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
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.”
“I just want a system I don’t have to fight with.” I asked my client: […]
Inertia Contributes to Bad Data
Inertia Contributes to Bad Data Without knowing anything about your organization or its data, I’d […]
What are you doing with new contacts?
What Are You Doing with New Contacts/ I was very interested to read in a […]
Be Aware of Selection Bias
Be Aware of Selection Bias I wrote recently about the mistaken perception of older members […]
Some Things Just Take Time
Some Things Just Take Time I learned recently that an elephant’s gestation period is 18 […]
Sometimes It’s the Least Bad Choice
Sometimes It’s the Least Bad Choice Just like in life, sometimes when we’re making technology […]
Our Members Aren’t Tech Savvy
Our Members Aren’t Tech Savvy Having worked now in the association space for more than […]
Motion vs. Action
Motion vs. Action One key to successful data management is understanding the difference between motion […]
There is ALWAYS a Trade-off
There is ALWAYS a Trade-off I’ve written many times about trade-offs (you can read a […]
Why do we treat data management differently?
Why do we treat data management differently? A recent post on ASAE’s community read: “Looking […]
