My boss asked me if I have an idea for a solution to a problem he is facing. I've determined that this can not be achieved without having negative effects, so we would need an alternative approach.
The alternative seems totally valid for me, but it is obviously not what my boss wants. So the question is: Should I tell him this alternative solution or should I just tell him nothing because the alternative is not what he originally wanted?
Please take into account:
- The situation is more like that he asked me "if you have a good idea for this problem, please tell me". It is not like that I must come up with a solution.
- I am a fairly new employee, having now nearly 2 years of experience being <25 years old while my boss has more experience and is >50 years old. I do not want to look like the new genius employee who thinks he knows better than the experienced ones.
If I tell him, would it be better to email him (we are an IT-company) where I can explain the points in detail, or should I talk personally to him? Note that I am often at customers so it might take some days or weeks until the next time I see him.