Mastermind groups: what they are, and why creatives need one

So what are mastermind groups?

I’ve talked before of the power of scenius, how the hive mind can be more powerful than any one individual. Mastermind groups can be a good way of encouraging this. 

It’s a small group of like-minded people who meet regularly to share tools, information, advice and support. To cheer each other on, share information and resources.

I’m in a mastermind with five other coaches, all of us wanting to grow our businesses and work with more grace and ease. We work in very different areas and use different techniques and tools. 

We’re different ages, and at slightly different points in our careers. But we all have a commitment to excellence, integrity and authenticity, and to giving our clients the best value we can. 

I find it invaluable having them as a sounding board, getting their advice on software, services, contacts and marketing ideas. Or just stating the obvious solution to a problem, when it was so close I couldn’t see it. Mainly, it’s reassuring to know that others are tussling with similar challenges – or have already found ways round them.

How to choose members

You don’t all have to be from the same creative field. I’ve found that creatives have far more in common than we think, in terms of our struggles.

If you’re willing to meet virtually, geographical location is no longer important either (though it does help if you’re in compatible time zones). 

I think it can help to have people at different stages in their careers, different ages. 

What’s important is that you have values and directions in common, and some respect for each others’ work. It’s hard to help boost someone’s work if you think it’s awful! 

How many

In terms of numbers, I think six is ideal. Much more, and it gets unwieldy. Less, and meetings fall apart if more than one person is busy or away. 

But this isn’t written in stone. If you start bigger, people will inevitably drop out, over time. And if you don’t have six people yet, start small and aim to build.

How often

That’s up to you. A fixed, monthly meeting works well for my group. We’re all busy, so it’s rare for all of us to get there, but there are usually at least four of us. Having a fixed time makes it easy to schedule, and avoids endless email ping-pong to decide when the next one should be.

How to structure meetings

Every mastermind is different, but these are common elements:

• Each member shares a win. 
• Each member offers something useful: a new tool or resource, a course, talk, book or article they read. Anything that might interest or benefit the others.

• Hot seat. This is when each member asks for insight or advice from the rest of the group. They quickly pose a question, or outline the situation they want help with. There’s an allotted time for clarifying questions from the others. Finally, members offer advice/suggestions, with the person in the hotseat listening, but not joining in. (This gives them time to absorb what is being said, rather than jumping in with reasons why it might not work.) In my mastermind, we take 10 minutes each on this: two minutes to outline the issue, three minutes for questions, five for advice. Some mastermind groups choose to do shorter hotseats for everyone in the group, but a longer one (20-30 minutes) to one person who has something big to bring. 

• Each member ends by making a commitment, something they’ll get done before the next meeting. Perhaps you’ll decide to have accountability buddies, who check in on progress between meetings. You could also use something like WhatsApp or Slack to keep in touch and stay accountable between meetings – but be careful you’re not creating another time-suck. The mastermind is there to support your creative work, not to replace it!