Is a Master Mind Group on Your Horizon?
by Adele Sommers, Ph.D.

When you think of a Master Mind group, what comes to mind?

A secret society, a social club, or a potent example of high-powered networking? Any of these could be true, but the third choice is probably the closest. Popularized by Napoleon Hill, the author of the 1937 classic "Think and Grow Rich," the centuries-old practice of creating Master Mind alliances has become intrinsically linked to business achievement. Its hallmarks include candid but harmonious exchanges of ideas and viewpoints that help guide members through uncharted waters.

Hill’s extensive interviews with over 500 entrepreneurial, political, and philosophical giants of his day revealed that powerhouses like Dale Carnegie, Henry Ford, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and many others made their fortunes through tapping the wisdom of "brain trusts," otherwise known as Master Mind groups. This article offers several important keys to starting or joining a group of your own.

Characteristics of Master Mind Groups

Unlike friends or colleagues who meet periodically for lunch to shoot the breeze and casually compare notes, Master Mind encounters involve a structured protocol and a deeply shared value system. Members have complementary or similar interests and goals, and ideally bring forth a strong aura of diversity in their backgrounds and viewpoints. A Master Mind group may contain three to seven people, or even more.

My research revealed that many Master Mind groups aim to continue into perpetuity, so they seek members interested in a long-term commitment to the higher purpose of the group. It may take months — or even years — for all of the members to become completely comfortable with one another. Therefore, people looking for a quick fix idea or a few pieces of advice usually aren’t good candidates.

Shared values of Master Mind members include harmony, unequivocal integrity, trustworthiness, confidentiality, and a belief that individual success can be guided by the wisdom that emerges when people put their heads together for mutual gain. To this end, some Master Mind groups derive their charters from guidelines offered by spiritual organizations.

Purposes for meeting can include providing mutual support and encouragement for each person’s specific set of business or philosophical goals, brainstorming, offering a group sounding board, exchanging feedback on product samples or draft marketing materials, resource sharing, networking, and solving business challenges. Although socializing also may be part of the agenda, the reasons for meeting typically do not include resolving personal crises or substituting as counseling or therapy.

Meeting frequency and duration varies from one to four hours or so, depending on the number of participants and how often their meetings occur. Meetings may be face-to-face, telephonic, or using another electronic method. Some groups assemble weekly; others converge on a biweekly, monthly, bimonthly, or even quarterly basis.

Meeting rules stress confidentiality and the use of an established protocol. Meeting facilitation techniques keep topics and times on track. A note-taker can increase the individual accountability and make it possible to share the outcome with a member who wasn’t present.

What Does It Take to Be a Good Master Mind Member?

Characteristics of conscientious members generally include:

• The ability to act as a partner and coach to the others — not merely give advice
  
  
• A balanced and whole outlook on life; each person should see himself or herself as a full and complete person
  
  
• The capacity and desire to make the long-term commitment the team requires
  
  
• A set of values compatible with the value system the members have identified
  
  
• The capability of being open-minded and receptive to suggestions and ideas
  
  
• The ability to take responsibility for one’s own decisions and actions
  
  
• A desire to contribute equally to the group’s good by making regular deposits to the collective "relationship bank"

Other Flavors of Support Networks

If starting or committing to a Master Mind group currently seems a bit out of reach, consider whether another type of support network would suit your needs:

R&D Teams. Research and development teams can operate inside or outside of an organizational structure. They act as a think tank, providing feedback and strategic input for designing, developing, testing, and refining something. Unlike Master Mind groups, however, members may not interact directly with one another; they might provide comments or critiques to a particular team leader or author periodically, for example. Thus, their contributions are uneven and based on their personal interests.

Special-purpose exploration groups. These are people who meet to investigate their mutual interests and opportunities to cooperate or collaborate. They may or may not continue their interactions after the initial exploration has run its course.

Study groups. Many individuals congregate specifically to contemplate a particular teaching or philosophy.

Mentoring and coaching. People seeking a particular vein of guidance might meet occasionally or regularly with a teacher, mentor, or coach.

Project support partners. Creating a buddy system with a friend or colleague to exchange project or business advice can help maintain the momentum for both.

In conclusion, developing the perfect Master Mind or other support network can take a bit of work. Parties who mirror your values and are qualified to meet your particular needs aren’t always easy to find. Once you identify them, however, they can enrich your life immeasurably. Why not make this the year to expand your support network in new and dynamic ways?

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About the Author

Adele Sommers, Ph.D. is author of “Straight Talk on Boosting Business Performance: 12 Ways to Profit from Hidden Potential.” To learn more about her book and sign up for more free tips like these, visit her site at www.LearnShareProsper.com

This article may be distributed freely on your Web site, as long as this entire article, including the links and full “About the Author” section, are unchanged. Please send a copy of, or link to, your “reprint” to Adele@LearnShareProsper.com.

Copyright 2006 Adele Sommers, The Enterprise Prosperity Guild, All Rights Reserved.

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