“In the more than 125 years since Robert’s Rules was first published, many other approaches to group work and organizational activity have emerged. The goal of this Guide and the full [Consensus Building Handbook] is to codify the ‘best possible advice’ to groups and organizations that prefer to operate with broad support, by consensus, rather than simply by majority rule. When we say consensus, we do not mean unanimity (although seeking unanimity is often a good idea). We believe that something greater than a bare majority achieved through voting is almost always more desirable than majority rule. …The Short Guide to Consensus Building (and the Handbook on which it is based) offers an alternative [to Robert’s Rules of Order] that builds on several decades of experience with effective consensus building techniques and strategies.”