Mastermind Your Way to Success

Jack Canfield's Success Principle #46

Masterminding is the process of meeting with five or six people every week to problem-solve, brainstorm, network, encourage, and motivate each other. Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone met regularly at their winter mansions in Fort Myers, Florida to encourage one another.

The secret to the success of masterminding is that God stands at the center of any group where all of the members are focused on the same goals. In Matthew 18:20, God promises, For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Accelerate your growth through a mastermind group.
More can be achieved in less time when people work together. When we share new perspectives, knowledge, experiences, and resoucrces with others, we can move beyond our own limited view of the world.

A mastermind group can be made up of people from a single industry or from a variety of professions. The members can focus on business issues, personal issues, or both.

In a mastermind group, everyone must be comfortable enough with each other to tell the truth. By keeping confidences about what is shared in the group, participants can progress rapidly.

Through loving confrontation, group members can help others to grow. Jack Canfield's partners confronted him about overcommitting, selling his services too cheaply, focusing on trivial issues, failing to delegate, and playing it safe. He really appreciated their help and their honesty.

I have been a member of Al-Anon, which is similar to Jack's mastermind group; but instead of focusing on business, I learned to cope with the alcoholics and other dysfunctional members in my family. Within the confidential safety of Al-Anon, adult children of alcoholics, victims of incest, and survivors of sexual abuse can learn new perspectives, problem-solving skills, networking, encouragement, and motivation.

There are many mastermind groups which are similar to Al-Anon. They help people to cope with a multitude of problems, such as grief, divorce, job loss, step-parenting, and many other life issues.

Organize a mastermind group.
Anyone can organize a mastermind group, even if they haven't yet achieved their goals. The success of organizing a mastermind group lies in inviting members who are a notch above us. If that seems intimidating, remember that we're the ones organizing and facilitating the group, so it's relatively easy for our would-be mentors to get involved. Jack reminds us to keep the group to five or six people so that everyone's needs get met.

Conduct mastermind meetings for success.
Mastermind meetings should occur once every week or two for 1 to 2 hours. For the first few meetings, one member should familiarize the others with his situation, opportunities, needs, and challenges. In later meetings, each member gets a specified amount of time to update the others, get feedback, and ask for help. One person must be assigned to serve as the timekeeper.

Jack recommends following a set format for proven results:

1) Ask for spritiual guidance by delivering an invocation.
Mastermind meetings should always begin with a request for God's spirit to surround them and guide them. Members can share this duty, or one person can be assigned to handle it.

2) Share what's new and good.
Each meeting should begin with a success story. This habit keeps the group focused on the positive.

3) Negotiate for time.
Each member negotiates at the beginning of the meetings for the time needed to address issues. This prevents monopolizers or dominators from driving away other particiants.

4) Individuals speak while others listen and then brainstorm solutions.
Discussions can include a variety of topics, such as: "I need to find a new assistant;" or "I'm looking for a psychologist to help me with my child's behavior problems;" or "I need to learn how to set better boundaries."

After the person has described their problem, the rest of the group brainstorms possible solutions. The minute the allotted time has been used, the timekeeper states, "Time's up!" The discussion moves immediately to the next person.

5) Make a commitment to stretch.
Prior to the close of each meeting, the timekeeper should ask each member to state briefly what his next action will be to move himself closer to his goal. This ensures that the group keeps moving forward.

6) End with a moment of gratitude.
All meetings should end with a group prayer to express gratitude. One person can lead it, or each person can contribute.

7) Be accountable.
At the opening of the next meeting, each person should report whether or not he carried out his actions as promised. This is one of the most powerful aspects of mastermind groups, because we're more likely to carry through on a commitment if someone is expecting results from us.

Find an accountability partner.
If it's not possible to join a mastermind group, we can follow this same format with an accountability partner. I have done this a number of times, with mixed outcomes.

If the partner we choose is as committed as we are to achieving success, it works well. But if our partner doesn't listen to us, fails to follow our advice, or breaks commitments; it's more difficult to help her achieve success. I believe a larger group wields a lot more power than one person does in holding someone accountable.

Get started with a mastermind group now.
For those of you interested in growing a business, you can get information about masterminding through the Young Entrepreneurs Organization, The Executive Committee, and the Young Presidents' Organization online at www.yeo.org, www.teconline.com, and www.ypo.org.

For those looking to address personal issues, look online or in your local newspaper for information about Al-Anon groups, religious organization support groups, parenting associations, or weight-loss meeting places.

Today's Challenge
Organize your own mastermind group this week or join an organization that will allow you to brainstorm with others who share similar interests. If you can't join a mastermind group, find an accountability partner through a Stephen Ministry program, therapist, Al-Anon sponsor, or business person who shares similar interests.

Jack Canfield, America's #1 Success Coach, is founder of the billion-dollar book brand Chicken Soup for the Soul© and a leading authority on Peak Performance and Life Success. If you're ready to jump-start your life, make more money, and have more fun and joy in all that you do, get your FREE success tips from Jack Canfield now at: www.FreeSuccessStrategies.com