February 2020 - The FoCuSeD™ Facilitator eNewsletter
35 Years! | Gary Rush Facilitation
On February 25, 1985, Millie and I opened our consulting business, then called MG Rush Systems, Inc. now MGR Consulting, Inc. I created FAST, the first structured facilitation technique, and taught my first class in September 1985. Today, I teach the FoCuSeD™ Facilitator Academy. I've been teaching Facilitators and facilitating workshops ever since, with the exception of one year (2004 - 2005), when we opened Mirácles Restaurant in Old San Juan, Puerto Rico. We returned to consulting in 2005 and in 2007, I created my new facilitation technique - FoCuSeD™ - the first holistic structured facilitation technique.
What has changed in 35 years?
When I began, I had to explain to clients what facilitation was, what a Facilitator did, and why Facilitators needed training. Facilitation was used mostly in communities and/or in IT. There was no professional association for Facilitators and no professional recognition.
For the first 19 years, the majority of my students were from IT and the majority of my facilitation was for business requirements or strategic planning. Today, the nature of facilitation is quite different. Facilitation is better known, accepted, and applied. The IAF was founded in 1994 and now recognizes those who wish to pursue an IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation. Organizations know what a Facilitator does and the importance of training. The biggest issue is clarifying the similarities and differences between group facilitation and other forms of engagement - and how facilitation works in every aspect of a business. Facilitation is used in communities, IT, planning, problem solving, human relations, etc. - there are no bounds to its use and Facilitation has been proven to deliver significant value to any organization. My students come from a variety of areas in an organization and I facilitate business requirements, strategic plans, problem solving, and data modeling, amongst others. Instead of cadres of people specialized as Facilitators, we now have many job descriptions that require facilitation skills, making facilitation a must-have skill set for any role.
The Future of Facilitation
Facilitation doesn't stand still. The use of virtual workshops has increased significantly and along with that growth has come improved technology to enable people to work remotely. Organizations are experiencing increased collaboration across silos. They have improved their meetings by training their people in facilitation skills enhancing job performance, driving collaboration, and achieving quality results. Government institutions are increasingly using facilitated workshops to enhance dialog both within the institution and with their constituents. The use of Facilitation engages, empowers, and motivates all levels of the organization. Creative new ideas have been developed and significant financial savings have been realized. But most importantly, the cultures of the organizations have changed to become collaborative, making facilitation skills the must-have skills of the 21st Century.
Thank you...
We could not have been in business for 35 years if it weren't for you, our students and clients. I've learned a lot from you and appreciate your trust and confidence in allowing me to train you and facilitate your meetings/workshops. I enjoy hearing from you and I wish you all continued success. Thanks for 35 great years... looking forward to many more.
