What is a mastermind group and how does it help you achieve your goals

In achieving goals, not only their SMART characteristics are important: specificity, measurability, achievability, significance and limited time, but also who will surround you while you go to them. This is where the mastermind group comes in handy.

What is mastermind

Mastermind is a format of group work, thanks to which each of the participants can achieve individual goals. This approach is different from strategic and creative meetings where people work together towards a common mission.

In a mastermind group, each of its members can have completely different tasks: one wants to lose 10 kg, another wants to open his own business, and the third wants to change his place of residence. In order for everyone to achieve their goals, people regularly get together and analyze the situation of each participant separately in order to support and somehow help him.

One of the ideological inspirers of this method counts Ben Franklin. In 1727 he organized the Junto Club for socializing and learning together. It included 12 of his friends from different professional fields. They met for 38 years, shared their ideas and problems with each other and helped to solve them.

As a result, the club really led its members to success: they organized a volunteer fire brigade, opened the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Hospital, and created the first known American library.

How the mastermind group works

Usually such a group consists of 4-6 people. They meet with each other on a regular basis - weekly or monthly. Some find it convenient to organize a general meeting once every two weeks. Online or offline, it doesn't matter. It all depends on what format the group chooses.

Meetings are coordinated by the curator - invited facilitator from outside or one of the members of the group. They usually take 1-1.5 hours and have a similar structure.

During the first 15–20 minutes, the curator usually invites those present to discuss the news. Participants can share with each other what has happened to them since the last meeting: from how they went to the theater to what they did pets.

This move makes things warmer. At the same time, the working discussion does not turn into gatherings of friends who miss each other and want to share the news.

Participants then take turns telling the group about their successes, problems, and asking for advice or feedback.

The speech of one speaker takes 5-10 minutes. It is important not to exceed the limit so as not to delay the meeting. This time is enough for the participant to recall what his goal is and tell what he has been doing to achieve it since the last meeting.

After the performance, the group within 5 minutes gives the person feedback. At the same time, it is not necessary to tell everyone - only those who have something to say can speak. Listeners can give the speaker advice, help to take a fresh look at the situation, or share the contact of a specialist of interest.

As a result, each participant is given 10-15 minutes. In addition, the group most often has a chat in which everyone can also continue to discuss the topic.

Participants can pre-specify the term of work - three months, six months, a year. It can be any suitable timeline for everyone. During this time, everyone will solve their own specific task: open a business, change the field of activity, establish relationships with relatives.

When this period comes to an end and the peak is taken, the further existence of the group will most likely be inappropriate. However, participants can continue to communicate and hold meetings with new goals.

Why is a mastermind group useful?

Mastermind is loved because participants can exchange experiences in a comfortable environment, support each other and share ideas that help develop.

1. Help in achieving the goal

We are talking about both material and non-material support. Firstly, participation in the work of the mastermind group helps not to give up and go towards the goal. Comrades will support, even if you have hands down.

And secondly, each member of the team can help your project not only with kind words, but also with concrete deeds. For example, connect with the right people, share knowledge on a topic of interest, advertise your project in your channels, and so on.

2. Opportunity to look at the situation from a different perspective

Since all participants have their own experience and vision of the world, they can notice weaknesses in your idea or highlight those points that you did not even suspect or did not pay attention to. In addition, they can share new ideas that will enhance your project.

3. Useful acquaintances

If you organize a mastermind group with your friends, you have the opportunity to get to know them better and deepen the relationship. If you come to the company of strangers, you have a chance to acquire new buddies, communication with which will enrich your personality.

4. Inspiration and motivation

Due to the fact that each of the participants is interested in achieving the goal, you yourself are fueled by the energy of the group. Talking to cool people and watching how they go to fulfill their dreams, it's hard to sit still. In addition, the form of a regular report to the mastermind group will encourage you to keep busy.

5. Learning new

Regular communication with different people helps them learn something and enrich their experience, as well as reduce the time to search solutions, if, for example, someone in the group has already encountered a problem similar to yours.

How to become part of a mastermind group

There are two options.

1. Join an existing mastermind group

There are many clubs that professionally organize masterminds. You can find information about them relevant to your city on the Internet.

In addition, now there are many online platforms that also collect mastermind groups. For example, you can join chat in Telegram or become a part project Mastermind by Random Coffee.

2. Organize a mastermind group on your own

You can throw a call to your friends and acquaintances. At the same time, if you do not want to be the permanent curator of the group, you can discuss the rule of alternate change of organizers. For example, so that at the end of each meeting, the current curator appoints a new one. In addition, you can hire an individual - a professional mastermind facilitator.

It will be good if, when organizing a group, you also use the recommendations that your predecessors formulated:

• Participants must be of equal social status, level of income and education, a similar system values. If this is not the case, conflicts may arise on the basis of envy, rejection, arrogance of one of the members of the group. The task of the organizer is to conduct mini-interviews with all potential participants, in which it will become clear what different people are like.
• Participants must not be direct competitors - for example, people who are aiming for the same vacancy, or owners of a similar business from the same field. All this is also determined in the interview.
• The first meeting is usually devoted to discussing the rules and expectations of the group's work, as well as getting to know the participants. On it, they must evaluate how comfortable it will be for them to work in such a company. Indeed, in the future, members of the mastermind group will begin to tell each other about their fears, problems and ideas. It is important that the atmosphere for this is comfortable and fiduciary. At the first meeting, it is also useful to discuss privacy - what of what happens in the group can be shared with strangers and what cannot.
• Meetings should be held regularly. If one of the participants often misses meetings, it is worth raising the issue of his exclusion. After all, it disrupts the overall group dynamics.
• It is very important to keep the timing. If the meetings become longer, this will reduce the motivation of the participants to come to them.
• The curator must keep track of the timing, remind participants of upcoming meetings, as well as moderate conflicts if they arise during the discussion.
• People should take meetings seriously: prepare for regular presentations, listen carefully without interrupting others, answer their questions honestly and share your knowledge. It is important to understand that mastermind is not a friendly gathering. This format will require full dedication and concentration from the participants. Only in this case, the mastermind group will reveal itself as a cool and useful tool.