Give your staff more freedom, not less

Give your staff more freedom, not less

I often tell my clients, when it comes to data management, I'm a big liberal; I believe you should give as many staff as possible the ability to edit data within your data management system (with proper training, of course!). The point of a centralized data management system is not just to hold the data in one place, but to allow all staff to update that data when appropriate.

I've lost count of the number of organizations I've worked with where only one or two staff were allowed to update data within the AMS. If a staff person received a data change (e.g., new phone number, new title, new email) they would have to email the person who can update that data in the AMS. So the result is at least TWO people will have typed out (or at the very least cut-and-pasted) the same information (first the email, then into the database).

And I've seen a similar thing happen with editing the association's website. Often only one or two people are allowed to make edits, so any changes to the website have to go through these staff, which slows down the process and increases the opportunity for error.

My suggestion: train your staff and then trust them to do the work correctly. Isn't that why we pay staff?

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Should you chug or sip?

October 21, 2026

Should you chug or sip? I was recently meeting with two staff at a client […]

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI?

October 14, 2026

Why bother with a consultant when I have AI? As AI becomes increasingly powerful, the […]

Guardrails can be helpful!

October 7, 2026

Guardrails can be helpful! When selecting a new AMS, I find my clients are often […]

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?”

September 30, 2026

“If you knew this information, what might you do differently?” I had a conversation with […]

Showing is not teaching

September 23, 2026

Showing is not teaching In my experience, when new staff members are taught how to […]

Data management is improvisation

September 16, 2026

Data management is improvisation I was listening to a podcast recently featuring TV writer Rob […]

Who own the AMS company is like the weather…

September 9, 2026

Who own the AMS company is like the weather… When I work with clients to […]

“As good or better than me.”

September 2, 2026

“As good or better than me.” I was recently speaking with a software developer working […]

Documentation is insurance

August 26, 2026

Documentation is insurance In a conversation with a client about their data management needs, the client […]

It all comes down to fundamentals

August 12, 2026

It all comes down to fundamentals I’m preparing for a webinar that I’m presenting in […]

Leave a Comment

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

Scroll to Top