Mastermind Alliance: Making Use of Many Minds
You will have heard the phrase, "Two minds are better than one". It is crucial for us to harness the creative power of our entire team. The most profitable ideas are often the fruits of many minds working in harmony to solve a shared problem. We need to know how to combine our team's ideas so the result is not from any one individual, but is rather the combined efforts of the whole team. Our team's creativity is best achieved when we are working in a cooperative and harmonious way.
The best way to do that is to use the Mastermind Principle.
The Mastermind principle comes from the writings of Napoleon Hill: "The Mastermind principle consists of an alliance of two or more minds working in PERFECT HARMONY, for the attainment of a common, definite purpose".
Tips for Creating a Mastermind Alliance
A Mastermind alliance works best when the members of our team operate in an attitude of mutual respect and friendship. Our Mastermind alliance does not work well when there is:
- Political game playing,
- Point-scoring,
- One-upmanship,
- Egotism,
- Character clashes,
- Or major disagreement about the direction of the team.
The purpose of the Mastermind is to harness our joint creative brainpower. That creative spark is only present when we are working together in a cooperative union.
We find that when two or more of us come together in a spirit of cooperation and harmony, with a shared purpose, then our creative output seems to be the product of our members, not the sum of our members. This means, for instance, three of us are six times more creative than one. (1x2x3=6)
Four of us are not four times as creative as one; four of us, in a proper Mastermind relationship, may be as much as 24 times more creative than one person working alone. (1x2x3x4=24).
We find that Masterminds need to be limited to between 2 and 7 people.
Once groups exceed seven, there is a tendency for the cell to split into two cells, like an amoeba. The more people there are in a group, the harder it is for everyone to gel with everyone else. It seems that people naturally organise themselves into smaller units of about seven or fewer members. For example, the smallest unit in an army is called a squad and usually comprises seven people.
The members of our Mastermind should have a mix of skills.
We don't want seven goalkeepers, or seven strikers in our Mastermind. We need a variety of personalities and skills, along with as much education and knowledge as we can find. Disagreements are okay, as long as they are about the method, not the goal. Our goal must be shared. Our methods to achieve the goal should be variable.
Our Mastermind alliance should meet at regular intervals until the goal is achieved.
Goal Setting Training
In our People Management Skills Training course, delegates learn how to set and communicate clear goals, prioritise and delegate tasks, manage conflict and performance and motivate and inspire the team to give their best performance.
Mastermind Alliance
In business, a Mastermind Alliance is a principle that brings two to seven people together. The members trust and respect each other, pursue one clear goal and pool different skills. When these points are true, the group thinks as one mind and creates ideas no lone worker could match.
CG4D Definition
Context: Business
Genus: Principle
- Forms a group of two to seven people
- Members act with trust and mutual respect
- Group holds one clear, shared goal
- Members contribute different skills to create ideas beyond single effort
Article Summary
A Mastermind alliance puts two to seven people with different skills round one clear goal; when trust and respect rule, their joined ideas form one stronger mind that solves problems faster and earns gains no lone worker could match.