Project teams, and their stakeholder groups, are established and empowered because individuals on their own cannot achieve the desired objectives. Valued results and collaboration from the project team resources are highly dependent on healthy and productive working relationships. Extensive international research and experience now reveals a vital key to the success or failure of our projects. It is well proven that our ability to effectively discuss emotionally and politically risky issues (referred to as Crucial Conversations ^TM) – will lead to measurably superior project team performance as well as timely and cost efficient project deliverables. “Silence Fails : The Five Crucial Conversations for Flawless Execution” extensive research study – uncovered 5 crucial conversations that have an very significant impact on whether high-stakes business initiatives succeed. The 5 crucial conversations which need to be addressed are:

1. Fact-free planning – deadlines/resource limits set without consideration for reality
2. Absent sponsors – no leadership, political clout or champion
3. Skirting – people work around the priority-setting process
4. Project Chicken – nobody speaks up when problems appear, instead relying on the next person 5. Team Failures – team members perpetuate dysfunction

When even 1 of these crucial conversations fails, the research demonstrates the result will be a failure to execute a project or initiative no less than 85% of the time. Faced with high stakes, opposing opinions and strong emotions, many of us either step up to the challenge and fail (inadvertently on our worst behaviour) or we avoid the discussion altogether. The principles and practices of Crucial Conversations ^TM – are a critical enabler of substantially better results in business projects as well as day-to-day operations.