Category Archives: Running Your Mastermind Group

Setting Yearly Goals: Is Your Group Asking You To Grow?

October 25, 2011

It’s that time of year again…time to start thinking about your goals for next year. Setting yearly goals significantly increases the likelihood of success. But setting the bar too low is a recipe for self-sabotage.

We know in the study of motivation that there is a “growing edge” where people are most likely to accomplish their goals and tasks, and move forward on their dreams. The growing edge is the place in your mind that says two things that are true: that the task is challenging AND the task is do-able; it’s the place of the possibility of the most growth.

Finding the place where the most growth can take place is an important task, even if it’s the most painful place, because it is often the most fertile place as well.

We often resist changes in our life. It is inevitable that resistance and fear will happen. Because this is a holistic model, your growing edge will naturally bring up your fears and your resistance to change. Keep your focus on the vision of possibility while respecting the fears that come up. Making mistakes and taking risks is welcome because it releases creativity and imagination.

When looking for your growing edge, always start with the “truth” of where you really are Now. Do not start with your pathology (what is preventing you from moving forward). Instead, always start with your vision.

Many people have two dreams, two visions: the “big dream” for the distant future (also called the “meta-vision” or all-encompassing dream of how we’d like things in the future), and a vision “in the now” of what can be accomplished today or this week or this month. It’s important to keep both dreams in your mind simultaneously when doing this work, because that is where your passion and energy resides.

Remember, no growing edge is better or worse than another. Each growing edge is unique and people rarely have the exact same growing edge, even if they’re dealing with the same issue.

When you are part of a mastermind group, your mastermind partners should be aware of your growing edge and should hold your feet to the fire. When making plans for the next 12 months of your personal and professional life, make sure that your plans are “challenging but do-able.” And ask your mastermind partners to always, always ask you: Are you on the growing edge?

By Karyn Greenstreet | Tagged , , , | Comments (1)

Why Is Accountability Important?

May 26, 2011

In your process of creating success, you’ve created a massive To Do list, right?

Accountability is one of the cornerstone principles in mastermind groups. Accountability is all about helping others to reach their goals through purposeful, sustainable action.

Wikipedia describes accountability as, “A is accountable to B when A is obliged to inform B about A’s (past or future) actions and decisions, to justify them, and to suffer punishment in the case of eventual misconduct.”

Well, I’m not so sure about the “suffer punishment” part when you talk about accountability in mastermind groups, but certainly setting up an accountability structure can help Person A get things done and Person B can help hold their feet to the fire.

In the Coaching industry, we often suggest that people have an Accountability Partner, a person who agrees to:

  • Pay close attention to your overall goals
  • Keeps a list of which actions you say you will achieve (and the due date for each action)
  • Reminds you when actions are not completed or not achieved by the deadline date
  • Challenges you when the actions you take are not leading toward the goal you desire

The power of an Accountability Partner is that you do the same for them. This mini-mastermind helps to extend the power of a mastermind group between meetings, and works in tandem with setting and keeping goals within the mastermind meetings themselves.

By Karyn Greenstreet | Also posted in Being in a Mastermind Group | Tagged , | Comments (1)

Facilitating Introverts and Extroverts in a Mastermind Group

May 10, 2011

We all know there are two personality styles that are polar opposites of each others, right? I wish it were that simple.

Introversion and extroversion are on a line, a continuum. Sometimes people will be strongly to one side or the other on that continuum, but often people exhibit mixed tendencies, especially in a group setting where there is rapport and trust. For example, an introvert might be shy around new people, but very gregarious around his mastermind group where he’s been brainstorming for six months.

So let’s define what we mean by these terms:

An introvert gets energy by being alone, and expends energy when in a group setting, like a mastermind group. Being an introvert doesn’t mean a person is shy; it means he needs quiet time alone to process the outcome of the mastermind group meetings and recharge his batteries before he wants to get back into the group mode again.

An extrovert gains energy when she is out in the world, especially brainstorming with a group of people. She’s excited to share ideas and to process her thoughts verbally in the group. Sometimes she gets her best ideas and come up with her own solutions while talking through a problem with other people.

How do you facilitate a mastermind group that includes both types?

An introvert needs quiet time, even a minute or two, to collect his thoughts and reactions to a given problem or situation. Giving the entire group a few minutes to write down their ideas on their own, before sharing, can give the introvert the space he needs to process.

On the other hand, the extrovert needs time to talk out loud, to process her thoughts while she’s actively communicating with others. Knowing this, you can allow the extrovert a few minutes more during her Hot Seat to explain her situation: she just might find clarity or even solve her problem herself, simply by talking openly about it.

Between meetings, give each of these types a way to communicate with the entire group, possibly through an online message forum. The extrovert will appreciate the ongoing connection to the group and the introvert can take his time to process internally, then communicate at his leisure.

 How can you tell if a mastermind group member is an introvert or an extrovert?

It’s not possible to pigeon-hole someone and label them as “all introvert” or “all extrovert,” but there are tendencies to one side or the other that you can (and should) pay attention to:

  • an introvert makes more and sustained eye contact
  • an extrovert will appear energized by being in the group situation
  • an introvert will appear to think before they speak
  • an extrovert jumps right into the conversation and thinks while they speak
  • an introvert may disappear during coffee breaks, or talk deeply with one person
  • an extrovert will enjoy talking to 3 or 4 people in a group during coffee breaks
  • an introvert may seem shy around the group in the beginning, until he gets to know everyone better
  • an extrovert will interact with everyone in the group, even in the beginning, because she loves to meet new people

As a mastermind group facilitator, being aware of these two personality types and giving each what they need will foster a tight, powerful group.

By Karyn Greenstreet | Also posted in Being in a Mastermind Group | Comments (2)

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