Forming a 1)Mastermind 2)Alliance
A mastermind alliance is built of two or more minds working actively together in perfect harmony toward a common 3)definite objective.
The mastermind principle lets you appropriate and use the full strength of the experience, training, and knowledge of other people just as if they were your own.
No one has ever 4)attained 5)outstanding success in anything without applying the mastermind principle. No one mind is complete by itself. All truly great minds have been 6)reinforced through contact with others that allowed them to grow and expand.
For a model of a mastermind alliance at work, consider a train 7)crew. The 8)conductor (you) can take the train to its 9)destination only because all the other members of the train crew recognize and respect his (your) 10)authority.
For your mastermind alliance to 11)function properly, you must give clear, unmistakable signals to your crew. They, in turn, need to be willing to cooperate fully with you. There are four simple steps to making sure this is the case.
Step 1: Determine Your Purpose
The first step in putting together a mastermind alliance is to 12)adopt a definite purpose for it to attain.
If you have already written out your own definite major purpose and the means you will use to attain it, this step will be familiar for you. Writing out the plan for your alliance’s success will make you aware of every one of the links of the chain you must 13)forge. Inevitably there will be links you have neither the skill nor the resources to join yourself, just as the conductor cannot 14)simultaneously collect fares, work the dining car, and keep a hand on the 15)throttle. This brings you to your second step.
Step 2: Select the Members of Your Alliance
Choosing the people who will help you attain your goal must be done carefully. You may initially select some people who you later decide are not appropriate, and you may discover that there are 16)unanticipated needs for knowledge that must be filled. 17)Trial and error will be a part of the process, but there are two qualities to keep 18)foremost in your mind that will help you to avoid too many surprises.
The first is ability to do the job.
The other quality is the ability to work in a spirit of harmony with others.
You must keep any thoughts of 19)discord out of your alliance. There must be a complete meeting of the minds, without any 20)reservations on the part of any member. Personal ambitions must be 21)subordinate to the 22)fulfillment and successful achievement of the definite purpose of the alliance. This includes your own.
Being clear about your alliance’s purpose will give you a basis for judging someone’s ability to work in harmony with it.
Step 3: Determine Your Rewards
Clearly determined rewards for participation in your mastermind alliance are an important factor in its harmony. Determine at the 23)outset what rewards you are offering in return for the work of others, and there will be little room for later 24)recriminations.
Wealth will obviously have the greatest 25)appeal for members of your commercial 26)enterprise, but remember that other motives can play an important role. Recognition and self-expression are just as important as money to many people.
Your best motivator, wealth, must be willingly, fairly, and generously divided among your team. The more generous you are, the more help you will get.
Step 4: Set a Time and Place for Meeting
Your alliance must be active to do any good. Establish a definite place and time for regular meetings to ensure that you are making progress and dealing with the issues you face. Your early meetings will likely involve 27)fine-tuning the plan you have made for your success, drawing upon the specialized skills of your members.
Think about a group of sales 28)reps brought together for a conference. They may arrive in general agreement about their goals, but a day or a weekend spent reinforcing their determination, listening to and incorporating their suggestions for the plan at hand will send them away 29)fired up and eager to achieve their goals.
