Creating a FoCuSeD™ Organization by Gary Rush Facilitation

FoCuSeDLogo "A FoCuSeD™ Organization is the ultimate Collaborative Organization, one that, through group facilitation, engages its workforce in effective communication and decision-making."

Authentic Collaboration

Times are changing and in many parts of the world, collaboration and consensus building is the preferred approach. In a FoCuSeD™ Organization, Leadership is still responsible for decisions, but they engage their people and develop consensus on decisions rather than using command and control. In a FoCuSeD™ Organization, the workforce maximizes team commitment, engagement, collaboration, and productivity that contributes to the overall well being of the organization. Read more...

How do you make this happen?

Building a FoCuSeD™ Organization requires that senior leadership set the example and enable their workforce by developing the leadership behavior and understanding needed to effectively participate in a collaborative environment. It requires that the workforce develop facilitation skills needed to engage in effective communication, effectively participate in decision-making, and work collaboratively. A series of facilitated workshops, along with Collaborative Leadership, Facilitator, and facilitation skills training are required to transform the organization and make this happen.

Leadership Engagement

The first step is to engage senior leadership in an initial "Senior Leadership Facilitated Workshop" to develop consensus on “how” they see Collaboration in their organization. Being told what collaboration is contradicts the concept, and “collaboration” has been defined numerous ways. The initial facilitated workshops are facilitated by MGRconsulting to ensure neutrality.

Leadership behavior and understanding is reinforced with our 4-day FoCuSeD™ Leader – Lessons for Collaborative Leaders class. This class ensures that the necessary tools, knowledge, and capabilities are available to be successful.

Internal Core Team of Facilitators

To be able to conduct multi-day facilitated workshops, the organization needs an internal core team of comprehensively trained Facilitators. These “Core Facilitators” may not reside in one organizational unit, but they will become well engaged throughout the organization. Major projects and efforts will go to these Facilitators and engage them in facilitating workshops to deliver a complete solution that is developed by engaging the appropriate stakeholders to reach consensus-based decisions. This internal core team of Facilitators needs to understand “how to” prepare to make facilitated workshops productive and “how to" develop successful processes that enable a group of people to come together to accomplish a task.

The internal core team of Facilitators develops these skills in our 4-day FoCuSeD™ Facilitator Academy class. It’s the most complete, comprehensive, and effective structured facilitation class available, providing detailed training on the concepts of Holistic Facilitation. MGRconsulting will coach the team of "Core Facilitators" as they facilitate workshops giving them hands-on post training experience.

Each internal core team Facilitator is encouraged to become an International Association of Facilitators (IAF) Certified™ Professional Facilitator (CPF). Achieving the designation of IAF CPF is an exciting and rewarding accomplishment.

Facilitation Skills

To function effectively in a collaborative environment, the workforce needs to develop effective group facilitation skills that contribute to the overall well being of the organization. The level of training needs to be targeted so that the workforce receives the right training to perform effectively and collaboratively. We train through a number of face-to-face and virtual, FoCuSeD™ facilitation classes, maximizing the benefits for the participants by delivering the skills they need, for the job they do. Our classes provide consistency in terminology, models, and concepts that are built upon the fundamental principles of structured facilitation - they share ideas using a consistent basis of understanding.

Making it Happen

MGRconsulting develops a Program Design plan identifying the facilitated workshops, FoCuSeD™ facilitation training, and schedule. This Program Design plan is developed collaboratively with senior leadership prior to the initial Senior Leadership Facilitated Workshop. Once the Program Design plan is approved, the initial Senior Leadership Facilitated Workshop and 4-day FoCuSeD™ Facilitator Academy class will be delivered with the remaining facilitated workshops and FoCuSeD™ training occurring considering the workload and impact on the organization.

FoCuSeD™ Licensing Program

The organization is licensed to deliver the type of facilitation training needed within their organization, to their internal people only, enabling them to sustain the appropriate level of collaborative skills to remain a FoCuSeD™ Organization. This ensures that all new employees and leaders hold the same fundamental principles.

Feedback and Communication

We close the loop with feedback – a "Training Assessment Workshop" to identify what worked, what didn’t work, and what could be improved as they move forward. This feedback is considered to enhance future FoCuSeD™ facilitation training.

We maintain communication to keep the training fresh through our FoCuSeD™ Facilitator eNewsletter. Additionally, alumni of our FoCuSeD™ facilitation training are able to contact us with questions or advice.

Please contact Gary for additional information or questions.

How Significant is the value of Facilitation?

This past year, I was on the committee that developed the inaugural IAF Facilitation Impact Award (FIA) program. I was... read more...

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