Six Principles for Consensus Decision Making
Always Think of Consensus as Win-Win, Not Compromise. In a decision-making situation, win-win indicates the development of a solution that does not dilute any strong convictions or essential needs of individual group members.
Determine in Advance the Fallback Decision Option if Consensus Cannot Be Reached. Most decisions must be made by a deadline, and generating consensus does take time. Therefore, do not impose unrealistic time limits that doom the consensus effort before it begins.