subject: Your Mastermind Group Needs An Effective Agenda For Success [print this page] Every mastermind group has an agenda, either by design or by default. The successful ones come to the conclusion early on that a systematic process, one each member can count on, is the formula for lasting success.
Getting agreement on the agenda, what each meeting will look like, and then sticking to it religiously will multiply your group's chances of sustained success many time over. Decide how long the meetings are and then sticking to it is the number one key to your group's effectiveness.
With that in mind we want to share a mastermind group agenda that has proven for over a decade that it works, is sustainable by the group, and is strategically focused toward action. Even before the meetings themselves your group will choose a day and time for the meetings, one that works for everybody, that does not vary. This is important so don't let anything stand in the way of your attendance at these meetings.
You must also determine, in advance, the length of each meeting. Whether you are still meeting in person or on the phone, keep the length of the meetings short, so each of you will stay focused and willing to attend.
We have found that, based on a six member group, the proven optimal number, that 90 minutes twice a month is the most effective. It's not required that you limit the calls to 90 minutes but from experience it works best because it makes you ask laser like questions, keeps the small talk to a minimum, and with the timekeeper's help gets everything done!
If you are doing this over the phone, arrange in advance for your conference call via one of the many services offering free or cheap access and inexpensive audio recordings. Also be sure to establish your Yahoo group, invite everybody to join and use as many of its automatic features as possible such as meeting reminders, links to your own resources, audio files etc.
Finally, start each meeting with a standard set of instructions and introductions managed by that meeting's leader. Don't forget, it is the timekeeper's responsibility to announce the end of each person's time and to call time again when the Q&A is over.
With 15 minutes dedicated to each person and 6 people on the call, you'll burn right through the 90 minutes. How you use that time is up to you and the specific make up of your group and its overall mission.
What works is a meeting agenda that keeps the small talk to a minimum, provides every member equal time and access to the group's wisdom, and one that provides 24/7 access to each member during the time between meetings. And this is critical. Whatever the agreed upon time, stop the call when that time is up.
I cannot be clearer because when your mastermind group meetings begin to consistently go over time, people will eventually drop out!
