Wooden Ideas
“Wooden Idea” is used as a pejorative term: but these 'wooden ideas' and also 'silly questions' can be provocative and productive as they challenge fundamental assumptions and call for a clear, reasoned response.
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One of the worst things that can happen in any organisation is to make a put-down remark about an idea. It risks demoralising the individual who came forward, putting their name and reputation to the suggestion plus it could create a general atmosphere of reluctance to be involved. As Paul Sloane says: “Implementing best practice is replicating yesterday; innovation is designing tomorrow.”
The stinging nettle is far less common in continental North America than England, where the nettle is a matter of folk lore. Stinging nettles have hollow, acid & toxin filled, fragile hair-thin spines on their leaves and stalks. The lightest brush causes these to penetrate the skin and release their poison, causing pain.
The British phrase “to grasp the nettle” refers to the supposition that holding the nettle plant firmly means the tough skin in the palm of the hand is not penetrated or that it only hurts once or its going to hurt eventually in any case. What ever the reason, the phrase is used to mean to be brave and take action now, rather than later, to deal with something that is expected to be unpleasant.