Don’t confuse motion with improvement

Don't confuse motion with improvement

I wrote recently how action can produce information. But an important corollary to that idea is that action alone does not necessarily mean improvement.

For example, how much time do we spend preparing board materials that the board never looks at, and even if they do look at it, won't take any action on the information provided? (I mean, sure, this probably never happens at your association...)

I recall once as an association staff person many decades ago spending literally weeks preparing a three inch three-ring binder for our board meeting. At the end of the meeting, the board chair, with barely a glance at me, handed me the binder and said "Do something with this."

The reality is that far too often, we're taking action (in motion) but we're not really improving anything.

So think about all the things you do: the data you're collecting, the reports you're running, the marketing you're sending; all of them are motion, but are they really accomplishing something?

Motion alone is not improvement.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Acknowledging problems is part of managing expectations

March 15, 2023

Acknowledging problems is part of managing expectations Research was done some time ago that suggested […]

Need data? Consider third-party sources

March 8, 2023

Need data? Consider third-party sources I always tell my clients, only collect data that you’re […]

Action must follow the decision

March 1, 2023

Action must follow the decision When I work with my clients on their projects (whether […]

Everything should be focused on improving user adoption

February 22, 2023

Everything should be focused on improving user adoption Your AMS is a tool, and a […]

Needs change over time, and that’s OK

February 15, 2023

Needs change over time, and that’s OK I was speaking with a couple of association […]

The vaguer the question, the vaguer the answer

February 9, 2023

The vaguer the question, the vaguer the answer As the old saying goes, the devil […]

The best choice given the information you have

February 2, 2023

The best choice given the information you have “Hindsight is 20/20” is a cliché because, […]

Action isn’t the same as progress

January 25, 2023

Action isn’t the same as progress I’ve written before that not taking action is an […]

Start with the end in mind

January 18, 2023

Start with the end in mind Like so many, I probably first heard the phrase […]

It’s quiet in here…maybe TOO quiet…

January 11, 2023

It’s quiet in here…maybe TOO quiet… One of the truisms of data management is that […]

Leave a Comment

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

Scroll to Top