Yesterday I wrote about the type of Master Mind group that I started. Essentially it is a peer-counseling style which allows those of us who belong to call upon the wisdom of the other members in dealing with any challenges in our lives, either personal or professional. This certainly isn’t the only type of Master Mind group you can be a part of (or start on your own).
I’m actually in a different Master-Mind-style group which my good friend and business coach, Jim Woods, started. He calls it Business Leadership Network and he charges people to be a member — which tends to keep people focused. In his meetings, which happen once a quarter, we meet from before breakfast through early afternoon. In the morning he brings in a guest speaker to talk about challenges that we might be facing as entrepreneurs and some possible solutions. After the morning break, he then gives a presentation on developing a business. After lunch we move on to peer counseling — similar to what the group I started does. He also provides the meals.
I’ve visited different groups where the focus is on business referrals and networking. In this case, the different members give presentations about their businesses in order to educate the rest of the group about possible referral opportunities. Then the second half of the meeting is an educational piece about some networking techniques that might help make the referral process go more smoothly.
I’ve also heard of Master Mind groups which act as a sort of business book club. Each month the group picks out a new business book to read and discuss. In a similar vein, I’ve heard of groups where each month a single member reads a business book and then reports on it to the rest of the group.
Of course, each group has it’s own frequency for meeting (most monthly, but some quarterly as well). They also have different preferred sizes (from six to thirty members). Some have fixed locations, others travel from place to place. Some meet in conference rooms, others in restaurants. Really, the only limitations are the ones set by the members themselves.
If you’ve got an idea for a Master Mind group, start talking about it with the members of your network. If you can find enough people who say “That’s cool! Sign me up!”, then you might just have a Master Mind group on your hands.
