Little by little, a little becomes a lot

Little by little, a little becomes a lot

"Little by little, a little becomes a lot."

I don't know where I first read it (a google search says it's a Tanzanian proverb; I'm dubious), but I love the phrase, especially as it relates to data management.

One of the many challenges of data management is that it can be so overwhelming. Even the smallest organizations have tons of data. Where to begin when it comes to cleaning up and maintaining?

They key is to just start somewhere, and to build in small habits for data cleaning. These small steps, little by little, will lead you to much cleaner data over time.

And with cleaner data you'll move into the cycle of virtue (click here to read all about that).

And cleaner data begets cleaner data!

Where to begin? Consider these baby steps or weeding the garden. Soon a little becomes a lot.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Motion vs. Action

February 14, 2019

In James Clear’s book Atomic Habits (I recommend it!), he discusses the concept of motion vs. action. …

Motion vs. Action Read More »

Are You Answering Your Calls?

February 7, 2019

I’ve written about this before, but apparently I have to keep repeating it. If you’ve …

Are You Answering Your Calls? Read More »

Who do you trust?

January 31, 2019

Who Do You Trust I was reading an article recently about Warren Buffet’s “rules” for …

Who do you trust? Read More »

Set benchmarks to measure progress

January 24, 2019

It’s impossible to measure progress if you don’t know your starting point. This sounds axiomatic, …

Set benchmarks to measure progress Read More »

You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it.

January 17, 2019

A client of mine recently wrote the following to me: “It’s so hard to set …

You’ll make incorrect decisions. Acknowledge them and fix it. Read More »

"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to."

January 10, 2019

In Dan Gilbert’s book Stumbling on Happiness, he writes: “Experience is unobservable to everyone except …

"Experience is unobservable to everyone except the person who it happens to." Read More »

Know Your Audience Before You Speak

December 20, 2018

This one may seem obvious, but when you’re speaking to anyone, whether it’s one person, …

Know Your Audience Before You Speak Read More »

"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment."

December 13, 2018

Lewin’s equation says “behavior is a function of the person in their environment.” (He was …

"Behavior is a function of the person in their environment." Read More »

Signal-to-noise ratio

December 5, 2018

Signal-to-noise ratio Signal-to-noise ratio, formally used, applies to electricity and engineering, and refers to how …

Signal-to-noise ratio Read More »

Consultants bring perspective

November 28, 2018

Consultants bring perspective At a recent speaking engagement, I was asked what I think is …

Consultants bring perspective Read More »

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