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
You need a PLAN to deal with duplicates
You need a PLAN to deal with duplicates Here’s the thing about duplicate records: No […]
Asking for more is a good sign…
Asking for more is a good sign… A client who had recently implemented a new […]
Take action…
Take action… “The greatest wisdom not applied to action and behavior is meaningless data.” – […]
The Rule of 100 and 1,000 revisited
The Rule of 100 and 1,000 revisited I’m finding that the “Rule of 100 and […]
You gotta wanna
You gotta wanna Long ago I heard a training consultant say you can’t train people […]
Be careful not to overbuy
Be careful not to overbuy I recently spoke with an association of ten staff that was […]
When is the best time to clean your data?
When is the best time to clean your data? One of the most common questions […]
Do the benefits outweigh the risks?
Do the benefits outweigh the risks? As the economist Thomas Sowell points out, there are […]
Painting the Bridge
Painting the Bridge According to this article, the Golden Gate Bridge is painted continuously year-round. […]
Maintenance isn’t sexy
Maintenance isn’t sexy I remember reading once long ago that one of the reasons our […]
