Blog: Wes’s thoughts, articles, and insights

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My most recent posts

Blog post themes over 20 years…

By Wes Trochlil | August 5, 2026

Blog post themes over 20 years… I’ve been writing blog posts for nearly 20 years now. WordPress tells me I’ve written over 1,200 posts. So I asked AI to analyze my 1,200+ posts and give me my top three themes. Here’s what it came up with: Data management and data quality – these posts emphasize that data management is […]

Lots of feedback is a GOOD thing!

By Wes Trochlil | July 29, 2026

Lots of feedback is a GOOD thing! A client in the middle of their AMS implementation said to me: “I’m getting a LOT of feedback from staff about what the system can and cannot do. Is that good or bad?” My response: “Feedback means they’re actually in the system and using it! That’s a good […]

Doing the reps…

By Wes Trochlil | July 22, 2026

Doing the reps… I’m helping a client with the implementation of a new AMS. During a recent call, their internal project manager said “I’m still not as familiar with the system as I’d like to be. I need to get in there more often and play around.” I responded: “That’s exactly right. I suggest you […]

Add one, remove one

By Wes Trochlil | July 15, 2026

Add one, remove one In the world of home-organizing, there’s the “one in, one out” rule. Simply put, for every new item that enters your home, one similar item must leave, helping to maintain a constant level of possessions and prevent clutter accumulation. This would be a great rule for database managers when considering adding new fields […]

Spring cleaning, all year long

By Wes Trochlil | July 8, 2026

Spring cleaning, all year long I talk frequently about “weeding the garden,” the idea that proactively managing your data, consistently, over time, is a better practice than trying to clean up the data in one big effort once every couple of years. But beyond the data itself, weeding the garden should also include making sure all […]

Older Posts

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 […]

You Have To Do Some of the Work! – A True Story

October 31, 2011

I once met with an association executive director to discuss the challenges she and her association were having with their […]

No job satisfaction at your non-profit?

October 31, 2011

According to a recent article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, “two reports…show a disconnect between what nonprofits provide to their […]

Inward vs. Outward focus of your AMS

October 27, 2011

One of the most significant changes in association management software over the past decade is the change in functionality focus […]

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