Wes’s Wednesday Wisdom

New Year’s Resolutions Why do New Year’s Resolutions fail? Research suggests that part of the challenge is that the actual resolutions are too large/complex/difficult to achieve (e.g., I will lose 30 pounds by June 1st). And when we inevitably fail to reach the goal, we give up, telling ourselves “Well, I guess I just can’t do […]

Why Process is So Important One of my favorite business authors is James Clear, who writes all about habit creation and management. The more I read, the more convinced I am that data management relies heavily on habits. Here’s a quote from Clear: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level

The Significant Change of SaaS Software One of the most significant technological changes in the AMS world is the advent of software-as-a-service (SaaS). While SaaS brings many significant changes compared to the old “buy the software” model, the two most significant are pricing and updates: In the old days (now almost gone) you bought the

Always, ALWAYS budget for more training Always, ALWAYS budget for more training. I don’t know how else to say this. But for 98% of all associations implementing a new AMS (or any major new system), the training budget needs to be increased, not decreased. Yes, I know; systems should be more intuitive; there should be more online, on-demand

We’ve always done it that way A couple of weeks ago I wrote about approving memberships, and how some associations make it far too complicated. (You can read that here.) It’s a good example of “we’ve always done it that way.” Anyone who has been around for more than a few days has probably encountered this line. “We’ve

Are you sure it doesn’t do that? Even after 20 years of consulting, I’m surprised at how often I’ll hear from my clients “Our AMS doesn’t do that” when I know that the AMS does, in fact, do “that.” Usually, this is because staff has asked other staff about whatever “that” is, rather than going directly

Be grateful As Thanksgiving approaches here in the US, I’m reminded of two words: Be grateful There is so much to be grateful for in the world, but I’ll limit my gratitude to data management. We should be grateful for ALL of the amazing technology advances in the past 20 years that have made data management so much easier,

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