The Manager's Handbook

16A Board of Advisors

She generally gave herself very good advice (though she very seldom followed it).

—Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Laura Franklin leads a company that operates clinics for children on the autism spectrum. I've been on her board since she began, and in one particular meeting I expressed my view about how to expand to new markets. Laura jotted down a note, and then proceeded to the next agenda item as if I had the final say. But before she could do so, another board member jumped in with an alternative view. Then, as a group, we considered the two approaches, eventually settling on a third alternative. We never would have come up with that ultimate idea had it not been for the ideation and creativity that only exists inside a group dynamic.

One‐on‐one conversations with mentors and advisors cannot replace the ideation and creativity that takes place when you convene advisors and set them loose on your problem or opportunity. Group versus individual advice accomplishes different objectives, and one is not a substitute for the other.

Some managers see the board as only a necessary evil, one that encroaches upon their autonomy and decision‐making power, perhaps even an existential threat to their job. Fixated by horror stories that are passed along among entrepreneurs, they prefer to “maintain control” for as long as possible—but at too high of a price.

The solution is not to avoid a board, or advisory group, but instead to correctly organize and manage ...