“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

Consumer demands change and technology changes

October 2, 2024

Consumer demands change and technology changes When I work with clients on the selection of […]

Why I write

September 25, 2024

Why I write Thirty years ago, I started a new job as director of membership […]

DAN – The Data Analytics Network

September 18, 2024

DAN – The Data Analytics Network I’m a huge fan of users groups (both internal […]

Process before technology

September 11, 2024

Process before technology In a conversation with a client recently, I was reminded (yet again) […]

Opting out and communication preferences

September 4, 2024

Opting out and communication preferences Last week’s newsletter discussed the need for associations to collect mobile […]

Are you collecting mobile phone numbers? You should be.

August 28, 2024

Are you collecting mobile phone numbers? You should be. Are you collecting (and using) the […]

Spend less time on data management and more on higher value activities

August 21, 2024

Spend less time on data management and more on higher value activities Data management is very […]

Change anything you want, except your name!

August 7, 2024

Change anything you want, except your name! This is an oldy but a goody, but […]

If you don’t trust your vendor…

July 24, 2024

If you don’t trust your vendor… When I start an AMS selection project with a […]

Your RFP should go to no more than five vendors!

July 17, 2024

Your RFP should go to no more than five vendors! As a rule, when I […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.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

Scroll to Top