Don’t be a hoarder!

Don't be a hoarder!

The simple truth is that it's almost "free" to collect data. Or at least that's how it seems.

Set up a field in the database, send out an email and ask for the data, and voila, you're collecting new data.

The problem is that, in many (most?) cases, the data that we start out to collect doesn't get maintained over time, even with the best of intentions. And so, over time, we become data hoarders, keeping data that we really don't need.

I would guess that almost every one of my clients (now several hundred over 25 years) has one or more data points in their AMS that are no longer being used, or if they are being used, haven't been updated in many years. I'd bet the same is true for your organization.

When is the last time you looked at your database and cleaned out what you're no longer using? Is it time to do it again?

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Where is that data?

October 30, 2019

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Be deliberate, but act quickly

October 23, 2019

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Why associations don’t like the “S” word

October 16, 2019

Why associations don’t like the “S” word A couple of weeks ago I asked my […]

The “S” stands for “Standard”

October 9, 2019

The “S” stands for “Standard” In a conversation with a past client, we were discussing […]

Is that meaningless data?

September 25, 2019

Is that meaningless data? I’m not a big quotes guy, but one of the few […]

Be aware of unintended consequences

September 18, 2019

Be aware of unintended consequences I’ve written before that every decision involves a trade-off. When […]

Positive change is harder to see

September 11, 2019

Positive change is harder to see Humans are wired to see negative change because we […]

MVP: Minimum Viable Product

September 4, 2019

MVP: Minimum Viable Product In product development there is a concept known as MVP, or […]

You always need a reason for collecting data

August 28, 2019

You always need a reason for collecting data When you ask for data from someone […]

If you’re unhappy, speak up!

August 21, 2019

If you’re unhappy, speak up! My clients will often ask me something along the lines […]

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