In our Raising Questions series, we ponder questions that have come to us from our prospects and partners. Questions such as this:
What lessons have you learned working with university leadership, particularly presidents?
We thought we had it.
After hours of brainstorming, refining, and debating, we had landed on the perfect theme for a fundraising campaign. It wasn’t just a good idea—it was the idea—the one that sparked excitement in the room, the one that made people sit up a little straighter.
And best of all? Everyone on the team loved it. Everyone, that is, except the one person who had to approve it.
The workshop: Where ideas fly
It all started in a workshop. We brought together a group of key people — campaign leaders, university leadership, and members of the marketing and advancement teams. In these sessions, anything goes. There are no bad ideas or wrong answers — just open minds and creative thinking.
Ideas flew around the room. Some were bold, some were subtle, and some didn’t make much sense initially. But that’s how these things work. You throw everything on the table, sift through the mess, and start to see patterns.
Eventually, the right idea emerged. It had energy, felt fresh, and captured the essence of what this campaign needed to say.
When we presented it to the working teams, their responses only confirmed what we already knew: This was it!
The curveball
Confident, maybe even a little proud, we took our big idea to the chancellor.
We expected enthusiasm. We expected a smile, maybe even an approving nod.
What we got was… silence.
Then: “This isn’t what I had in mind.”
Oof.
Two, and then do
We have a rule: Two, and then do.
If someone pushes back on an idea, we try again. We make the case. We explain the why.
But only twice. After that, if it’s not going anywhere, we move on.
So we took another shot. We reviewed the research, the feedback, and the team’s enthusiasm, then explained why we believed in this idea.
Still, the answer was no.
And here’s the thing: when the person at the top doesn’t see it, it doesn’t matter how much the rest of the team loves it. You have to decide — are you willing to risk everything for this?
In this case, the answer was no.
The pivot
We went back to our list. The good news? We had options. The workshop and messaging had given us plenty of strong ideas, and now, with a little more guidance from leadership, we had a better sense of what would work.
After another brainstorming session, we settled on something new. It felt true to the institution and connected with an even wider audience.
This time, when we brought it to leadership, we got the reaction we had hoped for all along — excitement!
The lesson
The best creative work doesn’t just come from big ideas — it comes from knowing when to challenge and when to pivot.
If you’ve done the work upfront, you’ll have more than one great idea to fall back on. Sometimes, the backup plan turns out to be the most appropriate solution.
So, next time you face an obstacle, ask yourself: Is this worth risking everything for? If not, step back, adapt, and find the idea that works.
Because, in the end, the right idea isn’t just the one you love. It’s the one that aligns.
Featured image credit: Adobe Firefly + Tom Osborne
