Masterminds: Hot Seats

Ground Rules for Masterminds

● The Mastermind is a Safe Space
● What’s shared in the room doesn’t leave the room without permission
● The intention is to love and support each other on the coaching journey
● Don’t try to fix people’s problems, help them ask better questions

Hot Seats
Intro & Intention
● 5 mins
○ Chat/socialize/network/let people arrive - at the end do a short centering moment
(e.g. take a deep breath together and set your intention for the call)
● 5 mins
○ Greetings, explain the ground rules and format, assign time keeper
○ The topic can be whatever they want, if they don’t have a topic that is burning for
them, pick the chosen topic for that mastermind
○ The goal of the group is to provide insights, find a better question or 10X the
idea.

Core Mastermind
● 10 mins / person = 40 min total
○ Roles:
■ 1. Hot Seat: Case giver. Shares personal frustration/challenge or
idea/venture. Try to draw context. Why is this important? What have I
already done about it? What would I like to hear from the group? Listens
for insight rather than agreement.
■ 2. Coaches: Listen deeply without judgement. Don’t try to fix the problem.
Reflect back to the person how they present the problem. Can simply
summarize the problem and feelings to make it clearer. Ask clarifying
questions. Ask for permission to go bigger/deeper with questions. Share
their own story that relates to the challenge. Give thoughts, tools,
suggestions.
■ 3. Time Keeper: Tracks the time for each person on the hot seat and
interrupts if necessary.
○ Process:
 ■ Decide on max. 4 people who will be in the hot seat during this
mastermind round
■ Time Keeper: Give a 1-minute warning for the end of each 10 minute
period.
■ Invite first person into the Hot Seat
■ That person presents his/her problem or idea in 90 seconds without
interruption
■ Have the group share feedback in turn on what they observed, share
story of how they addressed problem in their life or ask another question
that leads to insight or 10X the idea
■ Person on the Hot Seat shouldn’t respond but only listen during that time
-> Listen for insight, not agreement!!
■ Have person on the hot seat share insights if time allows it
■ Allow for 1 minute of silence if time allows it.
■ Switch hot seat

Wrap-up
■ 5 min
■ Share in turn your 1-2 insights or wins from this mastermind session
■ Send feedback form in the comments and ask people to fill them out right
away
■ Ask everyone to confirm whether they can come next week
■ Event is over, share a moment of gratitude, remind of next week’s topic,
moment of silence and dismiss.

Modality: Open vs. Closed Masterminds

Open Masterminds

Open masterminds are always open for anybody to join. The host here needs an intro & closing
that would make sense, even if one has never attended the mastermind. The host also needs to
be prepared to use breakout rooms if the number of people is 12 or larger - in which
circumstance the group would be split in two.

Closed Masterminds

Closed masterminds are not accessible to new people from the 3rd call onwards. The first 2
calls are usually still open as the group finds itself, however afterwards it remains the same
group of people until the very end.
Resources
- Meet & Grow Rich by Joe Vitale & Bill Hilber

FAQ
● What do I do when people are late?
○ Continue with the agenda and introduce them into the group or context once the
opportunity arises. Imagine a room full of people in an event talking about
something and a new person joining. Normally the new person would observe for
a few minutes until he/she is ready to join in. It’s the same here.
● How do I handle no shows?
○ Don’t spend too much time on no-shows, if your mastermind falls below 5 regular
attending people, gently reach out to everyone and encourage them to either
commit or step out. Move into open mastermind format if you see that your
number is diminishing over time.
● Can I have more than 8 people in my mastermind group?
○ 8 is the best, however up to 12 is still possible if you manage it well.
○ For Hot-Seat masterminds 5 people is better than 8.
● Should I record the mastermind sessions?
○ No. The mastermind sessions are fueled by live attendings. No recordings makes
people feel safer in the room + encourages everyone to show up.

Pro Tips:
- Some people WILL be late. Happens every time, without fail.
- Some people will interrupt in the middle of a topic and the topic dissolves and goes to
another new topic. The facilitator or regulator can interrupt in a polite and delicate way
and return to the topic that has not yet been concluded.
- Remind everyone in your group chat to join the mastermind on the day it happens and
post the link in the group chat.
- Connect to a strong internet source in an area where you will not be interrupted.
- Follow the Mastermind Format that is provided. You can use the script if you want.
a. Show leadership
b. Be clear with instructions, don’t be afraid to interrupt when somebody talks for too
long
c. Have fun! This is the time for you to really stretch your mind and flex your
problem solving & coaching skills.
d. Be sure to connect with your fellow coaches
- Take a group photo screenshot!
- Celebrate your team by posting your key outcomes in the main community group. Tag
the people who were on the call.