In his book Peak, Anders Ericcson talks about developing expertise (tho he focuses on “expert performance”) in unregulated, if you will, artistic or professional disciplines. He cites traditions such as the violin, piano, and chess, as being highly standardized and regulated – it is well documented how to inculcate expertise in those fields.
He cites Ben Franklin’s entrepreneurship in newspaper publishing as an example of a professional cultivating business expertise with no formal roadmap or education in the field.
One of the systems Franklin devised to counteract his lack of professional training, according to Ericcson, was the mastermind group concept which Franklin believed should be diverse.
To be a fly on the wall in the Junto Club, wow.
So the entrepreneur’s ability to connect with fellow experts may contribute to the power of an unregulated profession.
Regulated proserv consultants have the freedom to sign up for Toastmasters and other groups, but do they have the entrepreneurial foresight, creativity, and drive to imagine what their particular mastermind should look like, and then form it, find it, join it, etc.
Ben Franklin though the mastermind should be comprised of a diverse range of experts, so a marketing mastermind group should not be limited to marketers. Which means it’s not really a marketing mastermind.
Who comprises the mastermind that is best for you?
Addendum: The MasterMind Questions of Benjamin Franklin
Franklin’s mastermind, the Junto Club, lasted for 38 years. He devised the following question to structure meetings.
- Have you met with anything in the author you last read, remarkable, or suitable to be communicated to the Junto? Particularly in history, morality, poetry, physics, travels, mechanic arts, or other parts of knowledge?
- What new story have you lately heard agreeable for telling in conversation?
- Has any citizen in your knowledge failed in his business lately, and what have you heard of the cause?
- Have you lately heard of any citizen’s thriving well, and by what means?
- Have you lately heard how any present rich man, here or elsewhere, got his estate?
- Do you know of any fellow citizen, who has lately done a worthy action, deserving praise and imitation? or who has committed an error proper for us to be warned against and avoid?
- What unhappy effects of intemperance have you lately observed or heard? of imprudence? of passion? or of any other vice or folly?
- What happy effects of temperance? of prudence? of moderation? or of any other virtue?
- Have you or any of your acquaintance been lately sick or wounded? If so, what remedies were used, and what were their effects?
- Who do you know that are shortly going [on] voyages or journeys, if one should have occasion to send by them?
- Do you think of anything at present, in which the Junto may be serviceable to mankind? to their country, to their friends, or to themselves?
- Hath any deserving stranger arrived in town since last meeting, that you heard of? and what have you heard or observed of his character or merits? and whether think you, it lies in the power of the Junto to oblige him, or encourage him as he deserves?
- Do you know of any deserving young beginner lately set up, whom it lies in the power of the Junto any way to encourage?
- Have you lately observed any defect in the laws, of which it would be proper to move the legislature an amendment? Or do you know of any beneficial law that is wanting?
- Have you lately observed any encroachment on the just liberties of the people?
- Hath anybody attacked your reputation lately? and what can the Junto do towards securing it?
- Is there any man whose friendship you want, and which the Junto, or any of them, can procure for you?
- Have you lately heard any member’s character attacked, and how have you defended it?
- Hath any man injured you, from whom it is in the power of the Junto to procure redress?
- In what manner can the Junto, or any of them, assist you in any of your honourable designs?
- Have you any weighty affair in hand, in which you think the advice of the Junto may be of service?
- What benefits have you lately received from any man not present?
- Is there any difficulty in matters of opinion, of justice, and injustice, which you would gladly have discussed at this time?
- Do you see any thing amiss in the present customs or proceedings of the Junto, which might be amended?