You don’t need more meetings.
You need meetings that get results!
Find out more about. . .
To Lead Better Meetings, Master the Fundamentals of Meeting Design and Facilitation
Our training focuses on live Instruction, dynamic conversation, and hands-on exercises. Discover the tools and skills that are critical before, during, and after your meetings.
Before the Meeting
Great meetings start with research and planning. By knowing what questions to ask and tools to use, you’ll craft a clear deliverable supported by a strong agenda that will guide you to a successful outcome.
During the Meeting
Great meeting facilitators are problem-solvers, skilled at active listening. You’ll learn to use tools and techniques that build group consensus by getting everyone on the same page to successfully create meeting deliverables.
After the Meeting
Great meetings create clear and actionable results. Know how to create, document, and communicate the assignments, deliverables, next steps, and open issues from a meeting that everyone owns.
What You Can Expect
You’ll learn how to craft a great meeting experience from before participants arrive, to long after they get back to their desks.
Meeting Design Skills
Improve The Design Of Your Meetings
Meeting attendees disengage because they don’t have a clear vision of the meeting’s purpose, expected deliverables, and rules for engagement. You’ll learn how to design meetings that get your team excited to attend, engage, and participate.
Meeting Facilitation Skills
Improve the Flow of Your Meetings
Project a confident and competent leadership presence by improving your credibility and increasing the ease by which you control your meetings.
Meeting Tools & Resources
Improve Your Meeting Success
Take advantage of proven agendas, procedures, and tools to strengthen your connections, teach you how to manage conflict, and convey stability and authenticity.
Don’t Take Our Word For It!
“I use this training every day and attribute this to some of the reason I was promoted twice in the last year.”
“I have taken a lot of training as a working professional over fifteen years plus and this course by far will be the most valuable and practiced.”
“The best training course I have attended for usability, content, and delivery. Excellent for anyone who facilitates regularly or attends meetings regularly. The course builds better facilitators AND attendees.”
“I read a quote from Google’s Sr VP of People Operations: ‘The only training you should invest in is training that changes behavior.’ I attended the Facilitation Training workshop that Terrence Metz and the MG Rush Company hosted. What a fantastic, intense, and engaging 5 days – Terrence’s passion for improving our own confidence to lead workshops and meetings, along with his energy for changing BEHAVIOR were contagious!”
“One of the few skill development workshops that truly developed skill.”
Some of the great companies we work with…
Why We Do What We Do…
Most meetings waste time because they lack structure, not because they fail to generate promising ideas.
Meetings are challenged by the fact that teams never know when they are done, how they can measure their progress, and how much work remains to be done.
They don’t know what they missed. They don’t know what they don’t know, and it takes a disciplined Approach to structure activities and ask precise questions that will unveil obscured solutions.
And that’s what we do. Using a structured approach…
We train you how to lead meetings that produce clear and actionable results. Meetings that are not a waste of time–because the worst deliverable from ANY meeting is another meeting.
Certified Professional Facilitator Training Workshop
This course includes all our Facilitation Fundamentals curriculum.
Professional Facilitation Workshop
CSPF Certification- Public Class 5-day Workshop Dates
December 02 – 06, 2024 in Austin, TX (Class full. WAITING LIST ONLY. Call for more info.)
March 10 – 14, 2025 in Nashville, TN
June 09 – 13, 2025 in Phoenix, AZ
September 15 – 19, 2025 in Washington, DC
December 08 – 12, 2025 in Houston, TX
- Students paying more than 30 days in advance of our 5-day class qualify for our Early Bird discount. Available on registration form. Government, non-profit, or group discounts are also available on registration form.
PRO Course Certification Credits
Students who successfully complete our rigorous Certified Structured Professional Facilitation training qualify as Certified Structured Professional Facilitators (CSPF™). They also qualify for the following…
CERTIFICATION CREDITS
- IIBA CDUs – Participants qualify for 40 Continuing Development Units (CDUs) from the IIBA upon completion. We comply with the IIBA BABOK® v2.0.
- FAC CLPs – Participants upon successful completion qualify for 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities.
- SAVE CVS PDUs – Participants upon successful completion qualify for 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International®, complying with VMBOK® Facilitator Definition, Function Analysis System Technique (FAST) and supporting the eight Core Competencies of Team Facilitation, Section 3.1 (SAVE International ® Core Competency Education Objectives and Testing Parameters for VMA and CVS).
- The curriculum also confers 3.2 Continuing Educational Units (CEUs) for other professions.
PRO Curriculum Highlights
With a strong emphasis on HOW to think, rather than WHAT to think, expect fresh material about:
- Building Agendas Using the Meeting Pathway and Workshop Canvas
- Facilitating “Meaning”, not Words — knowing that meaning can be derived from . . .
- Narrative (verbal)
- Non-verbal (actions)
- Illustrations (drawings)
- Icons (symbols)
- Numbers, and
- Analogy, Metaphor, or Story
- Fiduciary Responsibility of Participants
- Holarchial Alignment
- Managing and Not Resolving Conflict
- Measurable Organizational Impact
- Meeting Risk Assessment
- Meeting Roles
- Optimal and Sequenced Interviewing Questions
- Optimal In-Person and Virtual Seating Arrangements
- Reflecting Rationale (symptoms versus causes)
- Removing Distractions
- Rhetorical Precisions (clear language)
- Shaking Paradigms and Groupthink
- Substance Over Style
- The Difference between Goals and Objectives
- The Difference between Mission and Vision
- The Expense of Meetings versus Workshops
- The WHY Before the WHAT
- Tool Selection Matrix
- Tools, tools, and more tools
- Unique Checklists and Templates
- Verbal Disfluencies
- Virtual Meeting and Virtual Participant Differences
- Voting Sucks
Already a Facilitation Fundamentals Facilitator?
The Final Two Days of our 5-day Professional Facilitation Training for students who are already Fundamental Facilitators includes…
REGISTER HERE FOR THE FINAL 2 DAYS
Advanced Tooling: High Performance Support
- Structure Versus Kum-Ba-Yah
- Reasons For Meeting Design (Lunch & Learn)
- Advanced Structured Tools
- After Action Review (Hot Wash)
- DQ (Decision Quality) Spider
- Flexibility Matrix
- Force Field Analysis
- Framing (Is Not — Is or Out of Scope— In Scope)
- Personality Interventions
- Real-Win-Worth
- Root Cause Analysis
- Scenario Planning
- Scorecard (Weighted And Prioritized Criteria)
- Scrubbing
- Standing Meetings
- Thinking Hats (Perspectives)
- Planning Agenda: Riffs And Variations
- Key Measures (KPIs Or CSFs)
- Quantitative To-Ws Analysis
- Requirements Framework
- Activity Flows
- Life Cycle Activities
- Sipoc And Other Options
- Risk Assessment
- Size Factors
- Complexity Factors
- Political Factors
- Diversity Factors
- Scrum Framework
- Product Release
- Facilitation Of Scrum Events
- Sprint Planning
- Principles Of A Daily Scrum
- Product Backlog Refinement
- Sprint Review
- Sprint Retrospective
- Unique Agenda Designs
- Consent Agenda Alternative
- How To Facilitate Board Meetings (Or Committees)
- Individual, One-Hour Capstone Sessions
- Facilitating A Workshop (Audio-Video Recorded Session Two)
- Extensive Four-Page Evaluation To Provide Holistic Feedback That Integrates With Each Student’s Growth Needs, Projects, And Organizational Expectations
- Certification And Continuous Improvement
PRO Abstract and Agenda
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Certified Facilitation Fundamentals Training Workshop
Live-Online or In-Person
“One of the best investments of time and money I’ve ever made. Right there along with getting an MBA from Kellogg. Provided structure and tools to apply existing skills much more effectively. Highly pragmatic. The four day session was delivered entirely online. I assumed that it would be inferior to an in person event, but that we’d try to make the best of it given the current circumstances. I was wrong. Terrence ran the session in such a way that it was enjoyable and engaging, and made time fly in a way that I didn’t think possible.” —R. Clancy
3-Day IN-PERSON
Facilitation Fundamentals- Public Class 3-day Workshop Dates
December 02 – 04, 2024 in Austin, TX (Class full. WAITING LIST ONLY. Call for more info.)
March 10 – 12, 2025 in Nashville, TN
June 09 – 11, 2025 in Phoenix, AZ
September 15 – 17, 2025 in Washington, DC
December 08 – 10, 2025 in Houston, TX
- In-person Fundamentals training runs three full days. Students are responsible for their hotel and transportation. Lunch is included.
- (*Early Bird pricing is available up to 30 days in advance. Available at registration.)
Fundamentals Course Certification Credits
Students who successfully complete our rigorous Facilitation Fundamentals training qualify as Certified Structured Fundamental Facilitators (CSFF™). They also qualify for the following…
- IIBA CDUs – Participants qualify for 24 Continuing Development Units (CDUs) from the IIBA upon completion. We comply with the IIBA BABOK® v2.0.
- FAC CLPs – Participants upon successful completion qualify for 24 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities.
- SAVE CVS PDUs – Participants upon successful completion qualify for 24 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International®, complying with VMBOK® Facilitator Definition, Function Analysis System Technique (FAST) and supporting the eight Core Competencies of Team Facilitation, Section 3.1 (SAVE International ® Core Competency Education Objectives and Testing Parameters for VMA and CVS).
- The curriculum also confers 2.4 Continuing Educational Units (CEUs) for other professions.
Fundamentals Curriculum Highlights
With a strong emphasis on HOW to think, rather than WHAT to think, expect fresh material about:
- Building Agendas Using the Meeting Pathway and Workshop Canvas
- Facilitating “Meaning”, not Words — knowing that meaning can be derived from . . .
- Narrative (verbal)
- Non-verbal (actions)
- Illustrations (drawings)
- Icons (symbols)
- Numbers, and
- Analogy, Metaphor, or Story
- Fiduciary Responsibility of Participants
- Holarchial Alignment
- Managing and Not Resolving Conflict
- Measurable Organizational Impact
- Meeting Risk Assessment
- Meeting Roles
- Optimal and Sequenced Interviewing Questions
- Optimal In-person and Virtual Seating Arrangements
- Reflecting Rationale (symptoms versus causes)
- Removing Distractions
- Rhetorical Precisions (clear language)
- Shaking Paradigms and Groupthink
- Substance Over Style
- The Difference between Goals and Objectives
- The Difference between Mission and Vision
- The Expense of Meetings versus Workshops
- The WHY Before the WHAT
- Tool Selection Matrix
- Tools, tools, and more tools
- Unique Checklists and Templates
- Verbal Disfluencies
- Virtual Meeting and Virtual Participant Differences
- Voting Sucks
Fundamentals Requirements and Materials
Fundamentals Live Online
- Desktop computer, laptop, or tablet with access to Zoom application (or Microsoft Teams for private classes) —students may download a free copy of Zoom at http://zoom.us/
- Video participation is required so the instructor and students may interact. Phone participation solely is strongly discouraged.
- Students receive a printed copy of our professional reference manual filled with facilitative leadership skills, decision-making techniques, meeting agendas, and meeting controls to be used for years to come.
- Additionally, students receive large format Post-It paper, 3-M wall hangers, and Sharpie chisel markers.
- OnLine Access to additional resources—each student receives online access to meeting agendas, checklists, ground rules, scripts, step-by-step guides, templates and audio-visual materials; to conduct their own meetings, workshops, and presentations.
- Evaluation—each student receives evaluations from a certified instructor, with written pages describing students’ strengths and areas for improvement. Certification is issued after successfully completing the capstone practice session.
Fundamentals In-Person
- Reference Manuals—each student receives a professional reference manual with four hundred pages of facilitative leadership skills, decision-making tools, meeting agendas, and meeting controls to be used for years to come.
- On-Line Access—each student receives online access to meeting agendas, checklists, ground rules, scripts, step-by-step guides, templates and audio-visual materials; to conduct their own meetings, workshops, and presentations.
- Evaluation—each student receives evaluations from a certified instructor, with written pages describing students’ strengths and areas for improvement. Certification is issued after successfully completing the capstone practice session.
- Video—each student receives a digital recording of their capstone session where they perform as session leaders in real, yet simulated conditions.
Facilitation Fundamentals Abstract and Agenda
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You are 3 Steps Away From Becoming a Prominent Meeting Leader within your Organization.
Based on our vast experience, we’re certain that if you don’t invest a little time in yourself now, you’ll waste more time in the next three months during inefficient meetings than you would have spent on our training. Training that will serve, support, and strengthen the rest of your career.
Attend and Enjoy
Learn through dynamic conversations and hands-on exercises that will hone your skills as a meeting leader.
Practice, Practice
The more you put these new tools and techniques to use, the more confident you’ll be in leading efficient and productive meetings.
Reap The Rewards!
Be known as the person who designs and leads efficient and productive meetings that others look forward to attending.
If you only want to become a good facilitator, look elsewhere. If you want to become a GREAT facilitator and meeting designer, look no further.
With MG RUSH you get…
WORLD CLASS INSTRUCTION
AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE
INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK
RELEVANT CURRICULUM
CERTIFICATION CREDITS
Our courses also provide an excellent way to earn up to 40 CDUs from IIBA, 40 Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) based on Federal Acquisition Certification Continuous Professional Learning Requirements using Training and Education activities, 40 Professional Development Units (PDUs) from SAVE International®, as well as 4.0 CEUs for other professions. (See individual class descriptions for credit amounts.)
CLASSES GUARANTEED TO RUN
100% GUARANTEED
Wish Your Meetings Were More Productive?
We can help! Sign up for our once-monthly Facilitation Best Practices, and we’ll send you our MEETING PATHWAY, a color-coded, single-page reference to the significant components of an important meeting or workshop.