A Mastermind What?

Guest Contributor: Janet Napora
Janet's Posts - Janet's Blog


Have you ever explained the concept of a mastermind group to one of your friends? Did they get it? If you're talking to an entrepreneur or someone with a position as a decision maker or high authority in a company chances are they'll understand or may have a mastermind and didn't know that's what it was called.

What about a fellow co-worker? A waitress, carpenter or retail worker? They may or may not get it. Now I'm not saying a person with a 9 to 5 job can't understand. I've been a waitress a retail employee and few other things. If someone approached me 10 years ago about a mastermind group I probably wouldn't completely understand the concept.

Here's the thing: it had nothing to do with what I did for a living, it had everything to do with my mindset. A mastermind is about learning and growing. Not everyone is in the right state of mind to benefit from a mastermind group. Change can be extremely frightening. Looking inward to understand why you're not where you want to be can be challenging.

A mastermind group is about sharing-teaching, learning and trust. The question of how to determine who should be in your mastermind group doesn't have any guidelines written in stone, although some people think they do. Pre-judging someone can mean losing out on an extraordinary person.

The potential for growth is unlimited and everyone grows at their own pace. The journey doesn't always run smoothly either. Patience and understanding can go a long way. When you're talking to someone who doesn't have the right mindset it's just means the timing isn't right for them.

We all change as time goes by. Timing is everything. You can only help those who are ready to be helped. If they're not ready it's ok. Let them know when the time comes you and your mastermind group are there to help.

The Mastermind and the Art of Listening

Guest Contributor: Janet Napora
Janet's Posts - Janet's Blog


You have your mastermind, like minded members working towards similar goals. Plans are put in place and input from different people is encouraged. Even when a group of people have similar goals, opinions can always differ. We all have different perspectives. We've all had different experiences which shape our thought process.

Frequently we look at things from our own perspective. We are by nature a sum of our parts, our own experiences and lessons learned. Sometimes we try to look at things from someone else's perspective but still manage to color our thinking with our own experiences.

Often times we do this sub-consciously. It isn't that we're unable to understand or are trying to be difficult. Sometimes we just can't help it, especially if it's something we're passionate about. So how does this affect the Mastermind? It can create disharmony or sometimes chaos. Disharmony and chaos are best dealt with before it starts.

Every Mastermind should have some kind of structure or guidelines. Handling disagreements should be dealt with from the beginning. No matter how proficient the Mastermind group, not all situations may be resolved easily. Have a system to handle these delicate situations before it has a chance to permeate the group with negative energy.

We've all heard the saying "walk a mile in someone else's shoes". The problem is we sometimes have difficult imagining what "that" must have been like ("that" can be any experience you haven't gone through). That experience could be business related or personal. Both kinds of experiences shape who we are.

Ultimately the best situation would be for everyone to listen not only with their head but also with their hearts. Some people do this more easily than others. If you're in a Mastermind group you're already one step ahead.

Suggested Guidelines For Mastermind Groups

Ryan Mercer wrote a great article on the Importance of Masterminding. In it he outlines what Mastermind Groups are, how members can get the most out of their experience, and what the top 10 benefits are of joining a group.

He also provides 7 suggested guidelines for how a Mastermind Group should be run. They include:

1. Invite the 'givers'. In other words, create good company and be in good company.

2. Coordinate in the spirit of harmony. Complaining or whining, arguing with or negating anyone else's ideas is not productive. Gently remind people to express positive solutions.

3. Plan a mastermind session bi-weekly or once per month, and make them fun. Try lunches, dinners before or after the weekly conference calls when the energy of the group is naturally high.

4. Start each session with a time "Good News", Success Stories, or Joke of the day, from the group or even Chicken Soup Books. This generates incredible synergy for the group.

5. Encourage team members to determine their "Top Challenges." One person can facilitate and lists the challenges out on a board, overhead, or shared electronic media.

6. Let the group prioritize and take a vote on each of the challenges listed by asking the question: "How many of us would like to focus on this one first and work on it until it's resolved?" And then take a vote. Do that for every challenge down the list.

7. The facilitator can then asks the group, "Who has any experience that can help with this challenge?" Then, brainstorm all of the solutions on the overhead/board/media.