs and lows; 6. "shopping list" - establish each member's individual needs from this meeting; 7. Thought Leadership - Chris and Simon (the coaches) share their philosophy on what's happening in the profession right NOW.
Monday evening:
Casual dinner (important to leave the delegates to get to know each other - Simon and I usually retire early)
Tuesday:
1. PowerPoint presentation on a key subject (theme for the quarter); 2. Open discussion; 3. Completion of shopping lists; 4. Goals for next 90 days; 5. Feedback and close.
What has surprised and delighted Simon and I is that the delegates want the PowerPoint to be as brief as possible - so that they can get on with discussing their own issues. This has freed the coaches (us) from the need to educate, train, entertain - and allowed us to co-discover answers with the delegates.
We are amazed at how many ideas are emerging from the group - ideas that are providing us with on-the-spot research and development for the creation of new material with which to market ourselves.
The clients are coming up with the ideas - because we have created a safe environment in which they have the time and space so to do.
That's a win-win if I ever heard one.
We have also enrolled our existing members as our unpaid sales-force - asking them to recommend new members for "their" group.
Our operations manager told us on Monday that 80% of the calls she is accepting are from potential new clients.
We are generating curiosity in the UK dental profession, we are visible, we have good reputations - and we are growing!
I am fortunate to be mentored by Jay Abraham (probably the foremost marketing and personal/business development mind in the game.) Several hundred participate in his monthly calls on developing passive income streams.
As you know, I belong to two masterminds. I should tell you, having nothing to do with masterminding that in my international group there is now a new mother and an about to be mother. I'm 71.
I've set up and just had my first meeting of a third, brand new mastermind, comprising people in my mentoring group. There are 10 of us. Our objective is to support ourselves in developing passive income opportunities. We assume that not all of us will make the call each time, but I've arranged to have them recorded. We know this will give the rotating time keeper a great deal of responsibility. The time allocated for each of us can change each call (every other week.) By the time my next article is written we will have completed our first two two sessions, in which five of us introduce ourselves each time - and we'll have gotten down to work.
Each session will start with anyone who needs time requesting it and with anyone with no requests for coaching to bow out for the call. Like I said, this will certainly train the time keeper in time management.
Why not have more than one?---One for general entrepreneur activities, one for furthering our commitments to make a difference in the world and one to develop passive income streams... well worth three hours a month.
Two different Master Mind groups I belong to have each welcomed guests in the last few weeks. It was interesting to watch what happened and remember what it felt like to be a first-time visitor to one of these dynamic groups.
One group meets weekly at a local restaurant and the facilitator did a wonderful job of letting the visitor know what to expect, how our structure works, and to just sit back and observe the process. She was then given the opportunity to tell us about her business, current challenges, and ask the group for advice. After the meeting, many members talked more with her one-on-one, she was given membership information and invited back for a 2nd visit. There was no confusion on her part and we all treated her as if she was already a member. We will welcome her back with the same open arms if she decides to visit again, or better still, officially join the group.
The other group is virtual - we meet once a month via phone since we are in different parts of the U.S. - and we are rather informal. One member asked to invite a guest who was interested in joining. He seemed to have lots of information and experience to share with the rest of us and was excited about the idea of joining our monthly calls. He was given the call-in information and a briefing by the member who invited him on what to expect and how we invite open discussion about our respective coaching businesses. He dialed in on time and was greeted warmly, asked to introduce himself, and to chime in on any of the topics being discussed. This visitor jumped right in and became very comfortable with our informal friendly discussion. He asked about next month’s call and has committed to becoming a member.
The difference in the groups is obvious - one is very structured and has a fee-based membership. The members are committed to the development of their companies and embrace the idea of paying monthly dues for the privilege of being part of a supportive, professional group led by a business expert. The other is casual, conference call based, and made up of open discussion led by no one in particular. We adapt to whichever pressing issue any one brings to the conference call table and easily stay in touch throughout the month via email. The similarity of the groups is even more obvious to me and perhaps surprising to our first-time visitors - we are all of the mindset that we can succeed in whatever endeavor we choose with the support of like minds. Remember this wonderful aspect of "Master Minding" regardless of your group's structure or size and be proud of the image and energy we give to our visitors. They'll soon get the hang of it and learn that there’s no catch - we gather together simply to support each other in reaching our goals!
Mastermind Groups, just like any person or group of people, on its own, will take the path of least resistance, unless someone helps push the group along. Sometimes people in the group are naturally big thinkers,doers, and encouragers, but not always.
Some MasterMind Groups, however, are finding themselves going nowhere, or even dissolving.
When the group and the individuals in the group are not moving forward, there are some things you can do to re-start the group's engine:
1. Change/rotate leaders. It's easy to get into habits (and ruts). The group may need new leadership. Change it around on a regular basis. You might want to change leadership every quarter or so, depending on how often you meet. fresh, new ideas and patterns of how you operate the group may be just the boost you need.
2. Begin to push each other out of your comfort zones. Your group always needs to be a place of trust and respect, but that does not mean a comfy, cushy, crying towel. It needs to be fertile soil for big new ideas, where you can make bold, daring promises and be held accountable to them.Step up to the plate, and ask each other to do the same. If they promise to work out twice a week, ask "why not 3 times?" etc.
3. Learn how to think bigger. My friend Charlie "Tremendous" Jones says, "5 years from now you will be the same person you are today, except for the books you read and the people you hang around". The only way you will learn to think bigger is with practice. The only way to practice thinking bigger is by reading, and by talking to big thinkers. I call this "pumping mental iron". Start letting your bigger ideas out. The group is a safe place for big ideas, even if they seem crazy at first; ideas can always be refined. Let them out!
4. Join a professionally faciliated group, or hire a professional facilitator to lead your group. Not someone to tell the group what to do, but someone to facilitate the group. A skilled facilitator will keep the group moving ahead, help identify when it is "stuck", make sure the objectives of the group are clear, and get each meeting started and wrapped up on time. You can pay anywhere from $100 to $2,000 a month per person to either join a professionally run group, or hire a professional facilitator to run your group. Consider the value of your time. This is well worth the money if it will really turbo-charge your group engine.
5. And, speaking of "pumping mental iron", what ARE you reading? Here's an idea for you: Why not have everyone in your group read a book, write a report on it, and give a copy to everyone else in the group? If you did this once a quarter and you have 5 people in your Mastermind group, essentially you will have read 20 extra books this year! If you did it once a month, you will read 60 extra books a year! Now THAT's pumping some mental iron!
6. Put some skin in the game. One cause of groups dissolving is that the members don't have anything invested in the group. If you charge a membership fee, people find more value, and are more apt to take the group seriously. You will weed out "wanna-be's", and end up with people who are serious about taking their lives or careers to a big "NEXT". I once paid $2,000 per month to belong to a specific MasterMind group that met 6 times a year. Do you think I put some effort into it? That's an understatement! It was life-transforming.
7. Do some homework. Time goes quickly and our lives can seem rather chaotic, and all of a sudden, tonight is the meeting and you are not prepared. With all the worries of the day, everyone arrives at the meeting waiting for someone to "lay the magic on them". WRONG. But all too common. We've all been guilty. As a coach, I have this happen with clients. they come rushing into their appointment, panting, unprepared and wait for the magic to happen. If you have homework to complete before your next MasterMind meeting, you are more likely to implement the changes you have promised yourself, kept the thought process going, and come up with some new ideas in the meantime. You reap what you sow.
I hope these seven tips help you Turbo-Charge your MasterMind Group. Notice I did not title this "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective MasterMind Groups". Boring. Boring we are not. (No offense, Stephen, it's just that we need to come up with our own material!)
As the initiator of the Mastermind Group I attend every week, I had the idea at the beginning that somehow I was responsible for it, in the sense that I had started it and I was leading it forward and so I had to be present at every session to inform, guide, facilitate, structure, focus, energize, etc. Even though I often invite another member of the group to lead a session, or co-facilitate it, or run a workshop or whatever, and we're a very supportive and pro-active group as a whole, essentially I've felt up to now that I'm the one providing the MM service for the others.
This week though, I failed on every level to do any of those things; I forgot my notes, I hadn't made the time to plan the session ahead of time, and was generally so preoccupied with my own life that I got to the session in a state very different than my usual relaxed, prepared and positive self. Immediately after I stuttered some sort of opening sentence, the group, and I mean the group, not just an individual, asked me what was wrong and what was bothering me - after 7 months of meeting every week, and sharing our thinking and ideas, it's easy enough to tell if someone isn't on their usual form.
So, I apologized and described the business problem I'd had that week and the stress I'd experienced as a result by way of explanation. How great then is the power of the Mastermind? The next thing I knew, everyone in the group had a personal experience about that aspect of business to share to try and help me. Over the course of the next hour, contributions came from everyone in the form of practical advice, suggestions for possible solutions, examples of different outcomes exampled in similar situations, albeit in completely different industries, lots of questions and a lively open discussion about my particular situation and how I might approach it. It was such a useful session that I took notes - there was so much to take in and remember. I thanked everyone at the end - I was so grateful for everyone's input to my problems and apologized again for being off-form/off-plan.
Attitudes towards attending a MM group are so important for the group to function at a true Mastermind level - I have always asked people to remember to think not "what did I get out of that?" after a session, but "what did I give or contribute to that?". I felt almost guilty after this session that I'd got so much out of it and hadn't really given anything except the problem to discuss. Over the next few days though, I got calls one by one from the group - to see if I was OK, to see how my problem/solution was going, but mainly to say 'thanks' and to let me know that it was one of the most enjoyable and useful of our sessions to date as the subject was something relevant to anyone in business, ie. all of us in our particular group.
I'm just so grateful now to have found the Mastermind process and to be able to participate in it and continue to learn from it and contribute to it in whatever capacity I can.
"What do you mean there are rules?!" A new mastermind member said to me in an exasperated tone.
In any good mastermind group you of course want rules and neutral people to enforce them, we actually call ours the sheriff. He is not the one who actually founded the group, so he doesn't have a biased opinion in fact, he keeps everyone in check ,including the founder.
"Without rules there would be total chaos," I answered. "It's a mastermind group, not a competition in here. It's a safe place without judgment where people can learn and support each other," I responded.
That's what rules do. They keep us in check and create the atmosphere where people can be supported and be positive to each other. There is no cross recruiting or selling of any kind in the group or negative talk towards others for that matter. Three strike rule applies and if people test it, they find out.
See, that's what separates a group such as a mastermind from just a social networking or forum where there is a lot of pitching being done and no one is really learning or working as a team to help each other on their chosen path.
So, if you're thinking of joining a mastermind or even starting one, sit down and think of what you want and don't want to see in the group you belong to. You want to create a positive, encouraging atmosphere that makes the mastermind a true inspiration.
EvanCarmichael.com is the world's #1 website for small business motivation and strategies. Evan also runs a series of successful Mastermind Groups in Toronto for entrepreneurs.
Guest Contributor: Michael Lipp
