Data doesn’t need to be perfect to be useful

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 if the data is perfect. The thinking goes: since there's no way to get to perfect data, there's really no reason to start.

But it's clearly not true. The data you have now isn't perfect, nor will it ever be. But if your data is "pretty clean," it can be very useful.

So don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. Continue working on keeping your data as clean as it can be. It will never be perfect, but it will still be useful.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Data Accretes

July 1, 2020

Data Accretes One of my very first jobs in the association world was managing the production […]

Don’t be so lazy…

June 24, 2020

Don’t be so lazy… One of the things that attracted me to the software world […]

Don’t try to do everything at go-live

June 17, 2020

Don’t Try to do Everything at Go-live When implementing a new AMS, there is a […]

Make sure your system has broad support

June 10, 2020

Make sure your system has broad support An AMS vendor pointed out to me recently […]

You have to have the right people in place

June 10, 2020

You have to have the right people in place This may seem obvious, but I’ll […]

Ask “What” not “Why”

June 3, 2020

Ask “What” not “Why” As a consultant, one of my favorite questions to ask my […]

Engagement is measured by the customer

May 27, 2020

Engagement is Measured by the Customer I’ve written a bunch about measuring engagement in the past. (Click […]

Yes, you do have a process for that

May 13, 2020

Yes, you do have a process for that When I work with clients on pretty […]

“Correct your mistakes before they become your habits”

May 6, 2020

“Correct your mistakes before they become your habits” Yet another great quote from James Clear: “Correct […]

Sometimes it’s a process issue

April 29, 2020

Sometimes it’s a process issue When I work with clients on developing a needs list […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top