Integrating Two Mastermind Members At Once

Getting into one of our Mastermind Groups is a process. First everyone meets with me face to face. Then you have to prepare a one page bio which gets submitted to the group for review. Finally you are invited to the next meeting as a guest to participate and see how you get along with the other group members.

From there everyone decides if the new candidate would make a good member or not. Both the candidate and 100% of the existing members need to say yes for it to be a go. The entire process usually takes two to three months.

Typically we bring one new candidate in at a time to allow everyone to get to know each other. This past week was an exception.

We had two potential candidates for one of groups and the members decided to take the unconventional approach to bringing them both in at the same time. I was curious to see how it would work out and I was pleased to see that it went extremely well.

Here's what we did to ensure a smooth transition:

- Both new members were asked to introduce themselves at the beginning and give a quick overview of their businesses

- We then proceeded as usual and we went around the table discussing the challenges we were facing. The members all went first so that the new potential members could get an understanding of how our process worked. Each member also quickly introduced themselves before talking about challenges so the candidates knew who they were listening to

- The candidates were encouraged to provide feedback and help the members as they worked through their business problems. We were fortunate that both members were experienced and had valuable opinions to offer

- The two candidates were then asked to share their challenges after they had seen how the other members presented. It was a smooth transition and we gave both members a few additional minutes of time to allow everyone to get to know them better.

Everyone seemed to enjoy the process and I will be following up during the week to see if the new members will be invited to stay with the group. Regardless of the outcome, it was a positive experience that I believe benefited everyone and I would not hesitate to bring two members in at a time again if the group decided to invite them.

Evan Carmichael

How To Select New Members Into A Mastermind Group

The Mastermind Groups that I run typically have between 4 and 8 members. We start with 4 as a founding group and build up to a maximum of 8. You want enough members so that there are a number of opinions to solve the members' challenges but not so many that the individual members do not get enough time to talk about their problems.

Adding new members can be a tricky process. You always want to make sure that everyone is compatible because if two members are constantly add odds with each other it will bring the whole group down. Here is what we do when a new member is interested in joining an existing group.

1) Face to face meeting
I personally meet with every candidate face to face at a local coffee shop. I want to make sure they understand the concept of the Mastermind Group and that they are not there to just sell their services. While many sales do happen between members, the point of the group is to have an advisory board for your business rather than a group of people to sell to. I answer any questions they might have, learn about their businesses, and see if there might be a fit with one of the groups based on my knowledge of the members and the various challenges they are facing.

2) Written, one page overview
Assuming they are interested in joining a group and I think they would be a good fit, the candidates would prepare a one page overview of themselves and their businesses. It usually comprises of a background on the entrepreneurs, their relative skills, company histories, and a list of the challenges they are currently facing. This one pager would then be shown to the members of the Mastermind Group with the best fit. The existing members read the overview and discuss if they would like to learn more about the potential member. Some of the usual issues that come up are if the new member is a potential competitor / client / supplier of an existing member, if the new member can add value to the discussion, and if the industry that the new member represents would be a missing knowledge base for the existing members.

3) Trial meeting
If the existing members agree to learn more about the new potential members, they are invited to a meeting as a trial. The new members have to sign the non disclosure agreement and they participate in the meeting as a full member. They get to meet the existing members and see how the meetings are run. They then get the opportunity to discuss their companies and the challenges they are facing to get the feedback from the other members. After the meeting is over I will follow up during the week with both the new potential members and the existing members. If everyone agrees that the new members brought in value then they are added. Similarly the new members have to have found value from the meeting and from the existing members to want to stay.

The key I have found really is the screening meeting at the coffee shop. I do most of the eliminating because I know what the groups are looking for and who makes a good member. By the time the new members get to submitting the overview and coming to a trial meeting they are usually accepted in the group.

Making The Case For Online Mastermind Groups

Lisa Egan writes a blog on MasterMinding and is a supporter of having the groups online. Regular blog readers will know that I've touched on online Mastermind Groups before and while I'm still skeptical that they can have the same impact as a face to face meeting, I like to present you with the options and let you pick which option best suits you.

Lisa wrote a recent post highlighting the benefits of the online model:

I demonstrated how a typical mastermind group set-up would operate in our online groups. These are not chat rooms, bulletin boards, or webinars; they are complete home-away-from-home, full featured, multi-media rich spaces where you can conduct every on ground meeting task and then some.

Masterminding online is actually better, faster, more efficient, productive, broader, and deeper. I guess you can tell I'm passionate about this. I absolutely believe in it. Ten to fifteen members in an on ground group cannot achieve the necessary knowledge, and information exchange that is required to be effective in the time alotted for a typical meeting. Being a member of an online group means you have access to your group 24/7 when you need to tap into the mastermind, and as a participant, you can respond when the brainstorm strikes and at your convenience ... maybe after you've had dinner or the kids have gone to bed.

Do any of you have experiences or thoughts of online versus face to face Masterminding?