Learn how to lose
“Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to do something in life, the secret is learning how to lose. Nobody goes undefeated all the time. If you can pick up after a crushing defeat, and go on to win again, you are going to be a champion someday.” - Wilma Rudolph, Olympic champion
And here's the thing about data management. Your data (to some extent) always has errors. And chances are good, your system doesn't do everything you think it should. It's even possible it doesn't do what your vendor promised it would do!
There is always going to be some disappointment, some challenge, some "loss." What matters, as Rudolph so eloquently states, is how we respond to those challenges.
If you really want to be successful managing your data, acknowledge all that is or can go wrong, and work through it.
Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives
Take a moment to be grateful
Because we’re so focused on always improving what we have now, it’s easy to overlook […]
KPIs and Dashboards
I saw DJ Muller from MemberClicks speak on KPIs (key performance indicators). In his session […]
Documenting Process is Critical
When it comes to managing data successfully, process is critical. For example, a client of […]
Motion vs. Action
In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits (I recommend it!), he discusses the concept of motion vs. action. […]
Are You Answering Your Calls?
I’ve written about this before, but apparently I have to keep repeating it. If you’ve […]
Who do you trust?
Who Do You Trust I was reading an article recently about Warren Buffet’s “rules” for […]
Set benchmarks to measure progress
It’s impossible to measure progress if you don’t know your starting point. This sounds axiomatic, […]
You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it.
A client of mine recently wrote the following to me: “It’s so hard to set […]
"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to."
In Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness, he writes: “Experience is unobservable to everyone except […]
Know Your Audience Before You Speak
This one may seem obvious, but when you’re speaking to anyone, whether it’s one person, […]