The Role of Facilitator in a MasterMind Group

Guest Contributor: Julia Wert-Marrocco
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When groups fall apart, it is commonly due to lack of clarity, wobbly leadership, or insufficient commitment on the part of the members.

The objectives and the format of the group both need to be very clear to everyone in it. Is the group's purpose just for sharing ideas? Brainstorming? Is it for support? Critique? Accountability? A mixture of all of these? If you need to go back to the drawing board to figure it all out, or re-invent it, do so. Otherwise, it is destined for disintegration.

The two people at each meeting who need to be the most stalwart are the facilitator and the timer.

The facilitator needs to be crystal-clear on both the overall objectives of the group, the objectives of the particular meeting, and the agenda for the meeting (which may change from meeting to meeting). He needs to be the person who pulls someone off a tangent and back on track. She needs to be the person who confronts someone who is ignoring or breaking the rules of the group, purposely or not. He is the person who stops someone from 'firehosing' an idea during a brainstorming session (where there are no wrong ideas), and she may even need to notify a member that they have been "ousted" for inadequate participation, or not meeting group criteria. She may also be in charge of setting dates and/or sending out reminders of the meeting.

I recommend the timer be a different person than the facilitator. It is too hard for the facilitator to have laser-like focus and keep the meeting on track if he has to watch the time as well. You could say it like this: the facilitator drives and the timer navigates. Make sure the timer has an agenda to keep the meeting on time-track, and a stop-watch.

Discipline is the name of the game. Remember: the chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. If your meetings become loose and sloppy, people ramble, talk about non-pertinent topics, repeatedly take more than their share of time, or don't have their work done (if there is homework) you will lose your most committed members. Now is the time for tough love. You may choose to focus a whole meeting on one person, that's fine, but do it by design, not by default. If you just sit back and let stuff happen you are in rocky territory.

Who should facilitate the group? You've heard me say it before, and you'll hear me say it again: There is no right or wrong. You can just designate a leader/facilitator of the group and have them do it indefinitely. Sometimes, however, one person may not be willing to take that responsibility for the long haul. I facilitate one group for the long haul. I started another group and set it up from the beginning to switch facilitators every 90 days (we meet twice a month), so each person facilitates 6 meetings and it's another 18-24 months before that person has to facilitate again. I like the difference in style of different people leading. Just remember that strength, discipline, and commitment are necessary for that role. If things start to get wishy-washy, and the facilitator doesn't tighten things up, as a committed member of the group, that will be your responsibility to step up and say something.

Remember that your group has the potential to spawn the next great collaborative marketing idea: such as Starbucks selling books and music, the marriage of the I-Phone and AT&T, the wireless module that fits into the sole of Nike+ running shoes and a receiver that plugs into the base of an I-Pod nano (450,000 in the first three months of availability), and so on. Your group has endless possibilities. The next joint venture that makes history could originate in your Mastermind. Your group could contain the next Rachel Ray or Oprah, and it's only one comment or idea away from happening right now. That ONE good idea from the group.The group saying "You can do it!" and holding you accountable to taking the next step.

It all hinges on the group staying disciplined and focused, and that takes good leadership on everyone's part, especially the facilitator.