Inspirational Format for Effective Masterminding

We entrepreneurs don't have the luxury of the water cooler or adjoining cubicles to mingle or schmooze about our daily issues. Fortunately, a mastermind group can serve those functions in a focused and structured way. In addition to facilitating Mastermind Intensives, I have enjoyed my own personal mastermind group consisting of four women, including myself.

We are all entrepreneurs and each represents a different industry – from inventor to direct marketing consultant. Our format has evolved over the years we’ve been together. We meet once a month for about two hours. We gather in one member’s board room, bring a brown bag dinner and spend the twenty minutes eating and socializing before we get down to business.

Then we follow this simple, yet dynamic format:

• First we go around the room sharing our successes.

It's important to catalog these successes. A time management expert advised me years ago to make note of successes. "How will you know if you're winning or losing if you aren't keeping score?" The round of sharing successes is a great score-keeping device, especially when I come to a mastermind group meeting feeling discouraged. That's when members will remind me what an extraordinary run I've had for the past three months, or encourage me to hang in there because I've worked through similar setbacks before. It's also motivating and inspiring to hear each other's successes. Where else can you go and know that you’ll be acknowledged for your achievements?

• The second time around the room we share challenges.

Penny* wants us to review content for a panel she’s heading up. Margie is sick and tired of the just misses in her competitive industry. Betty has an employee who should wear less-revealing garments to work. It's enlightening to hear the issues at our individual workplaces and the variety of solutions we arrive at to tackle each one. We operate as a board of advisors for each other's companies. There is time for feedback which provides learning for all of us. (*Not their real names…)

• At the end of each meeting we commit to goals for the following month.

These goals are recorded. One of the benefits of a mastermind group is the power of accountability and commitment. Each of us feels an enormous sense of obligation to accomplish that to which we committed. We are energized by each other's enthusiasm and motivation and usually leave the meetings excited to move forward towards our newly set goals.

I encourage you to create or join a mastermind group and experience for yourself and your business the power of this process. (If you’re experiencing a life transition – new career, retiring, starting a new business etc. – checkout my Transformation through Transition Mastermind program.)

Lessons Cloaked as Annoyances

Each of us has lessons to learn at any given time in our lives. The Universe delivers opportunities often cloaked as annoyances or challenges calling us to take the next step in our development. It’s very easy for me to see and coach others’ growth edges. It’s not as easy for me to observe or negotiate my own.

Read my blog to learn about my struggle with how to deal with certain "misbehavior". I discussed this with my coach because I don’t like the feeling of being rigid or inflexible. She helped me own the truth of these simple words, "It doesn’t work for me." Yet, I find it difficult to say those words. That’s my growing edge. To simply and clearly take a stand for what has meaning for me.

As always, I appreciate your comments.  Please feel free to share any lessons you’ve learned that have been cloaked as annoyances.

Regards,