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
Learn how to lose
Learn how to lose “Winning is great, sure, but if you are really going to […]
Ownership is Required
Ownership is required When asked for the most common reason AMS implementations fail, I typically respond […]
It’s all relative…
It’s all relative… Over the course of my 22 years of consulting, I’ve consulted with […]
Eliminate to optimize
Eliminate to optimize So much of data management is habit (both good and bad) which is […]
For data governance, ask “Why?”
For data governance, ask “Why?” Recently I’ve had the opportunity to work on several data […]
More on Meetings
More on Meetings I’ve written before about the importance of making sure your meetings are […]
Action produces momentum
Action produces momentum Another great quote from James Clear: “Motivation often comes after starting, not […]
My #1 Best Practice…
My #1 Best Practice… A client recently asked me: “If you had to pick a single […]
Encourage engagement with prizes!
Encourage engagement with prizes! One of the biggest challenges any organization faces when implementing a new […]
Inertia
Inertia One definition of inertia is “to remain unchanged.” My sense is that many association processes, projects, or […]