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Project Management Best Practices (continued)

Achieve Consensus
David Maxfield, the vice president of research at Vitalsmarts in Provo, Utah, believes that communication is the key to a team's success, and it all starts with buy-in. "Everyone on the team must agree on and share the business case, and feel there's a clear business imperative," he says. Part of the agreement must also center around the roles of team members -- their responsibilities and the steps needed to complete their deliverables on time.

Davidson agrees that being in on the groundwork is key for participants. But how do you get buy-in? You may not, but you can get consensus on the project plan. "If you have one person who is reticent, you ask them to go along with you and when indicators emerge, you'll take action based on their forewarning," says Davidson. "You can even have a contingency plan."

But after that initial step, says Maxfield, "The challenge is discussing your concerns early and often enough to catch problems before they get out of hand. You need to have frequent crucial conversations. Don't wait for concerns to get big." Crucial conversations aren't part of a formal process, but they can be the most critical tool for keeping a project on track and on time. "If you don't have these conversations, no amount of structure can save you," he says.

Discussing areas of conflict can be daunting, but that doesn't mean the conversations shouldn't be encouraged. "Project managers can make it clear that they are approachable, and let team members know they'll be talking to them frequently to offer support, check up on status, etc." And along the way, they can encourage team members to bring concerns to the project manager, says Maxfield.

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