Dorie Clark
August 13, 2015
Getting to the top of your field is a challenge, but it s easier with the
support of a strong peer network. A group of trusted colleagues often known
as a mastermind group can provide honest feedback, help you refine your
ideas, and share insights and leads. They can also inspire you with their
successes and support you when you face setbacks. Most of us have some helpful
professional contacts, but if you want to be part of a community of people
focused on helping one another, you ll likely need to take action to create it.
In my new book, Stand Out, I profile Kare Anderson, an Emmy-winning former
journalist who has started two mastermind groups that have been running
continuously for over 20 years. Few endeavors these days can boast such
longevity, and Anderson says the impact on her personal and professional life
has been profound: You look back on notes you ve taken, and it s a way of
realizing how much we ve evolved, she says.
Here s how she structured her groups to be a positive force in their members
lives for more than two decades.
Identify your ideal group makeup. Start by making a list of the people you d
most like to have in the group. Depending on your preferences, it can be a mix
of people from different professions (which gives you access to cross-industry
insights), or folks in the same industry (who can trade knowledge and
experiences). In the latter case, it s important not to invite direct
competitors into the group, to ensure members feel comfortable speaking freely.
Whatever you decide on, says Anderson, Extreme diversity within that framework
will make it much more valuable, and you re going to grow more.
Choose members wisely. Don t rush into offering a group membership to someone
you haven t fully vetted firing someone once they re a member can be
extremely awkward. It s fine to target people you don t know well as possible
members, but go slow and get to know them as individuals before issuing an
official invitation. Invite them out for coffee or lunch to see them in
different situations. Finally, host an informal gathering of several potential
members to see what the social dynamics are like. If one person dominates the
conversation or creates a contentious atmosphere, perhaps he s not the best
fit. Depending on how the group is structured, the founder may have exclusive
say on who joins, or as in Anderson s case once someone signs on, they may
get an equal vote on future members.
Set ground rules. It s important for members to know exactly what they re
getting into. Stating the group s goals and values up front will enable
potential candidates to make an informed decision about whether they d like to
participate. After all, you want the group to be a commitment they re making
for the long term. Anderson s groups have three key rules: confidentiality, no
referral fees if members send each other new business (to avoid making the
relationship transactional), and if you make a commitment to another member,
you keep it. Group members strive to be on the lookout for ideas and
opportunities for their colleagues. You ask yourself, Am I giving as much as
the others are? Anderson says. It sets a standard. It s not a quid pro quo,
but there s an expectation that members will contribute.
Other groups may choose to emphasize different ground rules. For example, some
may not need to focus on confidentiality if the topics discussed aren t
personal, or referral fees may be encouraged as a part of the group s operating
model. The key is to provide clarity around the purposes you d like the group
to serve (emotional support, business leads, sharing best practices, joint
revenue opportunities, etc.).
Develop a structure. Anderson s groups meet monthly not often enough to
become a burden on members time, but enough to keep up with developments in
each other s lives. When you re meeting monthly and you continue to do so, you
know so much, you talk in shorthand, she says. Together, we can bounce ideas
more clearly off each other because we know each other so well and give candid
feedback. Each meeting has a specific structure. The group connects via Skype
and members speak in the same order each month, mentioning something they need
and any help they can offer to others. The other members chime in if they can
assist ( You ve said you need a new accountant, and I know a great one, or
You need advice about speaking to an insurance company, and I m very familiar
with the industry ). But when something important comes up, like a new job
opportunity or a family upheaval, the group is flexible enough to abandon the
typical structure and spend the entire call supporting the member in need by
listening, offering advice, and sharing resources.
Anderson has benefited professionally from the group in many ways, from
learning about new technologies that improve her business to staying abreast of
industry trends. It s also put dollars into her pocket. When she was being
considered as a keynote speaker for a conference and had little experience in
the industry, the conference organizer was willing to take a chance on hiring
her purely on the basis of two people from her group vouching for her. She
believes the biggest benefit of the group, however, has been the personal
growth that s come from cultivating deep, long-term professional relationships.
It s scalable, not in terms of more [group members], but in the ways we know
to help each other. There s a record of witnessing each other s lives, she
says. It s made me a better person because of the mutuality at the center of
it.
The public conversation around networking is often about the quick hits: how to
shake more hands and grab more business cards. But creating a longer-running
mastermind group, whether you want it to last a few years or a lifetime, is a
testament to the value of depth over breadth. In a fast-moving world, having
people in your life who have watched you grow and progress can be a powerful
touchstone, with lasting results.
Dorie Clark is a marketing strategist and professional speaker who teaches at
Duke University s Fuqua School of Business. She is the author of Reinventing
You and Stand Out. You can receive her free Stand Out Self-Assessment Workbook
or follow her on Twitter.