The MasterMind Process: Borrowing Others’ Brains

Wouldn’t it be nice to have access to other brains, to help build your reverse mortgage business and to test-drive new ideas? There’s a way to do so without resorting to sci-fi: MasterMind groups.

MasterMind groups are facilitated brainstorming sessions that allow business professionals to move through issues or interests fast, by dialoging with a group of intellectual peers. MasterMinding helps you enroll others in your vision of success, establish an ongoing support network, and collect a repertoire of resources, feedback and ideas through the brilliance of the group’s collective wisdom. Out-of-the-box thinking comes from out-of-the-ordinary experiences; MasterMinding creates a container that promotes creative and unusual thought. And while MasterMinding is ideal in person, in our cyber age you can easily hold a MasterMind group via Skype or teleconference.

Here’s a quick take on how four professionals can MasterMind so that all of your businesses blossom this spring. It can be a great time management tool, too.

Each member of the MasterMind quad has an opportunity to present their business and get support from the other members.

The Focus Member (the one who has the floor) takes one minute or less to frame the conversation and give sufficient background so the Supporting Members have the information they need to effectively engage about the issue. Follow this format:

1. What I want to focus on is (e.g.: getting more qualified reverse mortgage leads). Mention a specific area of your business, typically related to marketing and sales, in which you would like to improve.)

2. What I am currently manifesting is (e.g.: people whose home values are too low/not enough equity). Give a brief, honest assessment of the current situation regarding the area of focus. Keep story to a minimum. The “what” is more important than the “why.”

3. What I’d like to achieve is (e.g.: connecting with seniors who have sufficient home equity and are interested in a reverse mortgage). What is your vision, desire, goal?

4. The way you could support me is (e.g.: relationship building, suggestions for places to volunteer, speak, etc). Ask for ideas, feedback, follow-up support, etc. from your quad — whatever you think will be most helpful. Then listen to the suggestions without judging it. Keep the flow moving.)

As a Supporting Member (part of the MasterMind group), your job is to help the Focus Member with as many ideas as possible, in the shortest amount of time. Each Supporting Member should take a turn providing their input concisely, and then yield to the next member.

• Clarify about the area of focus and/or ask, “What have you already tried?”
• Brainstorming: Have you ever considered…?
• Input: Here’s my observation…
• Goal. Support the Focus Member in setting an appropriate goal and setting up a timetable to achieve the goal.
• Support. When appropriate, support arrangements may be set up so Supporting Members help the Focus Member with follow-up actions in the days or weeks to come. This support may include more detailed follow-up MasterMind interaction.

The old adage about two heads being better than one is amplified exponentially in a MasterMind group of four to eight people. Try it, and please report your results!