Wes’s Wednesday Wisdom

Do you really need to approve them? I often joke that the very best (because it’s simple and simple is best) business rule for membership is “Anyone with a pulse and a credit card can join.” In other words, other than being able to pay, there are no other requirements for membership. But very often I encounter associations who […]

Negativity bias is why we need database PR I’ve written before how cognitive biases can affect data management. Another bias to add to the list is negativity bias. Simply put, our brains are hardwired to register and dwell on negative stimuli more than positive ones. Which is just another reason why it’s important to practice database public relations.

A system change requires a culture change By its very nature, when you introduce a new enterprise-wide system like a new AMS, you are going to have to change the culture of your organization in order to best leverage the new system. A simple example: When I work with my clients on selecting a new

Where is that data? This is what data management nirvana looks like: When the question starts with “Where is the data that tells us… …how many members we have? …who is on that committee? …what are the attendance numbers for our upcoming event? …what Wes’s email address is? The answer is always the same: “It’s in the database.” Not

Be deliberate, but act quickly Be deliberate, but act quickly. These are my words of advice when it comes to selecting and implementing a new AMS. Be deliberate…make sure you’re putting in the time to figure out what you need from an AMS and which vendors are the best possible fit. And during implementation, make

Why associations don’t like the “S” word A couple of weeks ago I asked my readers why associations seem to fear the word “sales.” I received dozens of responses here and on LinkedIn (thanks to everyone who responded!). The reasons I heard seemed to fall into the following three categories: Associations are non-profits, and “sales” suggests profit. As

The “S” stands for “Standard” In a conversation with a past client, we were discussing the importance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) when managing data. I refer to this, generically, as documentation. Your processes need to be written down so that staff knows how to manage the data. My client pointed out that one of

Is that meaningless data? I’m not a big quotes guy, but one of the few I love comes from Peter Drucker in The Effective Executive: “”The greatest wisdom not applied to action and behavior is meaningless data.” Put another way: If the data tells you something but you don’t act on it, that data is useless.

Be aware of unintended consequences I’ve written before that every decision involves a trade-off. When considering the trade-offs that every decision requires, you should also keep in mind any unintended consequences that the decision may create. Consider the following example: A client of mine recently changed AMSes. As part of that change, members have to

Positive change is harder to see Humans are wired to see negative change because we need to protect ourselves; a negative change is seen as a risk and a danger. Positive change is much more difficult to see; there’s no risk involved. Think about it this way: When there’s a negative change with your data (e.g.,