Masterminding - Teamwork at Its Best!

We want to encourage methods for our children to increase their feelings of self worth. Keep in mind a healthy self esteem comes from what you do; it does not come from what others say about you. Success breeds success. When you are successful - you know it and this allows you the courage to tackle other projects and new experiences. The identification of strengths' is another great tool for your children to adapt. When you can identify your strengths you can build on them - concentrate on your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses. One of the ways I helped my daughters and my students with this idea was to host regular mastermind meetings. For those of you who are not familiar with this concept, it was developed by Napoleon Hill at the turn of the century, and his thought was that two heads are better than one - even if one is a cabbage!

Each week the students were encouraged to bring to the meeting anything he or she wanted help on. It could be anything from help on how to convince their parents to raise their allowance to help with a particular course in school. Each student had a set amount of time for their issue. They would explain to the group what the concern was and ask for the groups input. All members of a Mastermind agree to work as hard on the issues of others as they would on their own. This synergy and willingness to think outside of the box has really helped to generate some amazing solutions. Often when we have a problem we can't see the forest for the trees. But bringing in a fresh set of eyes from a different perspective can allow very creative options to be introduced.

I implemented this forum for two very distinct reasons. First I wanted my students to realize that you don't get it all in life, and the sooner you realize you need others to help you achieve what you want, the quicker you will have success. The first step is to take inventory, what are your strengths and weaknesses? In essence, what do you 'bring to the table'? Before your teen heads off to college, you want to equip them with the tools they need to determine their answers to these very important questions. Secondly, I needed my students to be able to share their strengths with others, because if you help enough people get what they want you will always get what you need.

By combining forces with others, your children can achieve amazing things in life. Learning how to do this when you are young is priceless! When our children grasp this concept and are taught how to implement it, their entire experience shift to the next level. Take a moment now to carve out time each week for your Mastermind meeting and watch the magic unfold.

Masterminding - Teamwork at Its Best! By Debbie Elder

Debbie Elder, National Parenting and Child Motivation Expert, and Associate Dean of the New College Preparatory Academy. No matter what I wrote above, it doesn't mean anything if you are not forming solid, long lasting relationships with your children. Email me at delder@setthemupforsuccess.com for your FREE report - The Top 5 Things Effective Parents Do! Simply put 'mastermind' in the subject block of your email and the report is yours!