Everyone on the Same Page?
Once everything is set in your charter, make sure everyone reads it and signs it. An unsigned project charter is like an unsigned check: worthless. If you go through the trouble of establishing a project charter, then you have to follow through in getting it signed. Also, this will truly measure if everyone is on the same page.
Once presented, and before being signed, there will be some more questions raised. These questions are legitimate objections or questions that should be documented. Have you ever decided to make a big purchase? You research and research, make your selection, and get that buyer's tingle. Then, right before you actually make the purchase, you ask one more practical question. The answer to the question becomes the deal breaker. That is the same reaction you will receive when someone is about to sign the charter. Any objections or issues should be documented in the Decisions and Assumptions section of the charter and then redistributed for signatures.
A signature ensures accountability. If someone agrees to something but doesn't sign it, then they can always say they didn't understand, or what they agreed to wasn't clear. However, a signed document removes that ambiguity.
