Perfection is expensive (in fact, it’s not possible!)

Perfection is expensive (in fact, it's not possible!)

"Perfection is expensive. The last 5 percent of quality almost always costs a disproportionate amount of time and money." - James Clear

"Seek success, not perfection." - Alan Weiss

When I give presentations on data management, I almost always mention this concept. Too often we're caught up in the idea that if our data isn't perfect it is, by definition, bad or wrong.

But the truth is, our data can never be perfect, and by holding ourselves to that standard, we're always going to be disappointed. And worse, holding that standard is often an excuse to avoid improving the data itself. "If I can't get this perfect, why bother trying?"

So remember, your data will always be imperfect. But that doesn't mean it's not useful. And it doesn't mean we shouldn't aspire to and work for the cleanest data we can achieve.

Just don't let the elusive goal of perfection stop you from being successful.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Measuring customer service

February 16, 2022

Measuring customer service When I work with clients on AMS selection, one question that often […]

Iterate or innovate?

February 9, 2022

Iterate or innovate? When moving to a new association management system, there is often an implicit […]

Who is in control?

February 2, 2022

Who is in control? Speaking with a client once about their database project, the client […]

Sometimes Staff Has to do the Work

January 26, 2022

Sometimes staff has to do the work… As a child, I was attracted to computers […]

Documentation and the Great Resignation

January 19, 2022

Documentation and the Great Resignation Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, you’ve heard […]

Data Management Strategy

January 12, 2022

Data Management Strategy Do you know what your data management strategy is? If you have […]

It’s always about trust

January 5, 2022

It’s always about trust When I work with clients on almost any data management project, […]

You can’t outsource buy-in

December 16, 2021

You can’t outsource buy-in One factor consistent with all of my most successful projects is […]

Use it or lose it!

December 8, 2021

Use it or lose it! I’m referring here to the data you collect. If you […]

“If I could only do one thing…”

December 1, 2021

“If I could only do one thing…” Managing data throughout your organization can be overwhelming. Do […]

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published.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

Scroll to Top