How Do You Hire (and Fire) For Your Mastermind Business?

 

Another topic of online mastermind groups people ask about is hiring and firing staff. It’s very likely, if you’re leading a group across multiple time zones and different countries, your team will also be virtual.

 

Well, it’s a good time to discuss that question, because in Iron Sharpens Iron, we’re reading up on the topic. The book this month is “The Ride of a Lifetime,” by former Disney CEO Robert Iger. And he has some handy principles he lives by when it comes to hiring and firing.

 

First off, though - I want to acknowledge that a meeting over Zoom is still not the same as a face-to-face interview. I realize there’s an inherent risk in hiring someone overseas. To offset that a little bit, we’ve included some useful tools in The Mastermind Playbook that are worth checking out if you really want to keep tabs on people’s productivity.

 

How to Hire For Your Mastermind Group Online

 

Iger tells an interesting story of some personnel issues he had as Marvel Studios integrated into Disney. One was Rich Ross, who he tapped to lead Disney Studios in 2010, and who turned out to be unable to adjust to his new role. Iger confessed to having made the decision on instinct, without much consultation.

 

One good place to take hiring decisions - especially significant ones - is to a mastermind group. In your case, being the leader of one might make that a little complicated, especially if the person you’re considering for a job has any kind of connection with existing members. So you may want to run it by a coach or mentor instead.

 

Another thing that can be difficult to know via Zoom is someone’s character. There are advantages and disadvantages here, but I think it’s important to pay attention to someone’s character no matter what. I will say, however, that if an independent contractor overseas misbehaves on the job, it’s much easier to terminate that relationship than a permanent employee stateside.

 

Aside from that, there are some ways to sense a person’s ability to do a job … but the only way to find out for sure is to hire them, give them clear instructions, and turn them loose. Quite honestly, I never worry about anyone on my team, and I don’t keep tabs on them. They’re all independent contractors, so their work is either done according to deadline or it’s not.

 

In this new season after COVID-19, it’s fair to say you face some similar circumstances, even if you’re hiring someone as full-time, permanent staff. My friend Brian McRae, for example, recently hired his own business development rep for his mastermind group. There are a lot more people working remotely than there used to be!

 

How to Fire People From a Mastermind Online

 

I think this next section should apply to people you add to your team as well as members, if you have to “fire” a member. You will have people who drift away, or never show up, or parts of their character catch up with them … and the time comes to say what’s on your mind.

 

In his book, Iger left a great list of things he requires for firing people:

 

• It must be done in-person, with eye contact
• You can’t use anyone else as an excuse; they need to know it comes from you
• The decision must be about how the person did their job, not the person themselves
• You can’t make small talk or chit chat
• You should be direct about the issue, explaining why it’s not working and why you don’t believe it’s going to change
• Avoid euphemistic corporate language; the conversation is painful, but it doesn’t need to be dishonest or sugar-coated

 

I think these are great guidelines, and something else Iger added after this closed the loop. In 2012, he fired Rich Ross as head of Disney Studios, and started looking for an executive to replace him.

 

This time, Iger took the advice of someone he trusted when Alan Horn’s name came up. Horn had recently split from Warner Bros., where he’d been COO and president. Although the negotiations for his role took some time, Iger’s decision to find the right person, the right way paid off. Over the next eight years, Disney would oversee the production and release of over 20 movies that grossed $1 billion or more each at the box office.

 

Iger’s move boiled down to sound business principles. Attention to detail, open and honest conversation and the input of trusted advisors make for a much firmer footing. Let me assure you, leading an online mastermind will supply you with plenty of opportunities for that!

 

For everything else, as they say, there’s a powerful resource we’ve created to help you start, grow and scale your mastermind. I want to invite you to our website to take a look at The Mastermind Playbook, and let us know what you think of it.