Director Ideas That Solve Rather than Distract
Every board has them - directors brimming with great ideas. Strategies, solutions or initiatives that sound promising. It’s one of the best parts of working with engaged directors: they care deeply and want to contribute.
But too many great ideas can also become a distraction for management. When every idea is explored, the organization risks spreading its time, talent, and budget too thin - and leadership focus suffers.
Ideas from the board may be intended as potential solutions, but management may see them as instructions. Or management may not know how to kill the idea diplomatically.
The challenge is to quickly decide and communicate if the idea will truly move the organization forward, without leaving directors feeling unheard or dismissed.
Turning Ideas Into Insight, Not Noise
Boards can build a stronger decision culture by agreeing in advance on how ideas will be triaged, and agreeing that ideas are just that - ideas. They might not be right for the organization, and one person doesn’t get to decide. Putting ego and defensiveness aside.
Here are two options to help triage ideas from directors:
Chair Decision. All ideas are just that - unless the Chair makes it clear that the board has collectively made a decision or is providing instruction to management. Everyone understands that management isn’t expected to respond to each idea, unless the Chair moves the conversation in that direction. Otherwise, it is just “Thank you very much for that idea.” Done. And management decides later whether to do anything with it. This keeps the process fairly informal and ensures that one director’s comment isn’t interpreted as board instructions.
The Idea Bin. When ideas are generated, the board and management quickly discuss and decide which bin it goes into:
🎯Yes – it fits.
🎯Not now – put it in the parking lot as a future idea.
🎯Let’s explore – needs more input before deciding.
🎯Distraction – interesting, but not for us.
The board’s role is to help narrow the field - quickly and collectively - so the organization’s energy is spent where it counts most.
A great idea doesn’t have to be pursued to be appreciated.
Sometimes you need to say “no” to the good idea so you can later say “yes” to the best solution.
When boards recognize this challenge and their role in helping management align resources to the right priorities, they deliver a higher Boardroom ROI. They reduce distractions, and create more impact.
Directors also set the tone at the top by communicating the expectation that decisions will be deliberate, evidence-based, and aligned to purpose, not just inspired by the idea of possibility.