MGR Consulting, Inc.

"We provide applicable techniques and structured thought processes with the needed people and process skills, content, materials, and experience through the highest quality facilitation skills training, meeting facilitation, coaching, and consulting."

MGRconsulting is a talent and collaborative leadership development consulting firm. We are one of the most experienced, highly regarded, and influential leaders in the field of structured facilitation. We administer learning programs that train employees and improve their job performance to work with a group to produce better results. Our FoCuSeD™ facilitation technique is now practiced in some of the largest companies in the world.

We offer:

Consulting: We provide our expertise in Business Analysis, Strategic Planning, and Business Data Modeling.  We work with your organization to develop an effective program to build a Sustainable High Performing Culture.

Meeting Facilitation: Our philosophy is that outcomes must be developed with and by the group. We use structured facilitated workshops to enable our clients to develop their ideas, thus ensuring ownership of the outcome. This is essential because buy-in is necessary to make outcomes successful.

Training: We train through a number of face-to-face and video-based on-line classes - FoCuSeD™ Facilitation Classes. 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.

Coaching: We provide coaching based on the individual's needs, experience, and professional goals.

Support: We support the International Association of Facilitators - IAF Core Facilitator Competencies and what students need to lean to achieve them, enabling those people who wish to pursue their IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator (CPF) designation.

Founder & CEO

MG Rush Systems, Inc.

Prior to starting MG Rush Systems, I successfully implemented and managed a Development Center at CNA Insurance and assisted in developing the GUIDE (IBM User Group) handbook on Development Centers. In addition, I facilitated numerous  workshops and started the JAD Project at GUIDE.

In 1985, I formed MG Rush Systems to offer consulting and Facilitator services. After extensive research into various facilitated workshop techniques and many hours of experience leading meeting facilitation, I created and developed my own structured facilitation technique FAST - Facilitated Application Specification Technique - and became widely recognized as a leader in the movement towards structured facilitation - transforming the facilitation industry. I wrote a facilitation "how to" manual - The FAST Session Leader Reference Manual - and developed training on "how to" be a Facilitator - FAST Session Leader Workshop class. While writing the manual, I wrote and article, published in Computerworld - "A FAST Way to Define System Requirements", describing the different variations of JAD.

In 2004, I sold to Morgan Madison & Co. the non-exclusive rights to reproduce the FAST and FORM class materials and use them to provide The FAST Session Leader Workshop class - subject to royalties from 2004 - 2009 along with the use of the "MG Rush" name. I transferred my facilitation know how to Terrence Metz - 1999 FAST Session Leader Workshop class alumnus - to provide FAST public and in-house Facilitator training as of June 2004 as MG Rush Performance Learning a division of Morgan Madison & Co. (not affiliated with me).

In June 2004, I ceased operations of MG Rush Systems and left the U.S. to pursue my dream of becoming a restaurateur - MG Rush dba Miracles Restaurant in Puerto Rico. After a one year absence, I returned to consulting to continue my legacy as a recognized leader in the field of Structured Facilitation and Facilitator Training, changing my company name to MGR Consulting.

Founder and CEO

International Association of Facilitators (IAF)

The International Association of Facilitators (IAF) is an association dedicated to the advancement of the art and science of Facilitation and Facilitators.

Chair

MG Rush dba "Miracles" Restaurant

Owner & Chef

Exxon Corp.

Internal Consultant

CNA Insurance

Business Analyst | Project Manager

Transforming your workforce by developing collaborative leadership capabilities that increase performance 'n engagement | 4X LinkedIn Top Voice - Facilitation, Team Facilitation, Team Leadership, Team Building

At the helm of MGR Consulting, I leverage my IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator credentials to lead a team dedicated to enhancing collaborative leadership and organizational development. With a storied career spanning over four decades, my mission has been to empower professionals with our signature FoCuSeD™ facilitation technique, equipping them with superior meeting facilitation and coaching skills to drive performance and engagement.

Our team's approach at MGR Consulting is rooted in a deep understanding of team dynamics, ensuring that each engagement translates into improved job performance and better group outcomes. By fostering an environment of continuous learning and development, we have positioned ourselves as influential leaders in structured facilitation, contributing to the success of some of the world's most prominent organizations.

undefined undefined

Transforming your workforce by developing collaborative leadership increasing performance 'n engagement | 5X LinkedIn Top Voice - Facilitation, Team Facilitation, Team Management, Team Leadership, Team Building

Facilitate or Lead a Meeting?

"Should I lead the meeting, facilitate the meeting, or get someone else to facilitate the meeting?"  

✅   Facilitator: A person whose job is to enable and make it possible for a group of people to communicate and accomplish their task.  Facilitators are neutral relative to content, but in charge of the process.  A facilitator is responsible for the context.

✅  Meeting Leader: A person who calls a meeting, runs the meeting (controls the process), and contributes content.  This may be for information sharing or to accomplish a task.

First, there is no "right" answer, e.g., Scrum Masters may play either role depending on the situation and topic.  

There are several considerations so that your decision is well thought out.
The first consideration is what type of meeting is this.  

Three categories of meetings include:

✴️   Information-Sharing
✴️   Task-Related Directive
✴️   Task-Related Consultative

Each type suggests a different answer:

Information-sharing meetings work best with a meeting leader.  
These types of meetings include staff meetings and classes.

Task-related meetings are more successful when facilitated. If conflict is very low, leading the meeting works fine.
These types of meeting include workshops and problem-solving meetings.

Note: The skills of the facilitator and the leader are largely the same.  Using facilitation skills – whether you lead or facilitate – leads to better meetings.  Learning to facilitate enhances your value as an employee.  All companies need effective leaders. Facilitators are effective leaders. Practice your leadership skills by using facilitation skills – whether you are the meeting leader or the facilitator.
 
Read more.. 
https://lnkd.in/gfbHWanj

You MUST develop Essential People (“Soft”) Skills to succeed…

I’ll help you develop them…

Trainer: Gary Rush, IAF CPF | Master

I Don’t Just Provide Instruction – I inspire… 

Are you a Scrum Master? This will help you hold more effective stand-up, retrospective, and backlog prioritizing meetings.

Are you a Project Manager? This will help you gather better requirements and hold more effective project meetings.

Are you an aspiring leader? This will help develop the necessary essential ‘soft’ skills to become an effective servant leader.

Let me, an IAF CPF | Master, share my 40 years of experience. 

In my FoCuSeD™ Facilitation classes, I provide you with content and then we discuss, practice, and relate it to your work and life. 

You bring your concerns, your past experiences, and your questions.  I keep my classes small so that I have time to devote to you.  

Join me for my 4-day FoCuSeD™ Facilitator Academy:

2026 Dates
✅ January 20 – 23, 2026 – Virtual
✅ February 17 – 20, 2026 – Virtual
✅ March 17 – 20, 2026 - Virtual

In my FoCuSeD™ Facilitation classes, I provide you with content and then we discuss, practice, and relate it to your work and life. 

You bring your concerns, your past experiences, and your questions.  I keep my classes small so that I have time to devote to you.  

My highly interactive class teaches you not only “how to”; it also teaches you to understand the "why" so that you can perform effectively. 

I want you to continue learning and developing your new skills, so I provide you with a comprehensive reference manual that reinforces what I teach, and you learn.  

Do you want stronger “soft” skills?

Let’s Do This

We want everyone to succeed…

I facilitated my staff at my restaurant and three wanted to work for nothing…

I use my facilitation skills in all I do, teaching, facilitating, working with others, and even when I ran my restaurant. I found that groups are more productive when facilitating. My staff at the restaurant was a highly stable and collaborative restaurant staff, something unusual in the industry, because my facilitation skills enabled me to an effective servant leader. When I closed the restaurant, three of them offered to work for nothing until I could pay them.

Read more in my article why you need facilitation skills and how they enhance both your life and your career…

https://lnkd.in/gYYr__Tp
How might you use facilitation skills in your job? In your life?

taplio

Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's Linkedin Analytics

Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master

Performance ScoreGary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's LinkedIn Performance

Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

taplio

.css-6ytdur{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39, 43, 72, 1) 0%, rgba(33, 47, 183, 1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's Linkedin Analytics

Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's LinkedIn Performance

Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's Best Posts .css-1emoo84{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:400;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);}(last 30 days)

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's Linkedin Analytics

Performance ScoreGary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's LinkedIn Performance

Gary Rush IAF Certified Professional Facilitator Master's Best Posts (last 30 days)