Thought Leadership in Mastermind Groups

Guest Contributor: Chris Barrow
Chris' Posts - Chris' Blog


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!

The Breathe Business Club is thriving.