Fix a Few Things at a Time

Consulting guru Alan Weiss frequently admonishes: "Move a few things a mile rather than a hundred things an inch." Simply put, it's better to have great success with a couple of things than being mediocre at many.

The same is true when it comes to managing our databases. It's very easy to become inundated with all of the many things we'd like to fix or add or change. After a speech I gave recently, I met a woman who said their association was overwhelmed with all of the things they needed to do to fix their current system. She had no idea where to start. I suggested she identify the items on their list that are most important to the success of their database, and ultimately, the success of their organization.

You can't do everything at once. So move a few things a mile rather than a hundred things an inch. Once you start seeing your successes with these first few items, the others will become less intimidating and you'll start to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

 

 

About Wes Trochlil

For over 30 years, Wes has worked in and with dozens of associations and membership organizations throughout the US, ranging in size from zero staff (all-volunteer) to over 700. In that time Wes has provided a range of consulting services, from general consulting on data management issues to full-scale, association-wide selection and implementation of association management systems.

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