What Kind of Mastermind?

Guest Contributor: George J. Sierchio
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Just like many things in life and business, mastermind groups come in many flavors. What you are trying to accomplish will determine what kind to look for and ultimately join.

Of course, inside of the type or goal of a group, you then have to put into play whether or not you personally fit into the group. And that brings along a few other options to look at closely.

Take these questions into account:

Are you looking for a mastermind group that is industry based such as leaders of retail based or technology service based businesses?
Are you looking for one catering to CEO's of businesses with fewer than 20 employees?
How about one that only focuses on sales and marketing for small business?
Do you want a true mastermind group that is facilitated by someone that has already been where you are trying to get to or are you looking for more of a peer group with no real leader?
What about paid groups that cost $50 to $5000 a month versus ones that cost whatever it takes to eat breakfast in a corner of an IHOP?
Are you into face-to-face meetings, telephone meetings, or a combo of both?
Would you rather a mastermind group that meets for a full 2 days quarterly or just once a month?
Does once a month for an hour work or is a half day or a full day better?
How does the mastermind organization handle dealing with non-disclosure from the members?
What about non-competing members?
Do they encourage networking and joint ventures?
Is there a high level of educational material available as a mastermind group member?
What is the maximum number of members allowed in the group?
Once a group is started is the membership locked unless voted on to let new people in?
What's the minimum commitment (6 months, 12 months, 18 months)?

I could probably list out another 10 or so but I think you get the point. Mastermind groups come in all shapes and sizes with different nuances and focuses. For this same reason, those that believe in the power of the mastermind group for learning, support, accountability and camaraderie among like-minded people, often find themselves in multiple groups.

One last note here. Don't be discouraged if a particular group ends up not working for you. There will be questions you may forget to ask before joining a mastermind group before you realize a reason why the group is not for you. Sometime there are just too many personality conflicts to deal with that you could have no way of knowing existed. It take a commitment to make this work so you need to be comfortable in sticking around.

So good luck in your hunt for a suitable mastermind group.