“Many mickles make a muckle.”

"Many mickles make a muckle."

"Many mickles make a muckle." - George Washington

Apparently, this was an old Scottish saying (and a favorite of George Washington's) that means "things add up." Over time, many little things can become big things.

This is absolutely true when it comes to managing data. Many little decisions and actions we take will have large and long-term effects on the quality of our data.

As I discuss here, your data is either getting better or getting worse. There is no stasis. Every little positive thing you do (e.g., cleaning up that record you just opened that was incorrect, periodically asking members and customers to check their contact info, making sure you have good documentation, etc.) adds up over time.

There is no one magic wand to improving the quality of your data; it requires lots of little steps over time.

After all, many mickles make a muckle. And who am I to argue with the father of my country?

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

You CAN compete with the big guys…

April 2, 2025

You CAN compete with the big guys… In my experience, associations often undersell their actual […]

Join (or start) your users group!

March 26, 2025

Join (or start) your users group! Today’s message is simple: If the AMS you’re using […]

They don’t care, until they care.

March 19, 2025

They don’t care, until they care. One of the more common questions I get from […]

Longfellow and data management

March 12, 2025

Longfellow and data management “We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing while […]

Do you really need all that historical data?

March 5, 2025

Do you really need all that historical data? A question I’ll often get from my […]

AI actually requires thinking

February 26, 2025

AI actually requires thinking “I don’t think AI introduces a new kind of thinking. It […]

It’s not the mistakes, but how you respond

February 19, 2025

It’s not the mistakes, but how you respond Recently a client was complaining about a bug that […]

The hidden costs of bad data

February 12, 2025

The hidden costs of bad data Nobody likes bad data, and presumably we’re all working […]

Don’t let your customers edit their names online!

February 5, 2025

Don’t let your customers edit their names online! This issue came up recently and I […]

Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern.

January 29, 2025

Once is an accident, twice is coincidence, three times is a pattern. We’ve probably all […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top