Bood on Board is a must-read monthly newsletter that shares governance stories and tips for leaders who want to add more value to their boardroom experience.

Remembrance Day: 🌸🌸 Lest we forget 🌸🌸

Decision-Making: I have been chatting recently about challenges that can occur when boards and other groups come together to make decisions. I am considering creating a guide or tool to help organizations make better collective decisions. Email me [[email protected] or hit reply] to share your observations and tips.

Boardroom Focus & Collaboration: I am hosting another webinar with Volunteer Victoria. If your board (or team) could benefit from improved collaboration and focusing on priorities, sign up now for this live webinar on December 11. Although the session is aimed at charities, all are welcome as the topic is broadly applicable.

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:

1. 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.

2. The Idea Bin. When ideas are generated, the board and management quickly discuss and decide which bin it goes into:

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.

Letting go is tough. In personal relationships and in boardrooms.

I was reminded of this during a conversation recently with a good friend whose relationship was clearly over but neither person wanted to take the step of formalizing the end.

They still loved each other, but were no longer bringing out the best in each other.  She was avoiding the awkward conversation and feelings of loss, and suspected he was as well. Neither person wanted to be the one to end it.

It reminded me of how directors can remain on the board too long for similar reasons.

A director enjoys the board experience, believes in the organization's vision and may feel that ending the board role will be painful and possibly even harmful to them personally. Or maybe they worry the organization will struggle without them.

Perhaps the other directors value their relationship with the other director and recognize their past contributions, even if they now feel a board refresh is needed. And they are avoiding or delaying an awkward conversation.

Because boards are all about people and relationships, at their core.

What is the solution? Keeping your values close, including respecting the feelings of other person. But also respecting yourself and your needs.

For my friend, that means she will need to have that awkward conversation so that she can move on and not continue to be treated less than she deserves.

For the director, putting the organization first when assessing if they are still the best person for the role. Or getting comfortable that the organization will figure out how to replace them, and not feeling guilty that you are leaving them in the lurch.

For the board, finding a path to a respectful but open discussion about what the organization needs.

Necessary. But not easy.

Giving Back by Supporting Non-Profits: Is your organization improving the world on a tight budget? Each year Puimac Consulting Ltd. provides a number of presentations pro bono. Non-profits with limited budgets can inquire for more information and on availability.

Please share this newsletter - my services may be exactly what they need right now.

Referrals are always appreciated!