“Michael, you’ve had two ideas today. And one of them was great. And the other one was terrible.” – Pam Beesley, The Office

The challenge for all of us is to understand which of our collective ideas are great and which ones are terrible.  It may seem obvious when Michael Scott is standing in a parking lot spelling out ‘Marry Me’ with a canister of gasoline and asking Pam, “Hey you know what? I’ve got gas all over my hands and my shoes. Would you light it? Would you do the honors please?.”

The work that matters is when two ideas are indistinguishable at a glance.  The one that makes the organization better may cause more uncertainty than the idea that feels safer.  That is why we assemble a board, to make sense of the terrain that sits in front of us.

What is your great idea?  Which idea did you pass on that turned out to be a major liability?  What is your Kodak Films passing on digital images moment?