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
Try not to OFFEND your members…
Try not to OFFEND your members… I recently received an email from an association where I’ve […]
How will you use that data?
How will you use that data? One of the beauties of technology today is how easy […]
Pennywise and pound foolish
Pennywise and pound foolish One definition of the phrase “pennywise and pound foolish” is to […]
How you respond matters
How you respond matters Very recently I wrote that I measure customer service by how […]
Your one non-renewable resource
Your one non-renewable resource For any project, the three primary resources are time, money, and […]
No system is perfect
No system is perfect When working with my clients on the selection of a new […]
Ask your members to update their info
Ask your members to update their info One of the greatest data management challenges any association […]
Customer vs. staff
Customer vs. staff In a properly designed AMS, when the customer goes online to your […]
Measuring customer service
Measuring customer service When I work with clients on AMS selection, one question that often […]
Iterate or innovate?
Iterate or innovate? When moving to a new association management system, there is often an implicit […]