I'll have to check on re-publication rights, but those of you who are members of ASAE can view my article, "When Good Project Pitches Go Bad."  If I can republish the text here I'll do so shortly so all of you non association execs can check it out as well. 

The essence of the article is that it is much harder to force consensus than it is to allow it to happen through questioning and exploration.  This may seem irrelevant to those of you who have been reading this blog for a while - since I often say that consensus itself kills great brands.  I still believe that it does... however... if you want to actually gain approval to start the rebranding process you'll likely need to have consensus to do it.  Few organizations will just let staffers begin a hundred-thousand dollar (or larger) project without having the chance to review what it is supposed to do.

Remember... You need consensus on the goals of the project and whether or not the creative work meets those goals.  You do not need consensus on the other aspects of the creative work.  In fact, the less consensus you have the more likely you are to gain attention with it. 

Last - for associations there are often bylaws that state consensus must be reached.  In those situations you just have to muddle through it and hope for the best.  The process I lay out in the article provides a good chance of getting through a challenging decision without abandoning the soul of the organization and the people who work for it.

Hope to post the full contents of the article soon...