In previous years we have restricted attendance at our dental mastermind meetings to owners and their working spouses/partners.
Our rationale was that they wanted a "safe place" and a peer group environment in which to explore their business strategy and their "fears" around ownership.
Over the last 2 years we have found that a principal focus for our members has been a conversation on delegation and the creation of a superb support team, to whom they can entrust the day to day operational controls.
Dentists, like many independent professionals, tend to be "control freaks" and have difficulty in delegation (work done by the people on your payroll) and outsourcing (work done by those you hire temporarily).
We constantly reinforce our belief that a 21st Century independent professional can make a living by doing work - but can only create wealth by developing a team of workers.
In particular, we have emphasized the need to create a world-class business manager to whom the client can delegate everything except:
1. The client's unique income generating ability (the dentistry);
2. Strategy and
3. Leadership of the team.
What this means is that the "work" of running the business:
1. financial controls
2. marketing systems
3. customer service
4. selling
5. operational matters and
6. personnel
can be delegated to a professional whose unique ability is to run the company for the client.
Results include less stress, less homework and more time away from the workplace, taking quality recovery time with self, family and friends.
Well our coaching has worked - and our clients are hiring part and full-time business managers - and raving about the difference that has made.
And now a new question has emerged - "can I bring my shiny new Business Manager to the Mastermind meetings please?"
Our initial response was to decline - protecting the integrity of the group and it's original vision.
But we have listened - and the overwhelming request has been a change in policy - so we are about to contact our clients and offer the opportunity to invite their Business Manager to all or part of the proceedings.
I expect howls of protest from the committed solopreneurs - maybe even some who will depart.
But I know that this is the correct strategy to build better businesses and lives for our clients - so I'm going to stick to my decision and see what happens.
At our mother-daughter mastermind group (which we named "Mom and Me II"), we talked about body image and self-esteem for teenage girls. So many young girls (and grown women too) have serious issues with their body image and self image, resulting in low self-esteem, limiting beliefs, self-sabotaging behaviors, etc. In my line of work as a professional life coach, I've seen it time and again that low self-esteem is the root cause of many challenges that my clients are struggling with both in life and at work. For example, a person with low self-esteem might think "I'm not worthy of love" and as a result might not have the courage to pursue the love they desire, or leave an abusive relationship. Or, they might not pursue their dream job or ask for a pay raise, because they don't believe they deserve it. When they are working toward a goal, they might give up too early, because they either don't believe they have what it takes or deserve to be successful. They might sacrifice their own well-being and priorities to please others, because they need others' approval. These are all very common issues I see every day.
As you can see, these self-defeating behaviors can cause a lot of heartaches and hold one back from reaching his/her full potential and goals. That's why we felt that it's critical to address this issue in our mother-daughter mastermind group, so we can hopefully help our preteen daughters foster healthy self-esteem and future success.
At our last meeting, we asked the girls and moms to share what they think as signs of high self-esteem. Below are some of the characteristics that were mentioned. This is of course not an inclusive list. This is what we came up with on the spot that evening, plus a few I added on myself.
good body posture -- stand up tall and straight
good eye contact when talking with others
smile at people
confident in their abilities and what they do
speak their mind
speak in a powerful voice/language
good sense of humor
like themselves just the way they are
not taking themselves too seriously e.g. make jokes about themselves
That depends. There is no right or wrong; the Mastermind Group needs to have a clear purpose and be formed and styled around its vision and what the members want to accomplish through it.
Once I belonged to a MasterMind group with 100 people in it, all in the same industry. There were various requirements for being in, and staying in, the group. It was very tightly run by one person with a support team. The group met 6 times a year in person at different locations around the country. We each brought a book report on and distributed copies to everyone, so that each person went home with many reports on books, without having to read the whole book. I loved that part. We always brought in a well-known speaker, and spent about 3 days together doing various activities. We would break down activities into small groups of 6-8 for idea creation, then aggregate with the rest of the groups' ideas, have a piggy-back style conversation and then compile all the ideas. Small independent groups formed organically within the larger MasterMind and developed little projects totally on their own, voluntarily. Sometimes we made challenges to each other involving money. For instance, 6 of us each wrote a check for $2,000 to a charity, and had one person hold all the checks. We each agreed to one thing outside our comfort zone, within the next 6 weeks. We wrote our promises down and signed them. Anyone who didn't accomplish their promise, their check was sent in to the charity. If they were able to accomplish their promise, their check was held and carried over to the next meeting, at which time another agreement was made. On another occasion, one fellow in the MasterMind Group challenged me to do something I tried hard to accomplish but didn't quite hit the mark,and the deal was that I had to count out 1,000 in cash (ten one hundred dollars bills) to him in the hall in front of several other people. These might sound like silly things, but do you hear the underlying theme of accountability in there? With "negative" consequences for non-accomplishment. And stretching out of what is comfortable...... That's what that particular group was about. It was a great group. It really stretched me and made me uncomfortable and my business grew and so did I personally.
On the other end of the spectrum, I belong to a MasterMind currently that is small (3 of us) and is gentle, supportive, and akin to group therapy; dealing with problems we each have in our businesses.
No rights...no wrongs....just differences. Decide what you need out of your group and find other like-minded people who have the same needs and similar goals.
I belong to a professionally facilitated Master Mind group focused on the success of small businesses. I believe the structure of our meetings is so valuable that you may want to consider some of its components for your own meetings, and especially the last piece.
We start by introducing ourselves and sharing an accomplishment from the previous week. The facilitator then brings up for discussion something that she found pertinent to small businesses. For instance, a recent topic had to do with "disaster planning" in light of the recent wildfires here in the San Diego, California area. After a round table discussion, we break into small groups and ask for assistance on an individual issue and gain insight from each other. Then...we come back together as a large group and end by answering this one simple question asked by the facilitator: "What did you learn today?"
That one question helps sum up what the meeting meant to me and solidifies the one most important thing I personally will take with me and act on. Last week, I thought I had not much to share but found myself talking about a business partnership situation that is feeling a bit muddy and in need of a conversation. One particular member honed right in on what I was saying because of his own experiences and helped me see what needs to happen to let this partnership continue its success. When it came time for me answer that last important question back in the group, I was very clear in my answer and now, several days later, am still planning my next actions to ensure success in this particular area.
"What did you learn today?" End your next Master Mind meeting this way and see how powerful this concluding question and subsequent answers can be for your members. Just one thing gleaned from one meeting can make a huge difference.
Our little mastermind group (5 of us) down here in a small seaside village on the southern coast of Spain is to me like a fledgling - a new bird learning to fly: a bit wobbly and clumsy, and probably looking quite funny from the outside, but determined to do it all the same and also pre-programmed deep down to know how to, once it can get all its bits working in harmony with each other.
We've grown been reading Napoleon Hill's "Think and Grow Rich" over the last 9 weeks. Next week we'll be discussing the last part - the Epilogue: 'How To Outwit the 6 Ghosts of Fear'. Our cosy little book club is about to transform itself into something beyond that - into a support group for real action in the real world. Will it fly?
I hope so and I believe so. Through the last 10 weeks, we've been meeting for a couple of hours a week to discuss the concepts chapter by chapter in Hill's fantastic book - with the help and guidance of a great set of notes on TGR written by Paul Martinelli of Life Success Inc.- thank you Paul! In doing so, the group has formed it's own dynamic, which is, of course, greater than the sum of its individual parts and which already seems to be taking on its own momentum.
As initial facilitator of this, the first ever Mastermind group I've been associated with, I had no idea what to expect or what would happen as a result of starting it. My intuition just told me it was a good idea and that even if it was a short-lived one, that only good could come of it. And even now, without 'properly' testing a thing, I know I was right.
I know that as individuals, our patterns of thinking have been changed and will continue to change and become more powerful in directing our lives and our businesses - they already are. At the moment, it's apparent mainly in small things - in details like the words we choose to use when we express things, or the (positive) ideas we'll suggest when people ask for opinions or advice, but these small changes are part of a much bigger picture of change.
I know also that collectively, we have come in a very short space of time to reach an understanding of what we're all meeting for - what the group is meant to do - apparent from the beaming smiles we all have when we arrive at a meeting. Yes, there's work to do, and we're doing it, but it's also fun, much like learning to fly, I imagine.
So if any of you out there are thinking of starting or joining a group. Don't procrastinate, just do it ! With the support of a group, you'll all be learning to fly in no time...
So you've taken the first step and joined a mastermind. You plug in and start listening, you take notes, make plans and then...you find yourself not taking action. We all want to learn, grow and become better at whatever we're doing. We want to reach the goals we set for ourselves.
I run across people who feel stuck in their present situations. There's always a way out, so why don't we move forward? There are many resources to help us reach our goals but many of us can't seem to take the first step, to start taking theactions you know you need to take.
Most people take comfort in the familiar, even if it's not the best place to be. Change can often be frightening even if it could mean being happier, more successful and moving closer to our goals.
Everything we do consistently becomes a habit. A habit can keep you stuck in a rut or a habit can help you move forward. Many people think getting rid of a bad habit just means not doing it any more. If you take this approach changing can be frustrating.
Take your bad habit and replace it with something positive. Something that will help you move forward in the right direction. I'm not just talking drinking too much coffee or not exercising. I'm talking about being stuck in an unproductive mind set.
Put your fear of change on the back burner, stop focusing on what may or may not work. Take the first step and just take action. If something doesn't work out the world won't end. What you will be left with is a lesson, a learning experience. Don't worry about what others may think of you. They are not responsible for your success or lack of it.
There's only one person responsible for your day. That is you. Your mastermind is there to help you move forward. Take advantage of the lessons taught. Plan your work and work your plan. Learn from your experiences. Keep moving forward. Your success may be closer than you think.
I belong to two Mastermind groups. They're both new - less than 2 months old - so my writing is really a work in progress.
One of the groups has seven of us in it. We have very quickly created ground rules, structure, rotating leaders, etc. Totally on purpose and immediately functioning. Not only that, we seem to have instant respect and mutual trust. All of us have a common training, though completely varied backgrounds. We are all graduates of Landmark Education's senior course, Power & Contribution, and each of us has a huge commitment that we're using the group to propel forward. One thing I've already gotten is that after 8 years as a professional coach, I've finally defined a niche for myself, something I always resisted. This is reflected in my new signature line ( Partnering Professionals to lives of joyous satisfaction.) Five of the seven are in Canada and we speak every two weeks. Our hardest problem is finding meeting times.
The other group is completely different. The four of us are still scrambling to define a structure. We have completely merged on a spiritual level. So far we have talked haphazardly, but have come to know one another in deep ways. We've finally decided to come to each session with a project and an issue that the rest can support us with. We speak weekly. One of us is in Maryland, the other 3 in New Jersey, but close to two hours apart.
I love both groups and anticipate marvelous results for all.
I had the rather pleasant experience recently of being lifted high into the air by the combined energy of four people using just 2 fingers each. This technique required the lifters to try to lift me, having failed to do so on the first occasion, after some mental preparation and creating a combined field of energy which they transmitted through me. My part was to think about being light to lift - and to enjoy the ride. How was this apparently impossible feat achieved? On their third attempt, I was so high in the air it was amazing.
It brought to mind the immense power and energy that can be contained in a mastermind group. After all, this is about harnessing the collective energy and brainpower of a group of individuals to create the lift that will provide each individual in the group with an additional opportunity to grow and develop themselves and their business.
"No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind."
- Napoleon Hill, Think And Grow Rich
Clearly one of the criteria for the development of such a group is to have the right mix of people and by that I mean people who can create synergy. The success of the mastermind group requires people who arecommitted, participative, open minded and positive. They also need to be focussed around their own goals and yet also able to give positive attention to the person whose circumstances are being discussed at the time.
I have been in a mastermind group where there appeared to be several individuals not able to give this quality of attention to others and nice people that they were, it nevertheless diffused the level of energy of the group. This meant that the individuals who wanted to develop their visions and focus within the group were left with an empty dissatisfied feeling.
It's a young group that is growing and there is some learning taking place but it is important in any mastermind group to establish a clear structure and focus, and also for people to be trusting and confident enough to challenge each other when one or more members go off at a tangent into their story when they needed to be giving quality attention to another individual. I suspect I could only have been lifted off the ground when my helpers were able to use their combined focus and energy to give their attention to me at that moment
I love the fact that we've got the group going. That is a success in itself. We have some learning to do as the masterminding concept is new to some of us. We have the capacity to leverage each other's collective brain power and to rise to new heights within it.
Not too long ago, I took a detour along the roadside not knowing it would lead me to the destination I wanted to follow. Does that even make sense? Because sometimes things don't. At least, while you're doing them anyways. "The tree came out of no where," you sometimes hear people say. But we all know it was there all along, the person just wasn't paying attention to the fact it was larger than life and in plain view.
Whenever I am offered a detour, I stop and think where would I be if I didn't take all of the other roads less taken in my life? When I met my husband I was on my way to California instead I ended up in beautiful Calgary, Canada with two incredible children. What if fear had stopped me to take that risk?
The point is, we don't always see what's in front of us, but just follow our inner instincts and not what we see outwardly. Being part of a mastermind group is helpful in this respect when you have your 'ah ha" moments because a member of your group talks about his/her path hits a chord with you that finally helps you to understand where you are going.
You see, when you are in the process of making decisions on your own, in particularly decisions that may involve risk and might scare you, you tend to analyze them to death resulting in paralyzing fear. The end result? Nothing. Nada. No move because the fear overcomes you and stops you dead in your tracks.
Belonging to a mastermind group can offer you a different end result and allow you to be open and secure enough to take the risk, take the detour. Because in the end, you will find the detour was actually the track you were supposed to be on in the first place.
As we near the end of the 2007 calendar year, I've done some reflecting over the past year. In totaling my income for the year, I realized it was not at the point where I had hoped to be when I set goals at the beginning of 2007. There may not be enough time yet this year to make up for it, but it did help me see that it is still good and helpful to set goals and strive for them, even if there's a possibility they won't be achieved.
Goal-setting had never been a favorite activity of mine. In past years I'd simply work hard and hope for the best in various areas of my life.
From studying Napoleon Hill's Master Mind philosophy, I now see goal-setting doesn;t have to be painful or disappointing if I don't accomplish everything I set out to do. I can keep striving to reach them and improve my life while doing so.
So while my 2007 goals may not come to fruition, I'm going to keep trying to reach them in 2008. Through setting goals in 2007, I have been able to send financial contributions to the children's home in that our church supports and that's a good accomplishment. God will bless my efforts there and provide more income for this family that is trying to help kids with nowhere to go find shelter and safety and spiritual guidance within its walls.
Do you have your goals set for 2008? Do they include helping others financially? I encourage you to find something you're tied to emotionally. That is where your heart is and you'll work harder to reach your goals when your heart is wrapped around something.
I do know of several legitimate charities so if you need ideas about where to give your money, let me know. I'd be glad to recommend them.
My Master Mind group will be reviewing our goals at our next couple of meetings to see where we've come and to prepare for the new year. It should be an interesting meeting.
Last month I wrote about deciding to leave my mastermind group after 5 years. You might be wondering why. After all, 5 years with the same group suggests it must have been working well for me to stay so long, right?
Yes, and no.
What worked well?
- Trust was established early on so that we felt safe to be vulnerable with each other. That helped us to confront our self-sabotage and resistance.
- Diversity of our businesses and life experiences brought a wealth of insights, resources, expertise and potential leads.
- Many of the meetings were highly productive and motivating. Each time I left I was inspired and eager to take the next steps. In this group, I turned many pivotal corners to take my business out in a bigger way.
What didn't?
- Group size was too small at three. While adding new people was discussed, no move to invite others to join occurred. We missed out on having fresh perspectives and resources that would re-energize the group.
- Scheduling problems. Because we were so small, if one or two had unexpected conflicts, we scrambled to reschedule which sometimes made the times in between meetings too long.
- Certain basics of the group began to slide; having agreements written by the first day of each month, actual business check-ins started late and meeting times lengthened. There were times when we just wanted to socialize rather than to maximize the intent of the group. We got lazy too often.
- Accountability was inconsistent. Breaking of monthly promises and agreements occurred. I suggested weekly calls or emails to stay on track. The other members declined to add additional accountability.
As I read over this article, I realize that there were more things about the group that wasn't working for too long. Staying together had become too comfortable. We allowed our progress to be acceptable rather than challenging us to be our best.
I'm in the process of organizing a new group of six to begin in the New Year. I'm so excited!
I've been talking with a friend about forming a new Investment Strategies Mastermind Group. As we mapped out the process we planned to use, it reminded me of the single biggest question I get asked about setting up a mastermind. The question is, "What do we do?" Knowing what to do is essential to having a successful mastermind experience. Especially if you are creating your own self-run group, where group longevity is rare, having structure and accountability can assist in creating all the members
Here are five must-have elements for a successful mastermind group:
- Regular Meetings. Set up a time and date that you will meet regularly. I recommend weekly or every other week. Some find that monthly works best, especially if it is an in person meeting in a big city. When you have a regularly scheduled meeting it allows people to plan their schedules around it.
- Consistent Process. Having a way in which the meeting is conducted keeps order and moves the mastermind experience along. For example, you might want to have a one-hour agenda with 15 minutes for check in's, 35 minutes for hot seats or support for 1 - 2 individuals and then 10 minutes for commitments and accountability. Always appoint one member to be time keeper for each meeting (rotating responsibility is best.)
- Goals Check In. Most mastermind groups are centered on achieving some type of goals. Be sure to have a way of tracking the successes of the group so that members experience accountability to accomplishing their goals.
- Buddy Support. A buddy can be the connection to accountability, support and consistency in between meetings. If you have weekly mastermind meetings you might want to have a 5 minute daily check in with a buddy. If you have a monthly meeting, then maybe weekly check in's would suffice.
- Confidentiality Agreement. Whether written or expressed, the group will accomplish more if there is an agreement around confidentiality that includes: non-compete, non-disclosure of anything said in the group, and ability to process without fear of judgment.
By taking the time up front to establish the group process, you will create strength, confidence and commitment from your group. Good luck!
It may seem a bit early to be planning 2008, but not if it arrives as quickly as 2007 seems to be disappearing!
My Friday afternoon mastermind group was discussing this subject and how themes for the year are helpful in staying focused on annual goals. A theme, in the sense of a recurring unifying idea, is a terrific reminder of your objectives.
"What's your theme for next year, Doug?", came the question from a mastermind group member.
"Gulp."
"Theme? I dunno", I answered, feeling like I'd forgotten to do my seventh grade social studies homework. The group discussion got me thinking over a few days and I know now my theme for 2008.
My theme is: Visualize, Materialize, Capitalize.
Not exactly quotable like, "Veni, Vidi, Vici", but it helps me.
Visualize- If you can see the idea in your mind,
Materialize- then make it appear in reality and
Capitalize- take advantage of the opportunity it creates, you'll make great progress.
My theme felt lonely without goals to back it up...
Goals for 2008
1. Maintain the best Attitude-Rephrase the negative to positive (work that law of attraction, you never know)
2. Eliminate Delay- stop shuffling paper, seeking perfection and get on with it
3. Accelerate Decision Process- Trust the facts and trust intuition and decide now
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: Chris Barrow
