Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Improvement is never linear

By Wes Trochlil | June 10, 2026

Improvement is never linear One of the many lessons one learns over a lifetime is that improvement, regardless of what you’re trying to improve, is never linear. That is, you’ll always have days where you’re better, and days where you don’t improve, or maybe even fall back. And so it is with data management. Even if you […]

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture!

By Wes Trochlil | June 3, 2026

Don’t forget to take a “before” picture! Whenever I start on a big home clean up or renovation project, I like to take a “before” picture, so that I can see the progress that was made when the project is complete. (Ironically, even though I’m the son of an award-winning amateur photographer, I often forget […]

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish?

By Wes Trochlil | May 27, 2026

Are you being penny wise and pound foolish? Two quick customer service stories to illustrate a point: First story: I’ve used the same email provider for more than 20 years. But for technical reasons, recently I needed to switch providers, so I canceled my service with them a few weeks in advance of my renewal. […]

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you

By Wes Trochlil | May 20, 2026

AMS Products are getting better – and what that means for you I’ve been working in and with AMS products for 36 years (27 years of consulting, nine years as an association staffer). And I can say with great confidence that the systems available today are much better than they were 36 years ago! (Shocking, I know.) But […]

Using AI beyond content generation

By Wes Trochlil | May 13, 2026

Using AI beyond content generation Recent surveys by ASAE and others suggest nearly 90% of associations are using AI for some type of content generation (e.g., creating blog posts, newsletter articles, “canned” responses to inquiries, etc.). That is great, but when it comes to data management, there are so many more opportunities for leveraging AI. Here are some ideas […]

Older Posts

The vaguer the question, the vaguer the answer

February 9, 2023

The vaguer the question, the vaguer the answer As the old saying goes, the devil is in the details. Which […]

The best choice given the information you have

February 2, 2023

The best choice given the information you have “Hindsight is 20/20” is a cliché because, like most clichés, it’s true. […]

Action isn’t the same as progress

January 25, 2023

Action isn’t the same as progress I’ve written before that not taking action is an acceptable response to a question. […]

Start with the end in mind

January 18, 2023

Start with the end in mind Like so many, I probably first heard the phrase “Begin with the end in […]

It’s quiet in here…maybe TOO quiet…

January 11, 2023

It’s quiet in here…maybe TOO quiet… One of the truisms of data management is that there is no stasis; either […]

It’s ALWAYS about expectations

January 4, 2023

It’s ALWAYS about expectations The headline reads: “Tesla sets record for vehicle deliveries, an increase of 40% over a year […]

It’s hard to get UNangry

December 14, 2022

It’s hard to get UNangry I often emphasize to my clients the importance of testing and training. When a new […]

Some history IS important!

December 7, 2022

Some history IS important! When I’m advising clients on data conversion (moving data from one system to another) my advice […]

“Many mickles make a muckle.”

November 30, 2022

“Many mickles make a muckle.” “Many mickles make a muckle.” – George Washington Apparently, this was an old Scottish saying (and […]

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