Squads
accountability groups
Why
Squads are an Agile Methodology concept
There will start to be conflict which is resolved usually by sharing responsibility.
This promotes fully autonomous teams that have responsibility for what they do.
What Are The Benefits of Squads?
The coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.
- Mutual support. - youâll be able to lean on each other for support. Â Many times when my progress has slowed on a specific goal, the members of my mastermind are the only people who really understand what has been going on behind the scenes
- Differing perspectives. - Hearing different views reveals issues we wouldnât otherwise become aware of â in our personal life, and in approaching goals. Â
- Resources. Â - Everyone in your group will have access to a different skillset and network of people. Iâve often found that when I ask for help in my mastermind groups, these resources help me make progress in ways I never could by myself.
- Accountability. Â - My fellow group members hold me accountable to goals I set. Â In addition, just knowing that I have a regularly scheduled meeting internally drives me to make progress â because I donât want to be the only person reporting back that I havenât made an effort to move my projects forward.
How
In a mastermind group, the agenda belongs to the group and each personâs participation is crucial to the success of the group as a whole.
Your mastermind partners give you feedback, help you brainstorm new possibilities, and solutions to tricky problems.
The facilitator sets up accountability structures that keep you focused and on track.
You create a community of supportive colleagues who brainstorm together to move the members to new heights.
Youâll gain tremendous insights that improve your business and personal life
This creates massive value for everyone in your group.
Starting A Squad
- Pick a Topic. Â
- This may be as narrow as you like, or as broad as you like (such as your entire life). I would recommend picking one specific aspect of your life to start out with. Â Perhaps fitness, career, school, or some other broad area that you would like improvement with.
- Find your Partners.
- Agree On Ground Rules.
- The purpose of the rules is to ensure everyone benefits from the mastermind group
- Meet!
The objectives of these teams is to promote teamwork, collaboration and innovation, as well as giving team members ownership and a sense of enablement.
How Do I Run A Mastermind Group?
- Meet Regularly And Precisely.
- Keep to a regularly scheduled time, ensure all members are punctual â and end on time. You may require more or less time, but ensure that you have adequate time because you want toâŚ
- Give each member equal time.
- We have approximately 20 minutes per person, and try to keep it in that time frame.
- Donât Interrupt.
- One person at a time, and keep in mind the purpose of the meeting is to give everyone a chance to talk.
- Decide if you need an agenda.
- My mastermind groups typically have a conversation topic (often decided at the meeting prior), but no explicit agenda. I previously have run groups that had more explicit items on the agenda for accountability and progress reports â try it out and decide what works best for you.
- Capture. Â Make sure you capture what happened at each meeting â lessons and triumphs, goals, and items you want to keep each other accountable to.
Three Question To Kick Start
- What Are You Working On?
- Nice and broad, and each member can answer with whatever they feel comfortable sharing.
- What Did You Learn?
- Very often my groups are focused on similar goals, and lessons learnt by one member benefit all of us.
- What Do You Need Help With?
- By having a specific question on the agenda, this helps take pressure of members who want to reach out to the group for help.