{"id":2184,"date":"2015-02-19T00:01:30","date_gmt":"2015-02-19T05:01:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/terrencemetz.com\/?p=2184"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:48:02","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:48:02","slug":"facilitation-secret","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Facilitation Secrets with Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Prepared originally as a &#8220;Lunch and Learn Guide,&#8221; you will find twelve <strong>MGR<span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\">USH<\/span> Structured Facilitation<\/strong> secrets followed by a thorough explanation of Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce. The facilitation secrets are bulleted in alphabetical order, rather than in order of importance. Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce provides instruction around leadership, facilitation, and meeting design.<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_4635\" style=\"width: 384px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img wpfc-lazyload-disable=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4635\" class=\"wp-image-4635 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/shutterstock_128367800-e1474069133229.jpg\" alt=\"Lunch and Learn: FAST Structured Facilitation Gems or Takeaways\" width=\"374\" height=\"250\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-4635\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Lunch and Learn: Structured Facilitation Secrets<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<h3><\/h3>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation Secret &#8212; ONE: \u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>7:59am <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/meeting-introduction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">preparation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/political-risks-in-meetings\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">interviews <\/a><\/strong><strong>\u2028<\/strong>(i.e., managing expectations and ownership, also true of Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment<\/em>: There is no \u2018silver bullet\u2019 for effective facilitation. If you don\u2019t show up prepared, good luck with that.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation <\/strong><strong>Secret<\/strong><strong> &#8212; <\/strong><strong>TWO: \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/active-listening\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Active listening<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><strong>\u2028<\/strong>(because\u00a0seeking to understand creates more value\u00a0than being understood)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment:\u00a0 <\/em>Many understand that reflection is the key. However, reflecting on WHY people make claims is more important than simply repeating the claim.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation <\/strong><strong>Secret<\/strong><strong> &#8212; <\/strong><strong>THREE: \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitators-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Annotated<\/a> agenda<\/strong><strong>\u2028\u00a0<\/strong>(i.e., visualizing everything the session leader does or asks in advance)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment:\u00a0 <\/em>\u2018Right-to-left\u2019 thinking (or \u2018starting with the end in mind\u2019) makes demands of the facilitator. You must know what the <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/building-agendas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">deliverable<\/a> looks like for each agenda step, each meeting activity, and each tool. Then write it down, so that you can focus on <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/executive-presence\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">listening<\/a> during your meeting or workshop, not thinking about what you should say or do next.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation Secret &#8212; <\/strong><strong>FOUR: \u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Common nouns and purpose give rise to natural <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/how-to-categorize\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">categories<\/a><\/strong><strong>\u2028\u00a0<\/strong>(i.e., great tool and inherent rationale that supports grouping or \u201cchunks\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment:\u00a0 <\/em>Neophytes create categories when they probably should dive into the details. Most change occurs with HOW people perform activities, not WHAT they must do. But when categorization is required, building process terms, for example, common nouns are symptomatic or indicative of common purpose, the primary reason for categorization.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation Secret &#8212; <\/strong><strong>FIVE: \u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Evaluations\u00a0<\/strong>\u2028(i.e., the importance of ongoing feedback to ensure continuous improvement)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment: <\/em>\u00a0Through hours of practice and recorded sessions, MG RUSH five-day professional students receive six pages of individualized, written feedback directed at what they can do differently to be more effective.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation Secret &#8212; <\/strong><strong>SIX: \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Holarchy\u00a0<\/strong>\u2028(i.e., interdependent reciprocities\u2014contextual explanation of how it all fits together)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment:\u00a0 <\/em>Commonly referred to as the \u2018Butterfly Effect\u2019 (mathematically called inter-dependent reciprocities), every action has an impact (positive or negative) on each project or initiative.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation Secret &#8212; <\/strong><strong>SEVEN: \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/requirements-gathering\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Life Cycle<\/a>:<\/strong> <strong>Plan<\/strong> <strong>\u261b<\/strong> <strong>Acquire<\/strong> <strong>\u261b<\/strong> <strong>Operate<\/strong> <strong>\u261b<\/strong> <strong>Control<\/strong><strong>\u2028\u00a0<\/strong>(i.e., great tool and inherent rationale behind all life cycle methodologies)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment:\u00a0 <\/em>While the technology perspective is called CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete), here is what the business community does with information. Every process requires four activities, at minimum. <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/meeting-participants\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Subject matter experts<\/a> often forget about <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/planning-agenda\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Planning<\/a> and Control activities that may be performed less frequently, sometimes only monthly or quarterly.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation Secret &#8212; <\/strong><strong>EIGHT: \u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Numeric <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/quantitative-swot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><strong>TO-WS (SWOT)<\/strong><\/a><strong> leads to consensual actions [i.e., <\/strong><strong>WHAT]<\/strong><strong>\u2028\u00a0<\/strong>(i.e., Easily the best way to prioritize hundreds of items and build consensus around \u201cWHAT\u201d needs to be done to support the purpose)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment: <\/em>Capable of prioritizing the most complex issues, with dozens of criteria and options, MGR<span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">USH&#8217;s<\/span> proprietary tool and decision-making logic are used in most portfolio and program management offices.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation Secret &#8212; <\/strong><strong>NINE: \u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Right-to-left thinking or, focus on the <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-best-practices\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">deliverable<\/a> first<\/strong><strong>\u2028\u00a0<\/strong>(i.e., starting with the end in mind\u2014forcing the abstract into the concrete)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment:\u00a0 <\/em>Even a lousy facilitator can succeed when they know where they are going and what the group needs to answer and address to get DONE.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Facilitation Secret &#8212; <\/strong><strong>TEN: \u00a0 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>\u201cThe <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/purpose-tool\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Purpose is to<\/a> . . . So That . . . \u201c<\/strong> (i.e., amazing tool to extract the \u201cstrategy\u201d behind something too small for a \u201cstrategic plan\u201d)<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><em>Comment:\u00a0 <\/em>Easily the favorite new tool for many students and best echoed by an IBM\u2019er with 35 years. \u201cThis is the tool I\u2019ve been missing my entire career.\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Facilitation&#8217;s secret sauce to leading more effective meetings and workshops reminds us to put a CAP on wasted time and energy by embracing three behaviors:<\/h2>\n<div id=\"attachment_2186\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2186\" class=\"wp-image-2186 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1-300x255.png\" alt=\"Facilitation Secret Sauce - Clear Thinking, Active Listening, &amp; Structure\" width=\"300\" height=\"255\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1-300x255.png 300w, https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png 673w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2186\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>Clear Thinking<\/strong><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>C<\/strong>lear thinking (i.e., yields consciousness)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>A<\/strong>ctive listening (i.e., yields competence)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>P<\/strong>repared structure (i.e., yields confidence)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3><strong>Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce &#8212; Clear Thinking<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">When you are leading a meeting, it is critical that <a title=\"Do NOT Lead Another Meeting Without (at least) These Four Documents\" href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/meeting-announcement\/\">you know<\/a> what the group intends to build, decide, or leave with. What was different when they walked into the meeting? The <a title=\"The DNA of a Modern Leader\" href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/servant-leader\/\">modern leader<\/a> is a change agent, someone who takes a group from where they are when the meeting begins to where they need to be when the meeting ends. You need to start with the end in mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/decision-quality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nobody is smarter than everybody.<\/a> The modern leader does not have all the answers but takes command of the questions. Through appropriate questions, meeting participants focus and generate supportable answers (or responses).<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>What does <\/strong><strong>DONE<\/strong><strong> look like? &#8212;\u00a0<\/strong>Leadership Consciousness<\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Leaders know where they are going. For most meetings, <strong>clear thinking<\/strong> and a sense of direction are built in advance. Through <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">preparation<\/a>, determine and properly sequence well-scripted questions. If you were designing a new home, for example, you would consider the foundation and structure before discussing the color of the grout.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><a title=\"Rhetorical Precision and Clear Communications\" href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/rhetorical-precision\/\">Unclear speaking<\/a> and writing indicate unclear thinking. Your awareness about where you are leading the group needs to be expressed in writing, for your benefit and the benefit of others. If you are unable to capture the \u2018deliverable\u2019 of your meeting or workshop in writing, you are not ready to start your session. Once you can articulate WHY your meeting is important, then you are ready to proceed with the next step. WHAT must you do to be more facilitative?<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce &#8212; <\/strong><strong>A<\/strong><strong>ctive listening<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Groups make higher <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/diverse-teams\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">quality decisions<\/a> than the smartest person in the group. Why? Because groups, when properly led, are able to create options that did not exist before the individuals walked into the meeting. Input from one participant may cause another to think of something they had not considered before the meeting. For a group of nine people, we are looking for the tenth answer. With strong leadership and a little luck, that answer may also include or instill the spark of <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/innovation-results\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">innovation<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Ultimately we are not facilitating \u201cwords\u201d in a meeting, so much as the meaning behind the words. Obviously, meetings occur without the use of the English language at all. Non-English meetings will still be effective because words are only the tools used by participants to signify their intent, <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitate-meaning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">meaning<\/a>, and relationships behind the words. Subsequently, pictures and models are frequently more effective tools than narrative descriptions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Be prepared to <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/challenge-the-status-quo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">challenge<\/a> participants. Active listening is a four-step process that is NOT like having a conversation. In a conversation, we make contact and absorb what the other person is saying. With active listening we need to feed back the reasons for what we have heard, confirm whether we got it right, and challenge for substantive omissions.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Feedback and Confirm<\/strong><\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_2189\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><a href=\"\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/active-listening.png\"><img wpfc-lazyload-disable=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2189\" class=\"wp-image-2189 size-large\" src=\"\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/active-listening.png?w=630\" alt=\"Active Listening\" width=\"630\" height=\"357\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/active-listening.png 641w, https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/active-listening-300x170.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 630px) 100vw, 630px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-2189\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Active Listening<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Having a <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/crucial-conversations\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">conversation<\/a> takes less time. Active listening however prevents misunderstanding and can help push the envelope towards <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/decision-quality\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">options<\/a> that were previously not considered, thus improving the quality of the decisions made.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce &#8212; <\/strong><strong>Prepared Structure<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Ask yourself, would you typically rather attend a two-hour meeting or go to a movie? Most people would rather go to a movie for at least three reasons:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Movies include a <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/how-to-develop-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">beginning<\/a>, a middle, and an <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/meaningful-connections\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">end<\/a>. When did you last attend a meeting without one of those components?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Movies embrace conflict. They do not scurry away from <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/6-potent-responses-to-facilitating-collaborative-behavior-during-conflict\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">conflict<\/a>; rather they use <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/meeting-conflicts\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">conflict<\/a> to make the experience more compelling.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Movies do not require involvement. It is easier and less embarrassing to fall asleep at a movie than a business meeting.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">A leader should be disciplined and not unstructured. <strong>Prepared <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitators-guide\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">structure<\/a><\/strong> when working with groups, teams, and meetings refers to discipline, or the order of things. The meeting and workshop structure is like a road map for a trip. You can always take the scenic route or a detour, but you need a clear directive to know where to return.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Ironically, the more structured the meeting, the more <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/collaborate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">flexible<\/a> you can be. Without structure, or a road map, you can never tell exactly where you are, or more importantly, how much remains to be covered. With structure, you can divert from your plan and take the scenic route knowing that if the team runs into a dead end or gets bored with the scenery, you can always return to your map and planned guidance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Left to their nature, groups tend to start \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/problem-solving\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">solving<\/a>\u201d before they complete proper and rigorous <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/quantitative-swot\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">analysis<\/a>. The leader needs to play the role of a process police person and should never be too nice. Teams do not want a nice leader; they want a leader who will get them where they are going, on time, and within budget. \u201cNice\u201d can take place after the meeting is over, in a different role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Naturally, the situation demands professionalism, respect, and common courtesy\u2014but leading is not like having a group of friends, it is a group of associates, bound by a common cause.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Consensus Building<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The nature of<a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/team-building\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> building consensus<\/a> mandates that we seek understanding first about WHY we are doing something. If we cannot agree on WHY something is important, it is highly unlikely that you will later arrive at a consensus. We are seeking harmony, or better yet, the harmonization of different notes being played on different instruments\u2014something akin to music, whether a symphony or hip-hop. The leader dictates tempo, volume, and who plays when. The leader does not however pick up an instrument and start playing on behalf of the meeting participants. It is the participants\u2019 responsibility to play their instruments. It is the leader\u2019s responsibility to provide <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/power-of-questions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">cohesion<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Be a disciplined leader and know your structure before the meeting begins. Once you develop awareness about where you are leading a group, rigorously apply the discipline of structure to decide how you are going to lead them.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong>______<\/strong><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Don\u2019t ruin your career by hosting <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/bad-meetings\/\">bad meetings<\/a>. Sign up for a <a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/public-facilitation-training\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">workshop<\/a> or send this to someone who should. <em><a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20260106090117\/https:\/\/mgrush.com\/\">MGR<span style=\"font-size: 12pt;\">USH<\/span><\/a><\/em> workshops focus on meeting design and practice. Each person practices tools, methods, and activities every day during the week. Therefore, while some call this immersion, we call it the road to building high-value facilitation skills.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prepared originally as a &#8220;Lunch and Learn Guide,&#8221; you will find twelve MGRUSH Structured Facilitation secrets followed by a thorough explanation of Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce. The facilitation secrets are bulleted in alphabetical order, rather than in order of importance. Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce provides instruction around leadership, facilitation, and meeting design. Facilitation Secret &#8212; ONE: \u00a0 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2186,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_wp_convertkit_post_meta":{"form":"-1","landing_page":"","tag":"0","restrict_content":"0"},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[453185952],"tags":[138617,453192190,453190956,453190955,453192252,453190957,453192253],"class_list":["post-2184","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facilitation-skills","tag-active-listening","tag-building-questions","tag-clear-thinking","tag-facilitation-secret-sauce","tag-facilitation-secrets","tag-structure","tag-swot"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.8 (Yoast SEO v27.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>10 Facilitation Secrets and the Secret Sauce of Great Facilitation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"10 facilitation secrets are bulleted while Facilitation&#039;s Secret Sauce explains meeting leadership, facilitation, and meeting design.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"10 Facilitation Secrets with Facilitation&#039;s Secret Sauce Explained\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"10 facilitation secrets are bulleted while Facilitation&#039;s Secret Sauce explains meeting leadership, facilitation, and meeting design.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-02-19T05:01:30+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-21T17:48:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"673\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"573\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Facilitation Expert\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@TerrenceMetz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@terrencemetz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Facilitation Expert\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"9 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Facilitation Expert\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497\"},\"headline\":\"10 Facilitation Secrets with Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce Explained\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-19T05:01:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-21T17:48:02+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1736,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/clear-thinking1.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Active listening\",\"Building questions\",\"Clear Thinking\",\"facilitation secret sauce\",\"facilitation secrets\",\"Structure\",\"SWOT\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Facilitation Skills\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/\",\"name\":\"10 Facilitation Secrets and the Secret Sauce of Great Facilitation\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/clear-thinking1.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-02-19T05:01:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-21T17:48:02+00:00\",\"description\":\"10 facilitation secrets are bulleted while Facilitation's Secret Sauce explains meeting leadership, facilitation, and meeting design.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/clear-thinking1.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/02\\\/clear-thinking1.png\",\"width\":\"673\",\"height\":\"573\",\"caption\":\"Clear Thinking\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/facilitation-secret\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"10 Facilitation Secrets with Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce Explained\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"name\":\"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices Blog\",\"description\":\"Compelling observations about structured, facilitative leadership\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/SquareLogo800X800.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2023\\\/06\\\/SquareLogo800X800.png\",\"width\":700,\"height\":700,\"caption\":\"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/FacilitationTraining\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/terrencemetz\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/teammetz\",\"http:\\\/\\\/pinterest.com\\\/teammetz\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/mgrushfacilitation\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497\",\"name\":\"Facilitation Expert\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg\",\"caption\":\"Facilitation Expert\"},\"description\":\"Terrence Metz, president of MG RUSH Facilitation Training, was just 22-years-old and working as a Sales Engineer at Honeywell when he recognized a widespread problem\u2014most meetings were ineffective and poorly led, wasting both time and company resources. However, he also observed meetings that worked. What set them apart? A well-prepared leader who structured the session to ensure participants contributed meaningfully and achieved clear outcomes. Throughout his career, Metz, who earned an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern University) experienced and also trained in various facilitation techniques. In 2004, he purchased MG RUSH where he shifted his focus toward improving established meeting designs and building a curriculum that would teach others how to lead, facilitate, and structure meetings that drive results. His expertise in training world-class facilitators led to the 2020 publication of Meetings That Get Results: A Guide to Building Better Meetings, a comprehensive resource on effectively building consensus. Grounded in the principle that \u201cnobody is smarter than everybody,\u201d the book details the why, what, and how of building consensus when making decisions, planning, and solving problems. Along with a Participant\u2019s Guide and supplemental workshops, it supports learning from foundational awareness to professional certification. Metz\u2019s first book, Change or Die: A Business Process Improvement Manual, tackled the challenges of process optimization. His upcoming book, Catalyst: Facilitating Innovation, focuses on meetings and workshops that don\u2019t simply end when time runs out but conclude with actionable next steps and clear assignments\u2014ensuring progress beyond discussions and ideas.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/MGrush.com\",\"http:\\\/\\\/www.facebook.com\\\/FacilitationTraining\\\/\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.linkedin.com\\\/in\\\/terrencemetz\\\/\",\"@teammetz\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/TerrenceMetz\",\"https:\\\/\\\/www.youtube.com\\\/watch?v=j4x3-Qo9Ez4\"],\"birthDate\":\"1955-09-23\",\"gender\":\"male\",\"jobTitle\":\"Managing Director\",\"worksFor\":\"MG Rush Facilitation\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/author\\\/teammetz7\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"10 Facilitation Secrets and the Secret Sauce of Great Facilitation","description":"10 facilitation secrets are bulleted while Facilitation's Secret Sauce explains meeting leadership, facilitation, and meeting design.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"10 Facilitation Secrets with Facilitation's Secret Sauce Explained","og_description":"10 facilitation secrets are bulleted while Facilitation's Secret Sauce explains meeting leadership, facilitation, and meeting design.","og_url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/","og_site_name":"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices Blog","article_publisher":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","article_author":"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","article_published_time":"2015-02-19T05:01:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-04-21T17:48:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":673,"height":573,"url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Facilitation Expert","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@TerrenceMetz","twitter_site":"@terrencemetz","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Facilitation Expert","Est. reading time":"9 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/"},"author":{"name":"Facilitation Expert","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497"},"headline":"10 Facilitation Secrets with Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce Explained","datePublished":"2015-02-19T05:01:30+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-21T17:48:02+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/"},"wordCount":1736,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png","keywords":["Active listening","Building questions","Clear Thinking","facilitation secret sauce","facilitation secrets","Structure","SWOT"],"articleSection":["Facilitation Skills"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/","name":"10 Facilitation Secrets and the Secret Sauce of Great Facilitation","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png","datePublished":"2015-02-19T05:01:30+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-21T17:48:02+00:00","description":"10 facilitation secrets are bulleted while Facilitation's Secret Sauce explains meeting leadership, facilitation, and meeting design.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png","width":"673","height":"573","caption":"Clear Thinking"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-secret\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"10 Facilitation Secrets with Facilitation&#8217;s Secret Sauce Explained"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/","name":"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices Blog","description":"Compelling observations about structured, facilitative leadership","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#organization","name":"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/SquareLogo800X800.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/SquareLogo800X800.png","width":700,"height":700,"caption":"MG RUSH Facilitation Best Practices"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","https:\/\/x.com\/terrencemetz","http:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/teammetz","http:\/\/pinterest.com\/teammetz","http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/mgrushfacilitation"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497","name":"Facilitation Expert","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/6a3c33817cc970e9f1c2d60b6bd170c755f6a66e51205d2f0e41842b9814efa9?s=96&d=identicon&r=pg","caption":"Facilitation Expert"},"description":"Terrence Metz, president of MG RUSH Facilitation Training, was just 22-years-old and working as a Sales Engineer at Honeywell when he recognized a widespread problem\u2014most meetings were ineffective and poorly led, wasting both time and company resources. However, he also observed meetings that worked. What set them apart? A well-prepared leader who structured the session to ensure participants contributed meaningfully and achieved clear outcomes. Throughout his career, Metz, who earned an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern University) experienced and also trained in various facilitation techniques. In 2004, he purchased MG RUSH where he shifted his focus toward improving established meeting designs and building a curriculum that would teach others how to lead, facilitate, and structure meetings that drive results. His expertise in training world-class facilitators led to the 2020 publication of Meetings That Get Results: A Guide to Building Better Meetings, a comprehensive resource on effectively building consensus. Grounded in the principle that \u201cnobody is smarter than everybody,\u201d the book details the why, what, and how of building consensus when making decisions, planning, and solving problems. Along with a Participant\u2019s Guide and supplemental workshops, it supports learning from foundational awareness to professional certification. Metz\u2019s first book, Change or Die: A Business Process Improvement Manual, tackled the challenges of process optimization. His upcoming book, Catalyst: Facilitating Innovation, focuses on meetings and workshops that don\u2019t simply end when time runs out but conclude with actionable next steps and clear assignments\u2014ensuring progress beyond discussions and ideas.","sameAs":["http:\/\/MGrush.com","http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/FacilitationTraining\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/terrencemetz\/","@teammetz","https:\/\/x.com\/TerrenceMetz","https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=j4x3-Qo9Ez4"],"birthDate":"1955-09-23","gender":"male","jobTitle":"Managing Director","worksFor":"MG Rush Facilitation","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/author\/teammetz7\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/clear-thinking1.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2184","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2184"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2184\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2184"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2184"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2184"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}