Do you have a roadmap to success? Are there any curves or bends you are not sure how to navigate? Have you considered joining or forming a mastermind group? Napolean Hill author of Think and Grow Rich wrote, “No two minds ever come together without thereby creating a third, invisible intangible force, which may be likened to a third mind.”

Some of the benefits of joining a group are:

~~Peer to peer network of individuals to brainstorm for advice and ideas

~~Set goals and create plans

~~Accountability from your network of peers

~~Articles and resources for greater success in business

~~Network with others of like-mindedness

Mastermind groups can be started around any type of group. The goals for the group are fairly common but normally set by the facilitator or agreed upon when formed. All the groups I belong are coming together to give and receive information from the others in the group.

I presently belong to a coaches mastermind group. My first meeting I attended I did not understand the format and did not participate to the fullest. One thing I learned though was that each person at the table had some of the same issues I did and were there to gain from experiences from others. We are not there to gain business from each other; it is all about the learning experience. Referrals may happen between some of the people who are attending, but that is not the focus of this group.

Last fall I had breakfast with a friend of mine. She is a small business owner who is struggling to find ways to market her business. She suggested we find others who were having the same problem and start a roundtable group. At the time I agreed but was in the midst of the holidays. Today I emailed her and wrote, “Let’s get started!” I believe in the power of a mastermind group and bringing multiple minds together to plan for greater things to happen.

I am now facilitating a mastermind group of small business owners local to our area. When first coming in the room some of the people are apprehensive and do not understand the concept or what it is about. After we had our introductions and I explained how it worked, we started tackling one of our first business problems and it opened the floodgate for everyone to relax and become a part of it. The group was started and we are launched.

I am sure as we progress there will be modifications along the way, but the greatest success will come from those who attend and participate. Membership is not for everyone. You have to be serious about building your business and be willing to share with and learn from other business owners.

Why not try a group yourself. There are several online and perhaps there are probably some local to your area also. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce. Some offer them as a benefit to their members. Learn from the experience of others and succeed in business.

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Do you remember the last time you attended the initial meeting of a new task force or project team at work? No one could agree on the goals. A couple of people complained about all their other work demands. Someone was pushing a personal agenda to become the team “leader.” After a couple of hours of struggle, with the “team’s” wheels totally spinning, you began to ask yourself why you were here.

In high performance organizations with project-oriented environments, ad hoc teams are becoming the norm. Examples are companies like Levi Strauss, ABB, and 3M.

Temporary teams differ from permanent teams. Most importantly, they have high demands placed on them to produce results quickly and then disband. Their mandate and authority (e.g. can they make final decisions? can they implement them?) are often unclear. And if the team is also cross functional, it will have complex goals affecting many parts of the organization and beyond.

And then there are the team members! They come with varying degrees of commitment, different agendae, functional backgrounds, perspectives, and loyalties. But they all wonder whether their efforts here will be rewarded at performance review time.

The ad hoc team faces a unique challenge. It must sort out its human dynamics issues early, get everyone aligned on a common mandate, and build the genuine commitment of all members to that goal quickly! These teams seldom have enough time to devote to the project. They need to get on with the task-asap! Yet, again and again experience has shown that when team members do not address the human dynamics part right at the beginning, team performance suffers seriously later on.

So, what should your project or ad hoc team do to maximize its performance? Its first meeting is crucial. Plan to invest just one day, up front, on its “process” issues. This initial session should be facilitated by a skilled person who is not a team member. As a guide, here is what my one-day “kickstart” program typically covers:

Purpose/mission

Why was the team created? What goals and deliverables (e.g. design a process to reduce wastage by 18%) are expected of it? Ensure that all members understand and accept these objectives and their related time-lines.

Champion(s)

To which manager, board or steering committee does the team report? What support has this champion promised? What information/updates do they expect from the team? How will the team liaise with the champion?

Team Members

What skills, knowledge, and experience do they bring? Identify and discuss each person’s hopes, desired benefits, expectations, concerns, and initial degree of commitment to the team. Make it OK not to be committed at the outset.

Operating Guidelines

Determine how leadership will operate within the team. Is there one leader? What is his/her role? How will the team make decisions? How often will they meet? How will they communicate amongst one another? What is expected of each member? Can someone miss a meeting? What happens if someone fails to meet a commitment?

Next steps

Now it is time to turn the group to its task. Here members start developing a plan of action and assign responsibilities. The day should end with this underway.

The above fills a very productive day. A facilitator will fast track the team to performance by:

1. providing structure and leadership

2. training members on group dynamics

3. helping them through the startup energy-draining issues around power

4. ensuring that they stay focused

A good facilitator will leave the team with tools and techniques to address interpersonal issues whenever they obstruct team performance downline.

What about your temporary teams? Can they afford a slow acceleration to maximum performance?

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