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How To Start and Run a

Mastermind Group
FEATURED PRODUCTIVITY JANUARY 26 BY SID SAVARA |
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 Some people like to cooperate with others to
achieve their goals, while others prefer to chase
their dreams on their own. I find that involving
mutually committed partners in my pursuits is
intensely rewarding – especially mastermind
groups. I’ve strengthened my friendships, made
measurable progress towards my goals, and
continue to grow thanks to the support I’ve
received in my mastermind groups over the
years.

In this article I’ll lay out what a mastermind

group is, the benefits of having a mastermind
group, and concrete strategies and actions you
can take to start your own mastermind group
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 today.

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What Is A Mastermind Group?

The first place I came across the concept of a
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 mastermind was in Napoleon Hill’s Think and
Grow Rich. In it, Hill describes a mastermind
group as:

The coordination of knowledge and effort of

two or more people, who work toward a
definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.

In my experience, my mastermind groups have

formed around multiple people striving for a
common purpose – from goals as small as
college admissions and improving fitness, to as
large as your entire life.

What Are The Benefits of a

Mastermind Group?
Mutual support. I like to form groups around
a specific activity, but even with differing
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 goals you’ll be able to lean on each other for
support. Many times when my progress has
slowed on a specific goal, the members of
my mastermind are the only people who
really understand what has been going on
behind the scenes, and give me support in
spite of my failed efforts.

Differing perspectives. Hearing the

different views my fellow mastermind
participants have allows me to see issues I
wouldn’t otherwise become aware of – in my
life, and in my approach to my goals.
Whether I agree with their assessment or
not, it always gives me a better
understanding of how I can better improve
my approach.

Resources. Everyone in your group will have

access to a different skillset and network of
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 people. I’ve often found that when I ask for
help in my mastermind groups, these
resources help me make progress in ways I
never could by myself.

Accountability. My fellow group members

hold me accountable to goals I set. In
addition, just knowing that I have a regularly
scheduled meeting internally drives me to
make progress – because I don’t want to be
the only person reporting back that I haven’t
made an effort to move my projects forward.

How Do I Start a Mastermind

Group?
Starting a mastermind group is deceptively
simple in its steps:

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 Pick a Topic. This may be as narrow as you
like, or as broad as you like (such as your
entire life). If you are new to mastermind
groups, I would recommend picking one
specific aspect of your life to start out with.
Perhaps fitness, your career, school, or
some other broad area that you would like
improvement with.

Pick your Partners. I’ll discuss this in detail

below. A mastermind group is only as good
as the people in it – pick your partners with
care.

Agree On Ground Rules. I’ll provide some

guidance below, but keep in mind the
purpose of setting rules is not to stifle
anyone – the purpose of the rules is to
ensure everyone benefits from the
mastermind group. I like to keep a loose set
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 of rules and count on mutual respect of the
individuals to keep everyone in line, but you
may choose to have strict ground rules if you
like.

Meet!

Who Should I Invite Into My

Mastermind Group?
Two words: mutual beneficiaries. Any member
in your mastermind group should not only be
able to provide you with sound feedback and
advice, but should be able to receive some
benefit from your feedback as well. Some
qualities I look for in a participant include:

Similar Drive and Commitment. You want

everyone in the group to be similarly
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 committed. If one person is striving to
compete in a bodybuilding competition, while
you’re just trying to cut the sugar out of your
diet, you may not be compatible for a
mastermind group.

Diverse Skill Sets. For me personally, I am

very analytical and approach things from a
scientific, engineering perspective. I enjoy
mastermind groups where some people
share this perspective, but also gain valuable
feedback from people who are perhaps more
abstract and in touch with their emotions (as
opposed to a “cold” analytical approach).

Problem Solvers. This is my personal

preference, I like partners who are active
problem solvers. My purpose in a
mastermind group is to get feedback,
solutions to my issues and move forward.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 I like to limit mastermind groups to between 3
and 5 people. This keeps meeting short, in depth
and on point. You can experiment with more or
less, but I recommend starting with 2 or 3 if this
is your first time with a mastermind group.

How Do I Run A Mastermind

Group?
1. Meet Regularly And Precisely. I call this the
“nuts and bolts.” Keep to a regularly
scheduled time, ensure all members are
punctual – and end on time. I typically meet
for 60 minutes once a week. You may require
more or less time, but ensure that you have
adequate time because you want to…

2. Give each member equal time. We don’t use

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 a timer, but for larger groups that may be
necessary. I keep most of my groups to only
three people, and generally we are all aware
that we have approximately 20 minutes per
person, and try to keep it in that time frame.

3. Don’t Interrupt. One person at a time, and

keep in mind the purpose of the meeting is to
give everyone a chance – it’s not always
about you. Hold all comments until the
person speaking has a chance to speak. We
generally do not jump in at all unless
someone has a specific question.

4. Decide if you need an agenda. My

mastermind groups typically have a
conversation topic (often decided at the
meeting prior), but no explicit agenda. I
previously have run groups that had more
explicit items on the agenda for
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 accountability and progress reports – try it
out and decide what works best for you.

5. Decide on whether to have a facilitator. In

my groups, I start the calls, and act as a very
loose facilitator – I point out who is going to
go first. That’s it – everyone polices
themselves. Perhaps your group will need a
facilitator who is more active – keeping
people on target for time, and moving you
from one items on the agenda to the next.

6. Capture. Make sure you capture what

happened at each meeting – lessons and
triumphs, goals, and items you want to keep
each other accountable to. I like to
use Google Documents and Mindmeister.
When I conduct groups online using Skype I
use MP3 Skype Recorder (free) to record
mp3s of my calls.
http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 Three Question To Kick Start
Your Mastermind Group
If you’re ready to start a mastermind group, you
may want some very basic structure help you in
the beginning. These three questions never fail
to get my mastermind groups off to a great
start. As your group evolves, you’ll come up with
your own agenda and questions that you’d like
each member to answer – but if you don’t know
where to begin, this is a great place to start:

What Are You Working On? Nice and broad,

and each member can answer with whatever
they feel comfortable sharing.

What Did You Learn? Very often my groups

are focused on similar goals, and lessons

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-to-start-and-run-a-mastermind-group.html
 learnt by one member benefit all of us.

What Do You Need Help With? By having a

specific question on the agenda, this helps
take pressure of members who want to
reach out to the group for help.

Your Thoughts and Strategies?

What do you think? Have you run a mastermind
group before? Do you have additional tips to
share, or perhaps pitfalls to avoid?

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