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Fostering Good Board Ideas

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IN HER RECENT BLOG POST "Where good (board) ideas come from", Debra Beck links to a great video (you've just got to watch it) and poses the questions "Do we nurture breathing room and value insights shared amidst the rush to check reports off the agenda? Do we foster opportunities for good ideas inside board members' heads to make it to the surface so they can be connected?"
Thoughts of inspirational discussions and deep-diving into issues that were cut short by a too-full agenda and not enough time came flooding over me as I read Debra's post.  Yes, I've been in those situations and I look back on them with mixed emotions knowing that some great conversations will never be rekindled and some organizational energy was lost.
So, how can we build in time for idea generation, rumination, and synergy at the board and staff levels?  Here are some of my thoughts:
  • It's counter-intuitive, but the space to spark and nurture ideas needs to be planned.  We like to think that idea generation is improvisational, spur-of-the-moment, a random act -- and yes, it often is that.  But, it's one thing to react creatively to a stream of conversation and quite another to take ideas to the point where they might actually put down roots.  If you can pluck an idea from the stream and get it in some terra firma in 30-45 minutes, then do it, otherwise it'll float away.
  • The best ideas are often borne from seemingly opposite perspectives.  That's one of the reasons why board and staff diversity is so important.  An organization can expand its perspectives by making space for periodic or ongoing stakeholder meetups and think tanks.  I see great potential in gathering together a variety of people to focus on idea generation around specific organizational issues -- not committees per se and maybe not even task forces, although they might well function as a task force.  It's the perfect blend of planning and improv.
  • There are organizations (although I don't know any personally) that have "blue sky" committees -- formal groups just for knocking around ideas and creating new connections.  I like the idea, but they'll only work if there's some supporting structure around them that can absorb the best ideas into the organization's culture.
  • The coffeehouse, retreat and salon are idea incubators that many boards and staff don't use enough.  After-hours brainstorming and ruminating are best done in relaxed settings.  Where better than the neighborhood restaurant, a cabin in the woods or someone's deck?  There just needs to be a plan in place to move the good conversation to another level for nurturing.
  • I'm also intrigued by the town hall concept, where a large group of people work on one or more issues with the guidance of facilitators.  What would be gained by the local museum holding a town hall or two a year?  I think a lot.
How is your organization capturing and fostering good ideas?
Photo:  yes and no from *_Abhi_*


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