I recently read the book Factfulness, which highlights ten things about the world that are better than most people think. (The book is a fascinating read and I highly recommend it. In fact, I think it should be required reading for all high school students!) This got me to thinking (naturally) about the things in data management …
I’m a big fan of the author James Clear (https://jamesclear.com/) who writes about the formation of habits. I believe (good!) habits are an important element of success (I’ve written about it before.) In a recent blog post, Clear wrote: “Just because it’s not optimal, doesn’t mean it’s not beneficial.” Read another way, this is the old …
"Just because it's not optimal, doesn't mean it's not beneficial." Read More »
One of the toughest things about system implementation is simply how long it takes to complete one. And so keeping momentum and staff interest in the project is paramount. By month six of implementation, staff can be pretty burned out. I always recommend to my clients that throughout implementation they look for and celebrate “small wins.” …
While it may sound flippant, when helping a client make a decision I’ll often ask “What’s the worst that can happen?” Because the reality is, for many decisions, the worst thing that can happen is really not that bad, and making no decision at all can actually be worse (i.e., maintaining the status quo). For example, …
I’ve written before about how your relationship with your vendor is much like a marriage. Can you imagine if you only talked to your significant other when there is a problem? Yet that’s exactly how most associations treat their relationship with their AMS vendor. The vast majority of associations only talk to their vendor when …
A couple of weeks ago I had to go to the DMV to turn in some license plates and possibly get a refund on my registration stickers. Even though I was going to the “express” DMV, based on previous experience, I expected to be there about half an hour and was hoping I might get a …
This month (May 2019) will bring the one year anniversary of GDPR. I was NOT a huge fan of GDPR when it was first announced. In fact, I suggested to several clients that they stop serving European members because GDPR was too onerous. (None of them took my advice!) But I’ve come to love GDPR …
Have you ever consciously considered how your AMS is supporting your organization’s mission? You should, and it should. Part of the mission statement for one of my clients reads “To connect and convene senior executives from across the industry to create meaningful cross-sector relationships…” In other words, part of their mission is connecting people within their …
I’m always fascinated by stories like this. In a nutshell, the state of Minnesota spent nearly $100 million for a new vehicle licensing and registration database, and may have to spend another $50 million to actually get it completed. And the project started over 10 years ago! The state audited the program to see what …
The phrase is a bit trite, but nonetheless true. What we give attention to (i.e., praise or rewards), especially as managers, gets done again. And so it is with data management. What behaviors are you praising? Are you praising at all? Too often, like payroll, it is just assumed that data is being managed correctly, …