Knowledge workers bring far more than just their intellectual skills to a project. They bring their fears, their prejudices, their motivations, their emotional history, and their personalities to the table too. At kick-off meetings we openly discuss our roles and skill sets, but these other intangible things are never exposed.
Yet the way that stakeholders and team members interact with one another is almost certain to have a greater impact on the success of your project than which technology platform you choose or what goes into your style guide.
I gave this talk at MIMA Summit 2014 in Minneapolis.