In today’s competitive world, everyone is looking for an edge. A way to stand out in the crowd, be more creative, create more opportunities and make more money. The key to success is collaboration.
MASTERMIND teams are small groups of people who are committed to working together on a regular basis to help each other succeed through group problem solving activities and giving feedback on each other’s progress. Members are sometimes called a “mastermind group” or "goals group." Groups typically consist of people with common goals or interests but there is no requirement that members have known each other before joining the group. Members MUST be committed to each other's success. Members MUST be willing to share their goals, the dreams they are trying to achieve and what is working, what is not and how they feel about it. They develop a safe environment in which to help one another succeed.
The Mastermind concept was formulated by Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich , which was published in 1937. He wrote that it was essential for entrepreneurs to join together with similar-minded people and engage in problem-solving activities. He claimed that two people working together could get 1% more accomplished than when they were apart, while three would get 3% more done, up to a maximum of five people or 15%.
The term mastermind is often used more loosely but it is sometimes inaccurately applied to a group of people who have little in common other than the fact that they are friends. They may be prisoners, schoolmates or employees. The basic elements of a mastermind group are that members have complementary skills, expertise and motives. Members must be committed to each other's success. They must be willing to share their goals and dreams, the problems they are struggling with and what they feel about it, as well as feedback and help on carrying out the plans effectively.
"This kind of cooperation is something that I believe all of us should learn from. When you have a group of people that have come together in an atmosphere of mutual confidence, sharing and sincerity to be number one in the world at what they are doing, and to help each other do it and share it with other people…I think that’s the greatest thing in the world." – Donald Trump
Risk is what inspires and invigorates. When you join a mastermind team you must be willing to take risks. If you are not prepared to do so, don’t join a team. You can still work toward your goals on your own. In fact, most of the great achievers did things on their own initially but then recognized the boost they would get from joining a masterminding group.
"When I started out in my business career, I didn't know the first thing about success. I didn't know what a mastermind was. And if someone had tried to tell me what a mastermind was at that time, I wouldn't have known what he or she was talking about. Today, however, we've learned that a mastermind is one of the fastest ways to accelerate success." – Denis Waitley
Over the years I have been involved with many different types of groups and have found that the more specific your purpose, the better you relate to each other. The reason is simple. When you are dealing with a very specific problem, it is vital that you relate to each other on a personal level. You must have something in common with the other members. If your purposes do not overlap at all, or if they are totally unrelated, then this will bring little value to you individually and the team as a whole.
A good example of this scenario is when an attorney joins a group that has no desire to become an attorney but just wants to learn more about the law and how it works in the real world. You can see his or her eyes glaze over as they hear stories about legal issues and processes he or she just doesn't care about.
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