I’ve always loved the phrase “low-hanging fruit.” It creates such a great visual in my mind, the idea that I can easily get what I want by just reaching up and grabbing it.
The idea, of course, is that when starting off a new project, look for some simple “wins” that will propel the project forward. Do the easy things that have a decent return (like grabbing low-hanging fruit) so that you get some positive momentum early on.
In data management, there is often an abundance of low-hanging fruit, if you just know where to look. Consider just these three examples:
- When staff talk with members on the phone, do you take just a second to ask “May I confirm that we have your most up-to-date information in our database?”?
- When you’re scanning the database for information, are you taking an extra second to mark for deletion (or hiding) those records that are obviously bad?
- Are you setting aside time once per month for all database users to meet and discuss new issues, new programs, and new ideas?
My bet is there are dozens of examples of low-hanging fruit in your organization. All you have to do is reach up and grab it. Will you?