How and When to Cancel a Mastermind Meeting

One of the ongoing challenges of any Mastermind Group is keeping everyone engaged and the momentum going between meetings. It's easy to get very excited at the meeting itself and generate a mountain of ideas. The challenge sets in after the meeting to keep that momentum going.

As the founder and facilitator of my groups I'm always looking to make sure we have the right members at the table, that everyone arrives on time, that the momentum carries through between meetings, and that there is group accountability. It is for these reasons that I have never cancelled a Mastermind Group meeting... until last night.

Yesterday afternoon, Toronto got hit with a major winter storm. The city was pummelled yesterday by 10 centimetres of heavy snow - whipped into a horizontal blizzard by gusting winds - along with sheets of freezing rain and thunder and lightning. As if that wasn't enough, winds clocked at more than 50 km/h outside tall buildings created devastating wind tunnels that knocked pedestrians off their feet. Taxi drivers were quoting a $100 flat fee for a ride out to the airport, more than double the normal rate. If you could find a cab in the first place.

With more than half of our members living outside the city, it would have been very challenging for them to safely come to the meeting and make it home without facing dangerous driving conditions.

What we did:

• The snow started coming down at around 2:00pm, with a 6:30pm start time, it didn't give much time to act.
• Each member was emailed and then called. Messages were left on multiple phone lines for the members I couldn't reach.
• Members will stay with their current partners and email me updates on their goals so we can add it to the system.
• Members will also get an extra month added to their membership so they are not penalized for the poor weather conditions.

Everyone was understanding and I will be connecting with each member next week to discuss their goals. You never want to cancel a Mastermind Group meeting but sometimes there are circumstances beyond your control that force you to act in the best interest of your members.

I'm looking forward to connecting with the members face to face next month!