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Ira Koretsky posted a comment yesterday that prompted me to check on the reprint rights for an article I recently wrote for ASAE.  Apparently I'm in the clear - so here's the article for all to see...


When Good Project Pitches Go Bad

If you have trouble winning buy-in from your board or members, maybe you’re lobbing answers when you should be fieldng questions. Here’s how to get consensus, step by step.
By Tate Linden
 

“To me, consensus seems to be the process of abandoning all beliefs, principles, values, and policies. So it is something in which no one believes and to which no one objects.”—British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher

 
How many times have you developed a promising organizational idea or strategy on your own (or with a small group), only to get shot down when you attempt to get approval from your board of directors or bring it to a membership vote? And what would you give to avoid the rancor, embarrassment, and frustration that too often rewards your most sincere efforts?

What is it about trying to build consensus within groups of people that makes it nearly impossible to get an answer anyone actually wants?
 
Over 15 years of helping corporations and associations develop their brand identities, I’ve been forced to become adept at consensus building. That’s because few things inspire as much passionate disagreement as the prospect of abandoning a brand history or taking a risky new approach to brand strategy. Employees threaten to quit, customers threaten to take their business elsewhere, members threaten the leadership, and leaders threaten to abandon their organizations.

Trying to arrive at an agreement under these circumstances is a little like skydiving in a thunderstorm—neither enjoyable nor productive, with significant safety issues.
 
An unpredictable art

As anyone can tell you who has encountered the tense conditions that require hiring consultants like me in the first place, consensus building often has more to do with politics than with the validity of the ideas presented. Bending the ear of the right board member or gaining access to an influential block of members can work wonders—whether you’re the project manager or someone wishing to stop the process.

The likelihood of successfully using the exact same technique in two different situations is, in my experience, quite low. Consensus building is an art—one whose techniques are constantly being developed, tested, refined, and discarded.

There are certain truths that you can have faith in, but these truths are general, not specific.
 

• First, few people in decision-making roles enjoy being told what to think—and in a membership organization, every member has such a role. If you’ve got the best idea in the world and you tell people that it is, in fact, the best idea in the world, the instinct for many will be to look for reasons why the idea isn’t so great after all.

• When you’re building consensus, an intelligent question is infinitely more valuable than a brilliant statement. If you want to bring minds together, I find that a gentle facilitative leading works better than vigorous prodding. Ask. Suggest. Consider. These are the methods that can lead us to consensus decisions worth making.

 

• It’s important to remember Newton’s Third Law of Motion: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. If you push a group decision vigorously, the natural reaction is what Newton predicts: to push back. This can mean failing to reach consensus—or ensuring that no one in the group gets exactly what they want so that everyone is equally displeased.

 
Not exactly ideal situations. They can be avoided, however.

The secret: Get buy-in first

The easiest and best consensus decisions I’ve facilitated were made possible by spending the time at first to learn the decision makers’ views of the concept’s goals. It is possible to get significant support for a project or decision before you even start discussing it.
 
The quickest way to get stuck with a bad decision-making experience is to come up with a plan based on ideas that are only inside your own head. Without external validation and an attachment to the needs of others, the barriers are very high.
 
Here’s a simplified view of how I’ve done it successfully:
 

1. Never, never start the discussion by proposing a solution—any solution. First, decision makers and influencers must agree on the nature and importance of the problem. Without consensus on the problem and its parameters, you are wasting your time discussing solutions.
2. Forge agreement on the definition of success. Develop criteria against which every proposed solution will be measured. Do this before any analysis or research on solutions begins.
3. Set up a comprehensive, two-way communication channel with everyone whose assent you need in order to decide. Be as transparent as possible. Make sure there’s a way for members to express their concerns and to have a voice at the table. 
4. Be sure to include all staff members whose responsibilities are connected with the topic under discussion, and treat them as valued participants. You’d be surprised how influential staff can be with the membership—and how easy it is for a staffer with a legitimate-sounding gripe to find an audience. These same employees, when given respect within the process, can be your strongest advocates for the project’s success.
5. Get as close to an either/or decision as possible. To obtain a majority decision, it is far easier to vote “yes” or “no” than it is to select from options 1 through 10. 
6. In presenting the “finalist” option(s) for discussion, describe the options considered, the roads not taken, and the reasons why. Reasons should refer clearly to the criteria and view of success developed in Step 2. Again, be free with information. Transparency builds trust; even well-meant opacity reduces it. Without trust, no positive decisions can be made.
7. Once the decision has been made, be generous with praise (and, as appropriate, rewards) for everyone’s efforts. Appreciation builds satisfaction almost as surely as results do.
   

 
Many people believe that knowledge is power—and that hoarding knowledge can lead to great things. When it comes to building consensus, the one who holds the most information closest to the vest loses.