154. ...to rock a rhyme that’s right on time (Condition #3: information scheduling)

I sometimes remind senior executives that their board’s information wish list is that they want it shorter, more detailed, and sooner. And yeah, sometimes those wishes are mutually exclusive. We’ve all heard the famous Mark Twain quote: “sorry for the long letter – I didn’t have time to write a short one.” And it’s true: creating something brief that also has substance takes time and practice…I should know. But I also think we tend to over-index on the timing piece. Think about it: your board doesn’t need all of the material at the exact same time. It’s not like they’ll consume every part of it simultaneously. It makes sense to have deadlines for getting critical material to your board to make sure they have time to actually consume and understand it. Also to get their thoughts and feelings and questions sorted before they come to a meeting. But it’s also not like they will somehow refuse to read, or watch, or listen to something just because it comes through a week earlier or two days later than the rest of their pre-work. In fact, sometimes we get brilliant last minute ideas or urgent information that we just *have* to share at the 11th hour. It’s cool – don’t worry about it. But for the rest of the information you’re sharing with your board I think it’s worth wondering how you can time the dissemination in ways that might make their lives easier, or might make them more likely to engage in future-oriented thinking. If you provide a written brief on Monday, could it help to follow up on Friday with a voice memo or podcast that sheds additional light on the topic? Could it help to provide weekly updates by video in between board meetings to keep the juices flowing before the main packet goes out? Different approaches will work in different circumstances, but you can start by just trying new stuff!