Great - positive responses so far… I might set up a Linked In group for this - unless someone can suggest something else? As a mastermind group is generally made up of a small number of people (eg: 5-6), we could use the subgroup feature to create multiple groups if there is a lot of interest.
The group therapy part? I guess so - the basic idea is this (in my opinion anyway - it depends on the needs/purpose of the group):
The group is usually pretty small (eg 5-6 people).
The group sets up regular meetings (perhaps via Skype?) that are designed to give everyone a chance to explain what they’re working on, what challenges they are facing and what they hope to achieve in the short and long term.
What’s in it for me?
Confidentiality/Trust - A mastermind group must be built up on trust. People aren’t always willing to share their ideas publicly, the group members must keep what is said in these meetings confidential. Obviously, a certain level of trust is required here which will benefit the group in the long run.
Different perspectives - If you’re anything like me, you work yourself into situations where you start to wonder if you’re really taking the best approach. Being part of a group allows you to bounce ideas off other people and come up with answers that you may not have thought of on your own.
Accountability - When you’re working on your own, it’s very easy to get distracted. At each meeting, you will be given a chance to talk about what you have done, and what you hope to achieve in the short term. This will keep you motivated - nobody wants to be that person that reports no progress because he/she wasted the week watching Youtube videos.
Support - Every project runs into problems - With the knowledge of what is happening/has happened behind the scenes, your group can support you through these problems much more than a post on a forum. The members of the group can also offer constructive criticism and call you out on your ideas/opinions. (Without being negative of course)
Resources/Skills - The people in your group will have a diverse set of skills. While nobody is required to help out other people on their projects, people are more willing to offer their time/skills to people they know. At the very least, people will offer their knowledge to help point you in the right direction.
What it is not
It is not a coaching group - there is no “leader” of the group who coaches each of the members individually.
It is not a tutorial or class - it is not going to teach you how to write code or how to draw. Instead, it’s a group that focuses on the support and knowledge sharing between peers.
Who can join
Anyone can join a mastermind group. Ideally, you’ll want to group with people who have similar commitment levels. Experience isn’t a major problem as long as you’re willing to learn and share, but you’ll need to be able to offer some kind of knowledge/skill-set that will benefit the group.
Going forward
I’ll set up a group on Linked In. Ideally, each group will need a private place to be able to post confidential ideas/information - so I’ll make sure the group is members-only.
Once we have that set up, we’ll go about introducing ourselves and explaining what we hope to gain from the group - then figure out where to go from there based on everyone’s needs/circumstances.
