How To Create A Mastermind or Accountability Group

There are many ways to start and run a successful mastermind or accountability. A simple search of the web provided this example. Here are my simple (yet key) steps to create a Mastermind or Accountability group. Such a group can be very valuable for both facilitator and member. For example, the members of my personal group are my “board of directors”. I can bring in business and personal issues that I cannot share and address elsewhere. This is very liberating and comforting to me as a coach and entrepreneur who is enmeshed in the day to day issues related to growing my own business.

The mastermind concept was define by Napolean Hill in 1937 in his book Think & Grow Rich as the coordination of two or more people to address a common goal or vision. Napolean took advantage of the notion that (with exceptions) people problem solve more effectively in groups than by themselves. This is best taken advantage of by incorporating a common process/format, allowing the members to share at as deep a level as they are comfortable, encouraging honesty and direct feedback and creating rules that ensure needed privacy.

As I create and facilitate groups professionally, these basic instructions will allow a facilitator or organization to create and organize a mastermind/accountability group. Much of the richness from these groups comes from experimentation and ongoing commitment to the process over time.

(1) Optimal Group Size should be four to eight members (including facilitator).

(2) Picking participants: Each member of the group should fill a need and/or provide a desired group characteristic. Therefore, not advisable to pick people of same personality and/or behavioral types as you limit the groups richness and ability to solve problems. One way to pick members is to have each person take a DiSC behavioral test and pick at least one member with a each a dominance in each behavioral type (D, I, S, C). Another option is to create and use a rating system to pick members with differing but complimentary characteristics.

(3) Define a frequency, location and length of each meeting which will probably change over time.

(4) Decide how to add members, remove members, pick a facilitator, define facilitator duties and format each meeting (see some examples below).

(5) Define a set of basic rules for the group and meeting without overdoing it. Too much regulation eliminates the creative and natural feedback process that members need to identify and work with their own blind spots. If you pick quality members that work well together, they will self regulate.

Example Format:

* Facilitator Calls meeting to order.
* Each member provides feedback on their progress (5-10 minutes per). This can be referred to as sharing AHA moments…. positive, negative, impactful, unclear moments since last meeting that they want to share. Other members should either respond or listen, depending on the desires of the sharing member.
* Facilitator can ask a question or start a theme discussion where all members can contribute thoughts, concerns, questions about that theme and what they need for their business.
* Optional – Each member can commit to setting one or more objectives to accomplish by a subsequent meeting.

Tagged as: accountability, accountability group, business development, group think, mastermind group