People often ask me 'what is the purpose of a mastermind group?', as if it were some mystical creation of the modern world. In fact, masterminding has been around since Adam was a twinkle in his father's eye.
Masterminding is simply the coming together of a group of like-minded people to share their thoughts, views, opinions, ideas and methodologies... nothing more complex than that.
Masterminding groups are also commonly referred to as peer support groups, or round tables (as in the legendary King Arthur) and I'm sure there are countless other 'labels' out there too.
Today, we often use masterminding in a more structured way, particularly in the world of business, where we constantly strive to find new and interesting ways to grow and develop our businesses. As a business coach, one of my most enjoyable activites during any month is the Success Unlimited mastermind sessions that I run for my business clients. This is a forum where masterminding really comes into its own.
Group members meet together on a monthly basis to take some time out to look at their businesses, rather than being caught up in it. Whilst the groups are intentionally small, even a meeting of just 6-8 business owners will generally have upwards of 150-200 years-worth of business experience around the table. How fantastic to be able to tap into all that knowledge and experience to support each other in resolving current business challenges! There's always a wonderful atmosphere of energy and enthusiasm too, as the members get a real buzz from supporting each other's business development.
As a concept, masterminding may be as old as the hills.... but it's the way forward!
As one of the people participating in Success Unlimited I can only echo what Heidi has said - the advice received from other (often more experienced) business owners is invaluable in running my business and it is great to be able to offer my experience and knowledge to help someone else who is stuck with an issue. I would definately recommend every business owner to be part of a masterminding group as it gives you encouragement, boosts you when your low, and gives you some accountability (something which is often lacking when you run your own business).
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