As I’ve grown my businesses, collaborating with other people who get business has been an integral part of the mix. More importantly, have people who I actually get to do real business with is where real results really start soar.
Let me give you an example of what I mean.
Just yesterday, I was on a call with someone who I am considering consulting with on my Facebook Advertising strategy.
He said, “Here’s what we can do. We can have a call to discuss strategy and your action plan. You’ll go away to implement. We’ll come back two weeks later to see what you did or didn’t get done. Then we’ll reset.”
Here’s the deal.
I am crazy in action. I don’t personally need more to implement.
To get ahead and grow, I need partners who will implement with me and do business with me side-by-side. I don’t need someone to tell me what to do. I need someone to do it with me in real-time, or heck to even do it for me all together!
But when you’re doing your best to keep your sanity and avoid collapsing every single Friday, you need to make sure that the time you invest in your group is benefitting your business. You also need to make sure the resources, projects, courses, and strategies you invest in help you get leverage. Not just a bigger to-do list.
Because, otherwise, what’s the point?
That’s precious time you could be spending on activities that are productive and profitable.
The truth is that not every program you join is going to give you what you need and there’s always the potential for your group to sideline you from getting things done in your business.
Not every coach you work with is a fit for you and what you need. Heck, maybe you don’t even need a coach. You may need a consultant or a specialist to just frickin’ do it for you already. And what you need may vary based on the area of focus or where you are in business.
You may be nodding your head at this point as you know exactly what I’m talking about. The excitement and connection of working with someone new or joining a sexy new program can rapidly morph into you hanging out on Facebook all day wasting away the hours. And while that’s an absolute blast, it’s not what we need to do to grow our business, now is it?
To get the most out of all of your business investments, it’s important that you have a clear plan and clear expectations going in.
As you get started, here are a few things to think about:
- How much time can I commit? Do I have time to have “skin in the game”?
- Will I have to remind the person I am working with what I do everytime we talk, or will they actually remember?
- Do I need something one-on-one, a group program, or a hybrid? Do I need hands-on implementation support?
- Is this the right fit? Skills and experience matter, but so does personality. If you don’t mesh, no amount of professionalism can overcome that.
- Will this activity/program/initiative stretch me beyond my comfort zone and push me forward? (Because it should!)
If you’re ready to jump in, get clear on the following first to avoid any surprises:
- Will we speak generally about business tactics or will we focus on what I need to do to grow MY business?
- What kind of time is required for communication on an ongoing basis? Do we get calls? Emails? Hangouts?
- How are day-to-day communications organized?
- What kind of commitment is involved – financial and time-wise?
Asking all these questions upfront may seem like overkill, but the last thing you want to do is get involved in anything that ends up being a drag on your business and delivers little in return. The goal of of a program, coaching partnership, consulting relationship or even a mastermind is to help you grow and thrive, not to suck your energy out and leave you spinning your wheels.
The perfect example of this in action is what I call Speed Masterminding. In group programs I’d done in the past, I’d struggled with mastermind calls that were dominated by a single person or coaching calls that demanded too much time, but little actual return. And I know I’m not alone with that as it’s a common complaint among my business friends.
Enter Speed Masterminding + Backpocket TLCs
When I started Freshly Implemented two years ago, I introduced a hybrid of models that include quick Backpocket TLCs along with group speed masterminding sessions.
Coaching calls are only effective if they help you get what you need without taking up hours of your day. Which is the concept between the Backpocket TLC. You get on the phone, get the coaching you need and get back to biz quickly. Two years later, I can say this is one of my clients’ most favorite things because there’s no waiting for help in three weeks, it’s help as you need it because let’s face it, business happens in real-time.
And speed masterminding is pretty much like speed dating. Everyone gets a set amount of time (usually less than 5 minutes) to present their issue and then members of the group have 2 minutes to provide feedback. It may seem like that’s way too short, but you’d be shocked at how creating that boundary helps people get to the point and how much we can get done in one speed mastermind session. Best of all, everyone gets a chance to get feedback and contribute to the group – no Pushy Patty, Hogging Hildas, or Dramatic Debbies stealing the show.
If you find yourself on two hour long calls where you’re staring off into space and doodling as you wait to have a chance to speak, you’re not in the right place. You should leave your mastermind meetings absolutely pumped and ready to take on the world. And it doesn’t have to take boatloads of time or be something you travel to the ends of the earth to get to.
Are you ready to mastermind with other smart cookies and not waste a second doing it and have a consultant who’s there for you when you need them, the Genius Collective is right up your alley. We’ll be speed masterminding and getting IT done #likeaboss, and you’ll get lots of Backpocket TLC so you can keep your biz moving.
Enrollment is now open for this small group experience for high potential entrepreneurs. Shoot us an email at nice [at] ambermccue [dot] com and we'll send over all the details.
