The best choice given the information you have

The best choice given the information you have

"Hindsight is 20/20" is a cliché because, like most clichés, it's true. It's easy to look back weeks, months, or years later at a given action and see what you should have done differently.

When I work with my clients on any project, but especially AMS implementation projects, I tell them at the outset, "We're going to make the best choices given the information we have at the time. This likely means we will make decisions that we ultimately have to change later on."

Like so many other things related to projects, this is part of managing expectations. Far too often I will encounter groups who have implemented an AMS in the recent past, and they lament all the incorrect decisions they made. Were some of them avoidable? Probably. But the reality is that many of the decisions were made with the best information at the time. What they found out later was not information they had when the decision was made, so there's no way they could have known to make a different decision.

Project post-mortems are fine and can be very helpful learning experiences. But the key is to learn from them, not punish yourself for "mistakes" that were made.

Don't play "Woulda, shoulda, coulda." Take what you know now and adjust as needed.

Wes's Wednesday Wisdom Archives

Data managers vs data consumers

September 17, 2025

Data managers vs data consumers When I work with clients on any data management project, […]

Another universal truth

September 10, 2025

Another universal truth There are many universal truths in data management. Some examples: You will […]

Don’t miss this year’s DAN Science Fair!

September 3, 2025

Don’t miss this year’s DAN Science Fair! I’m taking a break from my weekly tips […]

Just start. And it’s never done.

August 27, 2025

Just start. And it’s never done. Last week I had the opportunity to lead a […]

Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer!

August 20, 2025

Don’t ask if you’re not going to answer! In the past week, on three different […]

Seek forgiveness rather than permission

August 6, 2025

Seek forgiveness rather than permission “Seek forgiveness, not permission.” I can’t remember when I first […]

Is a 360 degree view necessary?

July 30, 2025

Is a 360 degree view necessary? “A 360 degree view of our members should NOT […]

Why data matters

July 23, 2025

Why data matters I write about data because managing our data effectively will help us […]

It’s about process

July 16, 2025

It’s about process I’m in the midst of adding an AI agent to my website […]

Data integrity reports

July 9, 2025

Data integrity reports I speak and write a lot about data integrity reports. So I […]

Leave a Comment

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

Scroll to Top