{"id":781,"date":"2012-04-05T04:44:02","date_gmt":"2012-04-05T08:44:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/facilitativeleadership.wordpress.com\/?p=781"},"modified":"2026-05-01T15:34:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T19:34:04","slug":"session-leader","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/","title":{"rendered":"Both Facilitator and Meeting Designer: Role of Session Leader"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2><strong>The Role of Session Leader<\/strong><\/h2>\n<h2>You have a multitude of tasks to perform during the workshop. The success of the facilitator\u2019s effort is dependent upon your skill, knowledge, and abilities as a session leader. The role of session leader includes both the traditional role of \u201cFacilitator\u201d discussed below and the role of \u201c<a class=\"zem_slink\" title=\"Methodology\" href=\" https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitation-challenges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener wikipedia noreferrer\">Meeting Designer<\/a>\u201d discussed below.<\/h2>\n<blockquote>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\">You can complete a project without facilitation, but you could also cut your own hair.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\">\u2014Various<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4><strong>Responsibilities in the Role of Session Leader<\/strong><\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_782\" style=\"width: 295px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><a href=\" https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/how-to-ensure-neutral-facilitation\/\"><img wpfc-lazyload-disable=\"true\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-782\" class=\"wp-image-782 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png\" alt=\"Both Facilitator and Methodologist: Role of Session Leader\" width=\"285\" height=\"774\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png 285w, https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm-110x300.png 110w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 285px) 100vw, 285px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-782\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><strong>Role of Session Leader<\/strong><\/p><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Context represents the primary responsibility of the session leader, frequently called a facilitator\u2014Responsibilities include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Actively listening to the discussion and challenging assumptions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Creating synergy by focusing on the group and using your facilitation skills to enhance communications.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Ensuring that all participants have an opportunity to participate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Explaining and enforcing the roles.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Keeping the group on track.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Managing the documenters and the documentation process.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Observing the group interactions and adjusting when necessary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Questioning to achieve clarity\u2014aiding communication between participants and yourself.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Recognizing disruptive behavior and creating positive corrections.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Working to resolve conflicts that arise.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><strong>Key Success Element in the Role of Session Leader<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Your role creates an environment where every participant has the opportunity to collaborate, innovate, and excel.\u00a0 Observing the team\u2019s progress helps you understand the dynamics of the group and how your approach enhances or detracts from the final output.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong>The Group Dynamics<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Ask yourself the following questions while observing the group:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">How do they communicate? Eye-to-eye contact? Soft-spoken? Yelling? Gestures?\u00a0 etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In what order do they speak? Primary, secondary, who backs who up?\u00a0 Who always gets interrupted?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Which participant(s)\u00a0appears to influence group direction the most?<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Who are these people talking to? Are they looking for supporters? Do they attack certain people or groups?<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><b>Meeting Designer in the Role of Session Leader<\/b><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The meeting designer details the approach used by the meeting or workshop. Consequently, the meeting designer&#8217;s role typically changes throughout the project or product development. For example, in the planning phase, the meeting designer may be a strategic planner\u2014someone who understands how to develop a consensual plan. In the analysis phase, the meeting designer may be a process expert, a business architect, or both. In the design phase, the meeting designer may be a workflow or design specialist.<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><strong><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Meeting or workshop responsibilities include:<\/span><\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Helping the facilitator, business partner, and technical partner codify the deliverable and define the appropriate agenda steps to follow.\u00a0 Provides succinct questions to ask and the optimal order or sequence for the questions to be answered.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Perhaps participating in workshops to ensure that the products produced satisfy the expected standards of quality and consistency\u2014namely that others can act upon the deliverable effectively, such as the project team.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The meeting designer&#8217;s role is functional and not necessarily the role of an individual. The executive sponsor is sometimes the meeting designer with strategic planning. The session leader is frequently the meeting designer because they have <i>MG RUSH<\/i>\u00a0structured facilitation\u00a0training or experience. The facilitator can also\u00a0fulfill this role because methods and approaches are generally neutral. Business or technical partners (i.e., project management) are sometimes methodologists. Therefore, look for the person or persons who is expert with the deliverable\u2014who clearly understands the product to build and the approach to follow in building that product.<\/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<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Related articles<\/p>\n<ul class=\"zemanta-article-ul\">\n<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\" https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitate-meaning\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facilitate Meaning, Not Words<\/a> (mgrush.com\/blog)<\/li>\n<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/brainstorming\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to Facilitate Brainstorming<\/a> (mgrush.com\/blog)<\/li>\n<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\" https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/quiet-people\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Five Ways to Facilitate Quiet People and Get Them to Participate More Fully<\/a> (mgrush.com\/blog)<\/li>\n<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\" https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/nonverbal-expressions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">How to (Not) Gesture while Facilitating<\/a> (mgrush.com\/blog)<\/li>\n<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\">Considerations on How to Facilitate between Europeans and Asians (mgrush.com\/blog)<\/li>\n<li class=\"zemanta-article-ul-li\"><a href=\" https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/facilitative-leader\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">15 Fun and Quick Tips to Help You Become a More Successful Facilitative Leader<\/a> (mgrush.com\/blog)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Role of Session Leader You have a multitude of tasks to perform during the workshop. The success of the facilitator\u2019s effort is dependent upon your skill, knowledge, and abilities as a session leader. The role of session leader includes both the traditional role of \u201cFacilitator\u201d discussed below and the role of \u201cMeeting Designer\u201d discussed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":782,"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":[453192135,453189029,453190786,453190685,453190734,453189022],"class_list":["post-781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-facilitation-skills","tag-executive-presence","tag-facilitation-skills","tag-meeting-challenges","tag-meeting-preparation","tag-role-of-session-leader","tag-session-leader"],"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>MG RUSH Facilitation Training | The Role of Session Leader<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"You have many tasks to perform during a meeting. The role of session leader includes both Facilitator and the role of Meeting Designer.\" \/>\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\/session-leader\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Both Facilitator and Meeting Designer: Role of Session Leader\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"You have many tasks to perform during a meeting. The role of session leader includes both the traditional role of Facilitator and the role of Methodologist.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/\" \/>\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=\"2012-04-05T08:44:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-01T19:34:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"285\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"774\" \/>\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:description\" content=\"You have many tasks to perform during a meeting. The role of session leader includes both the traditional role of Facilitator and the role of Methodologist.\" \/>\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=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Facilitation Expert\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497\"},\"headline\":\"Both Facilitator and Meeting Designer: Role of Session Leader\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-04-05T08:44:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-01T19:34:04+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":695,\"commentCount\":1,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png\",\"keywords\":[\"Executive Presence\",\"Facilitation Skills\",\"meeting challenges\",\"meeting preparation\",\"Role of Session Leader\",\"Session leader\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Facilitation Skills\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/\",\"name\":\"MG RUSH Facilitation Training | The Role of Session Leader\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-04-05T08:44:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-01T19:34:04+00:00\",\"description\":\"You have many tasks to perform during a meeting. The role of session leader includes both Facilitator and the role of Meeting Designer.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2012\\\/03\\\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png\",\"width\":\"285\",\"height\":\"774\",\"caption\":\"Role of Session Leader\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/session-leader\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/mgrush.com\\\/blog\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Both Facilitator and Meeting Designer: Role of Session Leader\"}]},{\"@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":"MG RUSH Facilitation Training | The Role of Session Leader","description":"You have many tasks to perform during a meeting. The role of session leader includes both Facilitator and the role of Meeting Designer.","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\/session-leader\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Both Facilitator and Meeting Designer: Role of Session Leader","og_description":"You have many tasks to perform during a meeting. The role of session leader includes both the traditional role of Facilitator and the role of Methodologist.","og_url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/","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":"2012-04-05T08:44:02+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-05-01T19:34:04+00:00","og_image":[{"width":285,"height":774,"url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png","type":"image\/png"}],"author":"Facilitation Expert","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_description":"You have many tasks to perform during a meeting. The role of session leader includes both the traditional role of Facilitator and the role of Methodologist.","twitter_creator":"@TerrenceMetz","twitter_site":"@terrencemetz","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Facilitation Expert","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/"},"author":{"name":"Facilitation Expert","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/33b05e43036ff09de0ddfccfef9a4497"},"headline":"Both Facilitator and Meeting Designer: Role of Session Leader","datePublished":"2012-04-05T08:44:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-01T19:34:04+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/"},"wordCount":695,"commentCount":1,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png","keywords":["Executive Presence","Facilitation Skills","meeting challenges","meeting preparation","Role of Session Leader","Session leader"],"articleSection":["Facilitation Skills"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/","name":"MG RUSH Facilitation Training | The Role of Session Leader","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png","datePublished":"2012-04-05T08:44:02+00:00","dateModified":"2026-05-01T19:34:04+00:00","description":"You have many tasks to perform during a meeting. The role of session leader includes both Facilitator and the role of Meeting Designer.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png","width":"285","height":"774","caption":"Role of Session Leader"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/session-leader\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Both Facilitator and Meeting Designer: Role of Session Leader"}]},{"@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\/2012\/03\/screen-shot-2012-03-28-at-7-43-23-pm.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/781","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=781"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/781\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/782"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}