Business Mastermind Groups

Management

Someone needs to be the host for the call. That person most often is the original organizer, although it does not have to be. Someone, however, needs to assume that role for the call.

The host’s role is key in this call. The host needs to lead at times, and stay out of the way at others. The host’s role is to keep the meeting on tract so that the goals of the meeting are met.

The host should be the first on the call to welcome the members as they arrive and announce themselves. The official start should ideally wait until everyone is present to start, however, if one or two people are delayed more than 5 minutes, then call should begin.

Late-comers can be brought up to speed at the end of the call on what they missed by the host.

One tool to help the members get a picture of the group is to ask everyone to take out a piece of paper and draw a large circle in the middle of it. Then, to write the names of the members on the call around the circle as if it were depicting a member seating chart. This will help keep the member “in sight” and create a sense of visual togetherness. The members could also use that same sheet for making not about each member as they introduce themselves.

Setting the Course

The objective of the group meeting call is to allow the members to meet, discuss goals and logistics. So, the next step is to go around the “room” and to have each member introduce themselves in turn. Set a time line for this so the members can be selective about what they say.

Once this is completed, the host moves to the discussion of the mechanics of the regular group calls. Each call will have:

This can be a challenging part, as everyone will want a time that accommodates his or her own needs. Scheduling is best done by backing into it. So, the first step would be agreement on general time of day, i.e., morning, afternoon or evening.

The host asks for possibilities at this point, not preferences. Once it is clear about the possibilities, then the host moves the discussion to a day of the week. Again, the initial focus is on possibilities, not preferences.

Once the general time and day is determined as a possibility, the host can present some scenarios and ask for agreement. The host and the group should expect some discomfort at this time as some people will try to get what works best for them. Here, the host needs to be fair and lead in the direction of what seems best or the majority of the members.

By staying encouraging and asking for the members to make whatever concessions they can, the host can move to an agreed upon day and time. It is best to not leave any opening for further change of this as this process will never be ideal for everyone.

People will adjust and soon get used to the day and time. Once the members see that value they get from the meeting, all else will be forgotten and the day and time will become a sacred one.

Dynamics

In any group there will be different personalities and communication styles. The art of being a host, or facilitator, is to make sure that no one is dominating or curtailing the participation of others. A good host remains aware of the group so that all members feel heard and acknowledged.