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FoCuSeD™ Holistic Facilitation Process Design online class

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“Gary Rush Facilitation – on-line classes will give you the skills to work with a group of people to produce better results.”

The future requires a Collaborative skill-set. I’ve been reading about automation, technology, robotics, AI, big data, etc., and I found these emerging trends interesting and useful, but what does this mean for future jobs? Read more…

We recommend that you take FoCuSeD™ Introductory Facilitation Skills and FoCuSeD™ Facilitating People and Conflict prior to taking this class because the classes build on each other.

Class Abstract

This self paced on-line class continues the Process Skills portion of your journey by teaching you “how to” define the seamless integration of process and group dynamics. I also provide you with a number of Problem-Solving agendas to get you started along with a number of process tools, such as prioritizing, responsibility matrices, decision-making amongst others. It covers:

  • “How to” Reach consensus – The Emotional Group Cycle
  • What is a “holistic” process? Components of a FoCuSeD™ Holistic Workshop Process
  • “How to” design a holistic Agenda – The Raw Process Steps
  • “How to” incorporate appropriate people and process tools into the Agenda design.
  • “How to” effectively prepare for the workshop/meeting.
  • “How to” build an Annotated Agenda. What it does.
  • “How to” use various Process Tools.

Objectives

This on-line class is designed so that students will be able to:

  • Know “how to” design a workshop/meeting Agenda following the parallel process design concept of FoCuSeD™.
  • Know “how to” move a group to consensus.
  • Know the components of a FoCuSeD™ Holistic Workshop Process.
  • Know “how to” effectively facilitate the workshop/meeting.
  • Know when and why to incorporate the appropriate people or process tools into the Agenda design.
  • Know “how to” build an Annotated Agenda.
  • Know “how to” and when to use various Process Tools.
  • Know the steps to Problem Solving.

Materials

Students receive:

  • PDF version of FoCuSeD™ Holistic Process Design – Problem-Solving by Gary Rush, IAF CPF
  • A digital class Certificate of Completion and a badge that you can share.

Registering

holistic facilitation process online

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FoCuSeD™ Facilitator Training

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FoCuSeD™ Facilitation Training

FoCuSeD Logo The Impact

“When people more effectively learn ‘how to’ use group facilitation skills to engage, empower, and collaborate, the more able society will be at solving any problem of the 21st Century, making the world a better place.” 

What distinguishes our FoCuSeD™ Classes is the consistent message that they provide. They provide consistency in terminology, models, and concepts that are built upon the fundamental principles of facilitation. They share ideas using a consistent basis of understanding – this ensures that everyone holds the same fundamental principles. They are effective, comprehensive, and provide a complete set of skills, knowledge, and practice – this ensures that what is learned, is immediately applicable. They provide specific tools to effectively work with groups in any capacity and be successful – this builds capacity within the organization. You learn “how to” effectively combine Relationship Behavior and Task Behavior to drive out task success along with team performance – this ability is crucial to bringing people together to accomplish a task.

“Our FoCuSeD™ Facilitation Classes enhance whatever you do wherever you go in business and in life.”


“Yesterday, I was a participant in an offsite meeting most of the day and there were 2 people with constant side-bar conversations and it was distracting. We know each other pretty well so I chastised them at the end of the day. But then, (with a smile) announced to the group that I was going to apply my “Gary Rush Facilitation” training and stood by their table, just silently hovering. It got their attention and we all had a good laugh. I expect better behavior from them today! Thought I’d drop you a note and let you know that the tips and techniques learned in your classes (albeit 10+ years ago) are alive and well and executed on a regular basis.”

Tammie (alumnus 2001 – FAST Session Leader Workshop class by Gary Rush, IAF CPF)

 

FoCuSeD Logo FoCuSeD™ provides detailed training on the concepts of Holistic Facilitation.”

Our FoCuSeD™ Facilitator classes support the International Association of Facilitators (IAF) Core Facilitator Competencies and what students need to learn to achieve them, enabling those people who wish to pursue their IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation. CPFs receive professional recognition that provides a competitive edge. Certification: You can receive a professional Facilitator certification from the IAF.

“The FoCuSeD™ Facilitator classes and the FoCuSeD™ Leader class devote 50% of the class time to People Skills and 50% to Process Skills providing balanced, holistic learning.”

 

FoCuSeD™ Business Analyst

3 days

This class is ideal for all Business Analysts or those pursuing a Business Analyst career.

FoCuSeD™ On…

3 days

This class is ideal for anyone working in project management, Six Sigma, TQM, and other quality initiatives.

The FoCuSeD™ Facilitator Academy

5 days

This class is ideal for all people including Business Analysts, Data Modelers, Project Managers, Consultants, Facilitators, Leaders, and others.

FoCuSeD™ Foundational Group Facilitation Skills – Problem-Solving Process

1 day

This class is ideal for all people.

The FoCuSeD™ Leader –
Lessons for Collaborative Leaders

4 days

This class is ideal for all who want to inspire collective action through Collaborative Leadership.

“In my Facilitator classes, students build facilitation skills and confidence and then apply these in their own unique style showing understanding of the “why” – along with the “how to” and “what” so they perform effectively.”

FoCuSeD™ Introductory Facilitation Skills On-line – Available now!

FoCuSeD™ Facilitating People and Conflict On-line – Available now!

FoCuSeD™ Holistic Facilitation Process Design On-line – Available now!

“These video-based self-paced on-line classes are ideal for anyone who wants to develop group facilitation skills to enhance their job skills.”

FoCuSeD™ Agile Strategic Planning

2 days

This class is ideal for all people..

FoCuSeD™ Business Data Modeling Made Easy

2 days

This class is ideal for all who want to successfully understand, build, and explain Data Models from a business perspective.

Benefits of Facilitation and Facilitator Training

Our Facilitator Training

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Applying Agile Concepts to Strategic Planning

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The Agile Manifesto may have been written initially for software, but its application to Strategic Planning works and it changes Strategic Planning from an event into a process. So, why not apply Agile concepts to Strategic Planning? I believe that planning should be a process not an event.  See “Swift” Strategic Planning.

I facilitated an Agile Strategic Plan for a group of organizational leaders who had hired a consultant a few years prior and the plan wasn’t working for them. The consultant took the leaders off-site for a week to work out their plan. The plan ended up being 84 pages long with loads of Baldrige Key Performance Indicators, but the plan ended up as “shelfware” for two years. The leaders wanted me to develop the plan a different way, so I applied Agile values to make the plan useful, as follows:

  • Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.
  • Working software (plan in this case) over comprehensive documentation.
  • Customer collaboration over contract negotiation.
  • Responding to change over following a plan.

First of all, we set a plan target of four pages long – the length of the U.S. Constitution. That’s adhering to the second value – working plan over comprehensive documentation. Reading 4 pages, versus reading 84 pages, makes a big difference. It also means that it makes it easier for the stakeholders to absorb and understand the plan, making it useful.

Looking at the first value, individuals and interactions over processes and tools, we developed the plan in facilitated workshops. Structuring the workshops to include multiple layers of leadership as participants incorporated the third value, customer collaboration over contract negotiation. We kept it simple, i.e., no complex processes. The leaders of the organization knew their industry – if not, strategic planning was not the solution to a lack of industry knowledge.

We further followed the Agile values by scheduling the facilitated workshops to last 4- to 8-hours to occur once a month. That meant that we never attempted to hammer out the entire plan in one workshop and each subsequent workshop began by reviewing the feedback and suggestions. We defined each “sprint” to define a portion of the plan, e.g., a complete Mission statement or a complete Vision, or a complete SWOT. In between, the leaders took what they had developed and shared it with others gathering feedback and suggestions. This brought in stakeholder collaboration and interaction.

Finally, once the Agile Strategic Plan was complete, the organization leaders defined a process for continuous review. They assigned a person to manage the plan and they reviewed the plan at every monthly staff meeting. The review was for progress, changes, and additions – i.e., it was a living plan and never “complete”. That supported the fourth value of responding to change over following a plan.

In addition to following the Agile values, we also were able to follow the Agile principles. Our measure of success was the plan. We provided continuous delivery of a working product and welcomed changes through the iterative workshops (“sprints”). Stakeholders were involved and leaders were motivated in a supportive environment. Face-to-face conversations were the norm in gathering feedback and suggestions. Sustainable development was accomplished through short, iterative workshops with continuous attention to excellence, good design, and simplicity enabling the plan to be useful. In the facilitated workshops, the leaders drove the process and we began each workshop with a reflection on previous work to improve following work.

Developing a Strategic Plan once a year and then waiting until the next planning cycle to update, makes no sense – the world doesn’t wait.

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The Must-Have Critical Skill-Set

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I spoke at two conferences within these past two weeks – (1) IIBA Chicagoland Business Analysis Develop Day (ChiBADD) and (2) Data Modeling Zone (DMZ2017). At multiple sessions at each conference, a skill-set that is critical to the success of Business Analysts and Data Modelers kept coming up – facilitation skills, also referred to as “soft” skills. I also facilitated a “Data Hack-a-thon” at DMZ2017 and the only skill-set listed that was common to all 11 tables was “facilitation”. At ChiBADD, Bob Prentiss (Bob the BA), in his keynote presentation, called Business Analysts “Facilitators of Understanding”. There is a shift. Let’s explore.

After years of promoting group facilitation skills as a must-have skill-set to any role, I can say that people finally are listening, e.g.,

  • Agile recommends facilitation in every aspect of a project.
  • Data Modelers recommend facilitation in engaging the business in building business data models.
  • Business Analysts are realizing that facilitation is required for effective requirements elicitation.

Yet some people don’t get that learning facilitation skills is about developing a skill-set that is essential to their job. Business Analysts, Project Managers, Data Modelers, Six Sigma Green Belts, Strategic Planners, and others who don’t develop this skill-set are not prepared for today or the future. Unfortunately, too many people also believe that they have effective facilitation skills (“soft” skills) because they’ve presented or get along well with people. Not so…

Facilitation skills are a broad mix of skills. Some critical skills include:

  • Active listening – Hearing what others are really saying.
  • Group dynamics – Developing trust, teaming, and authentic collaboration amongst the group.
  • Dealing with difficult people – Turning difficult people into productive contributors.
  • Communication skills – Knowing “how to” present yourself ensuring that what you say is heard and understood.
  • Critical thinking – Pulling together the fragments of the message into a whole to form a better understanding helping people synthesize what has been said.

If you believe that you can learn this skill-set on the job, you are missing out. Learning on the job is a hit or miss effort where mistakes are perpetuated and there is no consistency – trial and error – and it demeans those people who, through proper training, spent a great deal of effort learning these skills. You must seek out proper facilitation skills training to be successful. Some Agile classes, data modeling classes, business analysis classes, etc., lightly touch on facilitation skills, but these classes focus on the specific technical knowledge required. That’s fine, but not sufficient.

You need an understanding of the “why”, practical applicable techniques, and structured thought processes in order for this must-have skill-set to be effective. Learn group facilitation skills, not because you want to become a dedicated Facilitator (which, by the way, is an option if you so desire), but because you can enhance job performance, drive collaboration, and achieve quality results.

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Make People the Real Next Big Thing!

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You’re drowning in technology; inundated with work that not only requires engaging with others, but also requires meetings that you find a drag and a waste of time.  Technology helps you communicate but it’s at a distance.  You send and respond to emails and text messages, but you don’t know if the other person is smiling or recoiling.  You read about methods, such as Agile, that promote face-to-face interaction, requiring training in “soft” skills – people skills, but you find getting training difficult.

Wouldn’t it be great if everyone in your organization had the skills needed to facilitate interaction?  Meetings would be a pleasure to attend because you actually accomplish good work.  Even short stand-up meetings are productive.  People would work well together because miscommunication would be lessened.

So, let’s do something radical.  Why not have everyone in your organization trained in “soft” skills?  These people skills cover communication skills needed to correct the problems you encounter.  “People” are the single most significant resource of your organization, so why not invest in your future working with people?

When you propose this type of training, cost and time resistance invariably comes up.  Your organization wants justification.  I’ve documented the value of using facilitated sessions in projects as improving productivity in ¼ the time.  If we look at return on individual (ROI), the savings are even greater because not only does productivity and engagement increase, but morale and collaboration improves, innovative ideas are brought to the surface, and risk and responsibility is shared throughout your organization.

Investing in “people” is the single most important investment your organization can make.  Just think:

  • Meetings will become valuable and productive events.
  • Technology then would be a useful tool to support human interaction.
  • Your organization will become more agile because business agility relies on people working well together.

We’ve had many “next big things” in technology, such as Augmented Reality, AI, Internet of Things, Big Data, Blockchain, etc., so, instead, let’s do something radical, make “people” the real next big thing!

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“Why?” Gives us Purpose

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Arguably the most important question asked is, “Why?” Even children drive parents crazy asking, “Why?” “Why?” challenges our paradigms. Simon Sinek describes how Steven Jobs begins presentations with “why” then moves to “how” and “what” to increase impact and acceptance of an idea. I instruct my students to focus on “why” in their process designs so participants understand the purpose of what they are doing. Why is this question so important?

Whenever people get together they do so for a reason. That reason describes the “purpose”. When people do things without knowing the purpose, the end result is unproductive. We need to know why we are doing something – it’s part of our DNA.

How often have you been asked to do something and didn’t ask why? Did it work? Well, it seldom does when you cannot explain why – the purpose. Employee satisfaction surveys often assume that salary will be the biggest complaint, but the results generally indicate that the biggest complaint is that employees don’t know how their work fits into the big picture, i.e., they don’t know “why” they are doing the work. Business processes exist for a reason; data is gathered for a reason; an organization exists for a reason – they answer the question, “Why?”

When I train Facilitators and Leaders “how to” effectively run meetings and workshops, I insist that they write a purpose statement for every step in the agenda so that if someone asks, “why?” there is a legitimate response – purpose. Whenever he or she doesn’t have a legitimate response, he or she will find it difficult to guide the group because when the why is not known, groups resist or don’t participate.

The same is true in defining processes, data, organizations, building computer systems, buying software, etc. When “why” is not known, decisions, selections, and actions serve no purpose. It must be the first question asked in any effort. “Why are we buying this software?” “Why do you need this data?” “Why does this process exist?” If you don’t have or receive a legitimate response, it’s to your benefit to keep asking until you do.

So, begin whatever you do by asking, “Why?” When we ask “Why?”, we start our efforts off on the right track. We do work that gives us purpose. purpose

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Strategic Alliance – Business and IT

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A Strategic Alliance is needed…

In the 1970’s, IT or DP (Data Processing) as it was called then, frequently was part of the finance department. Those of us in IT promoted the position that we should view business as “customers” and we (IT) as ”service providers”. In some ways, it helped as most organizations established a Chief Information Officer (CIO) and many now have a Chief Data Officer (CDO) and/or a Chief Technology Officer (CTO). However, I believe this to be a problem in the long run. Why?

The Problem 

Business Analysts and Project Managers are brought into projects after the business has already thought quite a bit about the project – they do the cost benefit analysis and, once approved, they assign a team. That puts IT in the service provider role (order-takers) – simply providing what the “customer” wants. The problem is that the real “customer” is whoever buys the company product, not the business. IT serves the wrong customer. Therefore, the organization loses out because:

    • Business doesn’t get input from IT. That input helps with ideas – by enhancing them, expanding them, or enabling them to work.
    • IT has many ideas about how to use technology for competitive advantage and the business loses opportunities if IT doesn’t have the chance to bring its own ideas to the table.
    • Once a project starts, business often wastes money by going down a path that could have been avoided simply by involving IT from the beginning.
    • The relationship between business and IT becomes strained because it remains a “we, they” relationship instead of “us”.

How do we Change this?

Business must involve IT, Business Analysts, Project Managers, and other departments, from the initial germination of the idea to ensure that they are looking at the whole picture. This comes from a holistic approach, System Thinking, i.e., seeing the impact to the overall system. An added benefit is that ideas that help provide a strategic advantage to the business don’t get lost.

Business Analysts and Project Managers should schedule 10- to 30-minute periodic discussions to keep on top of what is happening and how they can participate. IT also must spend time on relationship building by networking and engaging with business.

I recommend that all projects use facilitated workshops to develop scope, schedules, requirements, design, etc., as facilitated workshops produce better results while effectively engaging all.

So… 

IT is a strategic partner with business. IT and business need to be on equal footing and work together. Both must be fully engaged in identifying and executing projects. The best way for this to happen is for IT and business to view each other as strategic partners instead of customer/service provider.focused logo

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Lessons from Fiona, our 12-Week old Puppy

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My family and I picked up our new Havanese puppy – Fiona – three weeks ago. She has been the focus of our attention since then – puppies require constant attention. She has been an absolute joy and she has shown traits that we all can learn lessons from.

Be Curious – Be Present

Like most puppies, Fiona is curious and always present – that’s how she lives every day. Everything is new to her and she explores every nook, cranny, and sound. We can learn from her and be curious about our surroundings, explore everything we see, hear, or smell, and live in the now.

Be Fearless

Most puppies shy away from loud sounds, but Fiona doesn’t, she just watches. Noise does not stop her and she is comfortable enough, that she is fearless – in play, she launches without hesitation. The lack of fear enables us to encounter new experiences.

Be Persistent

When Fiona wants something, she is tenacious. She will not stop until she gets what she wants, even if we pull her away. This persistence is necessary in accomplishing our goals – never give up, never surrender.

Unconditional Joy

Puppies bring joy – Fiona is funny, clumsy and fun to watch. She can make a toy out of the most mundane item. Her favorite toy is a small terry cloth towel tied in a knot. It just goes to show that we can find joy in the simplest of things – they don’t have to be complex or expensive.

Unconditional Love

Puppies give unconditional love – Fiona’s unconditional love helps us live happier lives. If we spread that kind of love unto others in this world, that would be a good thing!

So…

Getting Fiona has been joyous. Don’t get me wrong, she is a lot of work, but hey, she is worth it. She has dominated our family for these past weeks and no one complains. She has increased our laughter a hundred-fold and we get to cuddle her when we need to de-stress. We all can learn a lot from Fiona – she sure knows how to live. focused logo

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Proven Tips for Productive Meetings

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There have been a bunch of articles about how meetings don’t work. There have also been lots of suggestions to make them work: tools, artificial timing, etc.  Meetings have value and are essential to the success of any organization – they need to be taken seriously. The thing is, meetings work when they are planned and structured. The following are my proven tips to make them productive.

“Tools are not the answer. Artificially shortening meetings is not the answer and neither is canceling meetings.”

Before the Meeting

  • Prepare – Take the time to call a few of the attendees to identify if there are specific issues to discuss, specific decisions that need to be made, or specific people who need to attend.
  • Create a Charter – A charter fixes a lot of issues. Write out the purpose (why the meeting is being called), the scope (what is being discussed or not discussed), and the outcomes (what the people will walk away with).
  • Invite the Right People – My criteria are simple – do they have the needed knowledge and do they have the authority to make decisions.

“If you add up the combined salaries of those attending he meeting, it amounts to a great deal of money, so make it work!”

During the Meeting

  • The Agenda – I seriously tell my students that they have my permission to leave any meeting that does not have an agenda. An agenda shows that you respect the time others are investing by attending the meeting. This also enables you to keep the meeting on track and attendee discussions are easily brought back on-track.
  • Establish Norms of Behavior – Too often distractions sidetrack a meeting (people answering email, looking at their phones, etc.) and the only way to manage this is to have the attendees agree on norms of behavior (also called ground rules). You can suggest a few, then ask the attendees if they agree and/or want additional norms. This helps everyone know what’s expected.
  • Keep to the Schedule – Be diligent in starting on time and ending on time, it helps people know that you are serious about making the meeting productive. Manage how long you discuss topics. Always plan to spend a few minutes reviewing what the meeting accomplished and define/assign next steps; I’ve never been to a meeting where nothing had to happen afterwards.

After the Meeting

  • Follow Up – With next steps defined/assigned, you can follow up with those responsible and ensure that the value of the meeting continues.

We need to meet, so let’s make the meetings valuable to us and to our organizations. The extra effort it takes to make a meeting productive is minimal and makes a significant difference. Let’s do this! focused logo

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“Diversity”– Its Downfall

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Much of the discussion around diversity is how it has not produced the desired results. I believe that a significant part of the reason why “diversity” does not work is the underlying language used.

Race – This is an artificial convention created to justify slavery. Still today, society uses “race” as a means to divide humankind discriminating against “those” whose characteristics either describe what they want to be a part of or want to avoid. We even make use of the word when people with different ancestral origins marry, by calling it “interracial”. The fact is that according to science and genetics, there is only one race – the human race. The concept of “race” needs to be abolished.

Tolerance – To tolerate is to “put up with” and that’s not a healthy attitude. It’s healthier to embrace the differences, not simply tolerate them. The negative connotation of tolerance completely undermines the goal of diversity. People need to recognize that the differences make life richer so if we embrace the differences instead of putting up with them, we begin to achieve the goal of “inclusion”. Tolerance is best replaced by “embrace.”

“People of Color”Every person is a person of color. Segregating people based on their skin color is harmful. By claiming that people who have darker skin are “people of color” only perpetuates racism. Another problem with this phrase is that the colors referred to are wholly incorrect – I’ve never seen a “white” or a “black” person. Our skin colors are far more complex than that. This phrase does nothing but perpetuate racism.

The Census – In the USA, the Census Bureau asks people to select a “race” and it requires us to pick one, which is getting more difficult given that, today, people are more of a melting pot. It segregates us into artificial classifications. The Census Bureau only needs to focus on citizen or non-citizen.

I suggest that everyone involved in “diversity and inclusion” (D&I) evolve the language. Begin by dropping “diversity” and adopting “Inclusivity” – it has a more positive connotation, include all, which always has been the desired goal of “diversity”. Inclusivity is key. focused logo

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