Step Up In Your Business Through Masterminding: Join A Group of Like-Minded Peers to Achieve Massive Results!

How often do you put yourself in a position where a group of like-minded people keep you focused on your Biggest Vision, stretching for your highest potential, cheerlead, cajole and challenge you to reach for your dreams?

If you want to start or grow a business and develop your leadership skills, and you’re not a member of a group like this—you are missing out! Working with a coach and surrounding yourself with peers who support you to reach for a bigger vision is one of THE fastest ways to grow personally, and grow your business.

It’s a fact. We go and grow further when we work together.

Different Names

Common titles for groups of like-minded peers in business include such words as “SupportGroup” or “BusinessSupportor Development Group.”

Many networking groups and other associations offer group mastermind, training or support groups as well.

The Mastermind is a popular group format for sharing, feedback and growth.

One Size Does Not Fit All

There are many different TYPES of groups available. Meaning they come in different SIZES and there are a variety of ways they may be STRUCTURED. Each type of peer group can be effective. It depends on what you are looking for.

Size and Structure

• Groups range from 2 people to 50 or even 150, however the larger groups break into small subsets (typically 8-10) for a portion of each meeting.
• They meet over the telephone or in-person.
• Some meet weekly, while others meet bi-monthly, once a month or quarterly. A very few even meet annually, although these are very specialized.
• Some have a specific start and end date; others are on-going.
• Some groups are “closed” meaning limited to the people who sign up; while some groups allow new members to rotate in at various times.
• Some offer a buddy system between meetings with daily or weekly check-in times over the telephone.

Groups may be

• Peer only
• With or without a leader
• With or without connecting time in between sessions

Process for each meeting

• Formal or informal
• Some have each person share for an allotted amount of time with absolutely no feedback
• In some people check-in briefly then only those who want help get a longer amount of time
• After checking in, some groups have “Hot Seat” or Spotlight” time for one or two people each session
• In some groups sharing is informal with time to respond, ask questions, give ideas and suggestions
• While in other groups feedback may be very formal in the form of questions to help the business owner arrive at their own conclusions

In my experience, groups that offer the most benefit are leader organized and run. They meet monthly for a specified amount of time. They have some leader input in the form of a brief training component or focus common to everyone in the group. They provide lots of time for masterminding time each session. Participants who buddy up for support between meetings also offer the most opportunity for continuous growth and support.

Confidentiality

A confidentiality agreement among the group members is typical and important. It provides safety so everyone can open up, share fears, worries, self-doubts and sometimes get feedback on proprietary ideas or new products or services that will not be discussed outside the group.

It’s Okay to Be the New Member

My coaching client Rebecca is a great example of someone who repeatedly puts herself in groups where she is one of the “newbies.” She’s developing a writing business and upping her writing skills.  While it makes her feel a bit anxious prior to any first group session, Rebecca knows that she’s going to soak up lots of knowledge from people who have more experience than she does. She’s always been readily accepted into the fold and mentored by many great writers.

A key factor here for any business owner is that Rebecca doesn’t have to reinvent the wheel, because they give her pointers, feedback and are generous with their knowledge about what works and what doesn’t—not only in the craft of writing, but also in running their writing business.

By putting herself out there, Rebecca has also met many of the awesome, well-known writers whose work she admires. She’s stepping up and becoming one of them! That’s a huge benefit of joining a group.

That brings me to another important point…

Avoid Whiners, Suckers and Victims 

Major reasons you want to join a Mastermind are because you want to stretch yourself, step up to a higher level in your life and your business, and do it efficiently and with support and guidance. Some groups may not be well run or do not screen new members well, so they may attract people who are simply not stepping up, but who are looking for hand-holding. These folks expect others to carry them along or constantly complain.

You want to step up and uplevel, so be sure to seek a group whose members live at the bigger level you are growing into. Whiners, Suckers and Victims will drag you down, not raise you up.

Be a “Deep Listener”

The best support a group of like-minded folks can offer one another is what I call “deep listening.”  Deep listening supports one another’s biggest vision and highest potential. So your task is to keep each person’s vision top of mind when they may be in the dumps, taking a detour, slowing their progress or getting in their own way.

Change can happen when someone shows you the way; or change can happen by hearing yourself “think out loud” with others listening to you deeply and compassionately.

Tune in to the person who is sharing at the time and hold their Vision that remains behind their struggle.

During feedback, keep the focus on their highest Vision. Ask questions or give suggestions in a way that is like “planting seeds” so the person can absorb and take ideas away and make them their own.

Come Prepared to Share

Yup. It can be vulnerable or scary to share, especially if you are more of an Introvert, or if you are not used to having help or sharing your story or your needs.

Many business people and entrepreneurs are used to working on their own. So the blessing of a group of like-minded peers – is that they will listen and support you—but they do not work with or for you!

The first meeting or two you may be getting the feel of the group and their process. However, be prepared to tell them your greatest vision (as much as you know it) and where you are at in your business right now. It will lay the groundwork for receiving help for some of your greatest challenges in future sessions.

And as you feel more familiar (notice I did not necessarily say more comfortable!) get in there and participate fully—you’ll reap the benefits of long-term friendships and massive business growth!

Sit In The Spotlight!

If your group is leader run by an experienced coach and there is Hot Seat or Spotlight Time, please make use of this opportunity for invaluable attention spotlighting your business needs.

So here’s to your success through Masterminding! I’ve included a link to THE DEEP DIVE Individual Coaching & Masterminding Program in the blog. You can see the multiple benefits you can receive combining individual coaching, with live events and monthly mastermind sessions.

So I hope you have enjoyed these suggestions. If you’d like to have these tips and tools come directly to your inbox, simply click on the newsletter sign-up icon below and we’ll make sure you receive them every Wednesday morning.

If there is any way I can be of assistance in helping you step up  in your life and  your business, please reach out and contact me via my terrific VA and team at  teamsuccess@bigpictureconnections.com

Also, because another way of reaching like-minded peers is through social media, I’d love to hear your comments and experiences receiving group support or participation in a mastermind have helped you move closer to your dreams. Please leave them in the boxes at the end of the blog or post them on Facebook.

Have a wonderful week and we’ll connect again next week!