Many people seem to have the concept of masterminds all wrong.
They throw around the word as if it applies to anytime a group of people come together.
And it’s used most incorrectly when the facilitator isn’t facilitating but clearly group coaching.
Group coaching is not masterminding!
When one person is teaching a group or answering the majority of the questions from the group that its simply group coaching.
I wish people would stop mixing the terms up primarily because I believe it takes the true beauty and power out of the masterminding experience.
Napoleon Hill wrote about the mastermind group principle in two separate books The Law of Success and Think And Grow Rich.
According to Hill who coined the term master mind alliance (now most people use mastermind group), a true mastermind group is:
“The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.”
He continues by saying…
“No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind [the master mind].”
So what makes a Mastermind Group and how does it differ from other groups:
1 | Peer-Focused
Masterminds are peer accountability groups where people come together to brainstorm, problem solve and help one another keep accountable to their goals. The members of a group may not always be equals in experience or expertise. However some variety in experience and industry focus in a group can be particularly beneficial giving new insights and perspective.
A more seasoned person could provide wonderful insight based on experience whereas a less experienced person brings the “beginner’s mind” and fresh eyes to the group. (Too large a span in experience or points in their business can be problematic – say a person just launching with people in the 7 figure club – but we’ll save that for another article).
Different industries lends to coming up with new concepts, ideas and a different perspectives than a group of people all with the same type of business. (Although you can clearly have mastermind groups with people all from the same industry and that can also prove incredibly helpful.)
2 | Everyone Contributes
In a group coaching program people are not typically required to participate and to do so each and every call. You can just show up and hide in the background. In a mastermind group you’re expected to participate each and every call sharing what you’ve accomplished since the last call and committing to action items to be completed by the next.
3 | Regular and Periodic Dedicated Attention
Equally as important as participation is the time spent in the hot seat or what we call spotlight. Each person in the mastermind gets a chance to have dedicated time to work through their challenges.
4 | Purpose-Focused
In a mastermind group, you aren’t meeting regularly to learn (group coaching) you’re coming together to work intentionally and purposefully towards your goal. Yes of course you’re always learning – but it’s from each other! It’s a very different mindset compared to a group coaching where you may be more in the learner/receiving mode.
5 | Group Input
The whole point of mastermind and what Napoleon Hill wrote about is the concept that the input of several minds leads to better problem solving and different and varied solutions. Research has shown that problems get solved faster in a group situation rather than in isolation. It’s not just you and one other person (or in this case other people) but it’s you plus the others creating a whole new third entity.
We’ve all experienced this while sitting with girlfriends trying to figure out how to deal with a particular problem. There is an unseen power and expansion of ideas when more than one person is trying to solve something. It’s magic.
6 | Facilitation not Coaching
Mastermind groups benefit from having a facilitator or leader that helps to keep things on track, field any issues, and generally manage the flow and administrative aspects of the group. I’ve been in a successful group for many years that is leaderless (its a rare group) but the majority of mastermind groups need someone to steer the ship.
That does not mean that the facilitator is dominating the conversation, teaching or preaching.
Yes in our Circles, I will add to the conversation but I try to always remember my role as facilitator and be the last to speak. I’m happy to provide insight and guidance but it’s the role of the peers in the group to provide the majority of the questions, insights, recommendations and suggestions. Everyone has something to contribute!
As for us, we set aside 15 minutes a week outside the Circle calls for people to either ask deeper questions, receive a bit more accountability or to brainstorm. This is an addition to the mastermind calls and is simply a bonus if people want/need the support. That’s more “coaching” and an add on. Not the focus though.
7 | Small groups
Masterminds function best with a limited number of individuals. There is a very practical as well as psychological reason for this. Small groups are more intimate and trust can be built much faster. Practically if there is a large group of individuals it takes several week (if you’re meeting weekly) to get back in the spotlight. And if you only meet every 2 weeks and you have 10 people where there is only time for two spotlights per call… you could easily go months without getting time on your challenge, concern and topic.
8 | Regularity
I find it hard to understand why some mastermind groups only meet every 6 weeks or even just once a month. So much happens in a month and unless the calls/meetings are over 2 hours long not everyone will have a chance in the hot seat. This is a personal preference for sure but I do believe that if accountability gets you results than regular meetings is necessary. The first mastermind group I was in met sporadically every 4-6 weeks. It took us nearly the whole time to just catch one another up on what occurred over the last several weeks. Once we changed it to weekly calls, we felt very much apart of one another’s businesses and we could get to matters much faster and with clarity.
Masterminds can truly be an amazing experience. They’re a supportive circle of like-minded, purpose-driven people who are open, helpful and nurturing of one another’s journey (at least in our groups – we’re lucky!).
I hope you create or find a mastermind group that works for you! You will, no doubt, get so much out of it!
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