Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

AI is a journey, not a destination

By Wes Trochlil | April 15, 2026

AI is a journey, not a destination Lately I’ve noticed a lot of associations talking about AI like it’s a moon shot. “We need an AI project.” “We’re rolling out AI in Q4.” That language suggests AI is something you implement once and then check off the list. It isn’t. AI is a journey, and […]

Action produces information

By Wes Trochlil | April 8, 2026

Action produces information “Action produces information. If you’re unsure of what to do, just do anything, even if it’s the wrong thing. This will give you information about what you should actually be doing.” – Brian Armstrong, co-founder of Coinbase This is the great thing about data and why I’ve been in this business so long. […]

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial…

By Wes Trochlil | March 25, 2026

Why a single source of truth is so beneficial… The holy grail of data management is the “single source of truth.” As I like to characterize it, when someone asks “Where is the data about X?” everyone knows the answer and everyone gives the SAME answer. One of the most common challenges I hear from my […]

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should

By Wes Trochlil | March 18, 2026

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should I’ve worked in and with associations for well over 37 years now. And one of the things I’ve always loved and appreciated about association staffers is their willingness to do whatever is needed to get the job done. But the problem is this “Yes, we can!” attitude can also […]

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful

By Wes Trochlil | March 4, 2026

Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful “Your data doesn’t have to be perfect to be useful.” – (Borrowed with permission from Intellidata’s Slice newsletter.) In my experience, many associations hold themselves back from cleaning up their data, because they are overwhelmed with where to start, and they also think success can only be achieved […]

Older Posts

A free idea for the AMS vendors (from one of my clients)

December 6, 2011

I was speaking recently with Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of the Hospitality Financial Technology Professionals, in Austin, TX. Frank had […]

Don't forget about ASAE's Technology Conference this week!

December 5, 2011

I’ll be speaking twice at the ASAE Technology Conference this week (Wednesday, December 7). My first session, with Rene Shonherd, […]

New Article Posted – Four Reasons to Establish an Internal Users Group

November 17, 2011

I’ve posted a new article on my website. A few years ago one of my most successful clients told me that […]

AMS Vendors Providing Educational Opportunities

November 15, 2011

I’ve noticed an uptick, lately, in the amount of free education being provided by AMS vendors. This is a promising […]

Interview of Wes Trochlil by TMA Resources

November 10, 2011

TMA Resources has begun a new series of weekly educational videos on their website called “Association Tech News.” In this […]

A great example of managing to the rule

November 9, 2011

I’ve written often about “managing to the exception,” the idea that all of our business rules have to apply to […]

Effective Change Requires Leadership

November 7, 2011

Effective change requires leadership. Leadership from the top. Compare these two situations (true stories, clients of mine from the past): […]

Short-Term Gain May Cause Long-Term Pain

November 4, 2011

When it comes to managing our organization’s data, we too often allow our staff some short-term gains which create long-term […]

Are you doing the work, or just talking about it?

November 2, 2011

I’ve worked with well over 100 associations in my years as a consultant. In my experience, those of my clients […]

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