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

First ask: “How will I use this data?”

April 22, 2020

First ask: “How will I use this data?” Whether it’s during data conversion, adding a […]

“We run the report three times and get three different results.”

April 15, 2020

“We run the report three times and get three different results.” “We run the same […]

How do you know if you’re making progress?

April 8, 2020

How do you know if you’re making progress? We all want to improve our data management, […]

Don’t move too quickly OR too slowly

April 1, 2020

Don’t move too quickly OR too slowly This may sound like a big “duh!” but I’ll […]

“Your current habits are perfectly designed to deliver your current results.”

March 25, 2020

“Your current habits are perfectly designed to deliver your current results.” “Your current habits are […]

There is value in just going through the exercise

March 18, 2020

There is value in just going through the exercise I was working with a client […]

Daylight savings and business rules

March 11, 2020

Daylight savings and business rules This past Sunday, most of the US observed Daylight Savings […]

It’s always about priorities

March 4, 2020

It’s always about priorities No matter the size or type of technology project, you will […]

Only one can be best

February 26, 2020

Only one can be best One of my (many) pet peeves with software vendor marketing […]

Seek to simplify

February 19, 2020

Seek to simplify When I work with my clients on system selection or implementation, one […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.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

Scroll to Top