Admittedly, I’m not much of a social media maven. I’m on Facebook, LinkedIn, Plaxo, and maybe a couple of others, but I don’t actively “work” these sites. I know some think this is the wave of the future, but I’m not seeing much business return at this point. Having said that, I was a bit […]
Zappos and Facebook Read More »
I recently had need to call Carefirst (my health insurance company) because they had made a billing error. I had paid my premium, the check was cashed (online proof from my bank) yet my account had not been credited. I dutifully called the “Questions about your invoice?” number on my statement, and was on hold
Carefirst Gets it Wrong and Then Gets it Right Read More »
There was a discussion on a users group listserver a few days ago about the pros and cons of centralized vs. decentralized data entry. The question was, should all staff be able to enter and correct data in the database, or should that function be restricted to just a few? Several people weighed in, and
Centralized vs. decentralized data entry Read More »
One of the most significant changes to occur over the past couple of years in database management is the idea that the database must be more customer-friendly. Prior to Al Gore inventing the internet, when associations considered which database they might use, the only audience to consider was staff. That is, how would staff interact
Changing from a staff-centric to customer-centric view Read More »
By show of hands, how many of you have an “IT” person on your senior management team? Is the most senior IT person in your organization part of the executive management team, or do they report to someone else who is on the executive management team? What I see far too often is organizations will
Get your IT people on the team Read More »
When I work with my clients on the implementation of a new database, there is a tendency to focus on everything that is not working. That’s human nature, of course. We want to fix it if it is broken. Unfortunately, all of this focus on the “broken” tends to lead people to believe that the
Check your metrics Read More »
I recently traded emails with an association colleague of mine, an executive director of a small association, asking him how his search for a new AMS was going. (He is not a client, but chose to do this on his own.) He has called the process “a train wreck.” Here are just some of his
When you compromise, no one is happy Read More »
I had the opportunity to sit through a lengthy demo of the Polaris product from ARC Solutions. Overall I was pretty impressed with what I saw. Their product is entirely web-based and takes advantage of all the latest technology available to web-based databases. ARC is still a relatively young business (7 years old) and still
ARC Solutions Demo Read More »
If you are an association staffer or executive, I’d appreciate it if you could answer my one question survey. It will take only a minute or two to reply. Last year at this time over 100 of your association colleagues responded to this survey, and the results were fascinating. You can read about that here:
Take my one question survey Read More »
Let’s face it, sometimes there is a mismatch between a person’s abilities or attitude, and the needs of the job. And when that mismatch occurs and can’t be remediated, it’s time to help that person find a new job. But too often, for fear of looking like the bad guy, or just doing something that
Swimming with your clothes on (When it's time for a staff change) Read More »