We all want to improve our data management, making it better than it was yesterday. But how do you know if you are improving?

Showing progress requires two things: a benchmark and an objective.

Your benchmark tells you where you are right now. Your objective tells you where you want to be.

For example, suppose your email delivery rate is 88%. That's your benchmark. Your objective could be 95% (NOT 100%, because perfection is unachievable!). By knowing your benchmark, and measuring your performance over time, you'll know if you are getting closer to your objective.

As simple as this sounds, too many of us are operating in an environment where there are no benchmarks nor any objectives. The only objective is to "improve." But you can't possibly know if you're improving if you don't have benchmarks. And you won't know how much effort to put into one area or another if you don't have objectives.

So identify those benchmarks. Write them down along with the date. And then identify your objectives and start working toward them. It's the only way you can really measure progress!