Don’t get hung up on something minor

Don't get hung up on something minor

I'm a problem solver. I love to solve problems. Which is great until it's not.

One trap for problem solvers like me is trying to solve a problem that really doesn't need to be solved. I see this happen a lot in data management, especially as it pertains to creating business rules or trying to automate processes that don't need to be automated.

For example, recently I was working with a client trying to address an issue with chapter management. The organization has over 3,000 chapter members in 50+ chapters, and one issue, in particular, was vexing us. After some lengthy discussion, a staff person mentioned that the issue in question affects fewer than 100 of their 3,000 chapter members. And so it quickly became clear that we didn't need to go to all kinds of trouble to program something in the member portal; for this particular issue, the association would just have the chapter members contact the association directly for help. Done and done.

But we had spent the better part of 20 minutes trying to solve a problem that didn't really need to be solved. And that's the trap we have to avoid.

So early on in any discussion, ask yourself (and everyone involved), "Is this really a problem that needs a solution?" Because the answer might be "no!"

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Start with “Why” before you move to “How”

September 20, 2023

Start with “Why” before you move to “How” Something I’ve noticed over my years in …

Start with “Why” before you move to “How” Read More »

The power of users groups!

September 13, 2023

The power of users groups! Last week I had the honor and pleasure of speaking …

The power of users groups! Read More »

Associations are complex businesses!

September 6, 2023

Associations are complex businesses! One of the reasons managing data at an association can be so …

Associations are complex businesses! Read More »

Snapshots are required

August 30, 2023

Snapshots are required Recently a couple of different clients have asked me why it’s necessary …

Snapshots are required Read More »

“It’s in the database…”

August 16, 2023

“It’s in the database…” I often joke with my clients that AMS nirvana looks like …

“It’s in the database…” Read More »

Using the Pomodoro Technique for data management

August 9, 2023

Using the Pomodoro Technique for data management I’m a huge fan of the Pomodoro Technique, …

Using the Pomodoro Technique for data management Read More »

You need a PLAN to deal with duplicates

August 2, 2023

You need a PLAN to deal with duplicates Here’s the thing about duplicate records: No …

You need a PLAN to deal with duplicates Read More »

Asking for more is a good sign…

July 26, 2023

Asking for more is a good sign… A client who had recently implemented a new …

Asking for more is a good sign… Read More »

Take action…

July 19, 2023

Take action… “The greatest wisdom not applied to action and behavior is meaningless data.” – …

Take action… Read More »

The Rule of 100 and 1,000 revisited

July 12, 2023

The Rule of 100 and 1,000 revisited I’m finding that the “Rule of 100 and …

The Rule of 100 and 1,000 revisited Read More »

Scroll to Top