Wes's Weekly Wisdom Archives
Seek to simplify When I work with my clients on system selection or implementation, one of the things I love to praise them for is simple business rules. When they tell me things like “Our registration is simple; member or non-member, early-bird pricing, that’s it,” I can barely contain my glee! Too often we’re our …
Some problems are not problems “A problem with no solution is not a problem, it’s a fact of life.” This quote, or some form of it, has been attributed to the political philosopher James Burnham. It dawned on me that I encounter this issue frequently with my clients. Because in data management, there many examples …
UI Matters! Almost since I began consulting over 20 years, I’ve noted how important the user interface (UI) of a system is, in terms of user adoption and ease-of-use. On the staff side, the UI matters because the more “pleasant” a user interface is, the more likely staff is to actually use the system. (I define …
Be careful with absolutes When I speak with clients I try to be careful about speaking in absolutes. I’ll catch myself saying things like “The only way you can do that…” or “All associations have this challenge…” The proper way to say this is along the lines of “One of the best ways you can …
New Year’s Resolutions Why do New Year’s Resolutions fail? Research suggests that part of the challenge is that the actual resolutions are too large/complex/difficult to achieve (e.g., I will lose 30 pounds by June 1st). And when we inevitably fail to reach the goal, we give up, telling ourselves “Well, I guess I just can’t do …
Why Process is So Important One of my favorite business authors is James Clear, who writes all about habit creation and management. The more I read, the more convinced I am that data management relies heavily on habits. Here’s a quote from Clear: “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level …
The Significant Change of SaaS Software One of the most significant technological changes in the AMS world is the advent of software-as-a-service (SaaS). While SaaS brings many significant changes compared to the old “buy the software” model, the two most significant are pricing and updates: In the old days (now almost gone) you bought the …
Always, ALWAYS budget for more training Always, ALWAYS budget for more training. I don’t know how else to say this. But for 98% of all associations implementing a new AMS (or any major new system), the training budget needs to be increased, not decreased. Yes, I know; systems should be more intuitive; there should be more online, on-demand …
We’ve always done it that way A couple of weeks ago I wrote about approving memberships, and how some associations make it far too complicated. (You can read that here.) It’s a good example of “we’ve always done it that way.” Anyone who has been around for more than a few days has probably encountered this line. “We’ve …
Are you sure it doesn’t do that? Even after 20 years of consulting, I’m surprised at how often I’ll hear from my clients “Our AMS doesn’t do that” when I know that the AMS does, in fact, do “that.” Usually, this is because staff has asked other staff about whatever “that” is, rather than going directly …
Be grateful As Thanksgiving approaches here in the US, I’m reminded of two words: Be grateful There is so much to be grateful for in the world, but I’ll limit my gratitude to data management. We should be grateful for ALL of the amazing technology advances in the past 20 years that have made data management so much easier, …
Do you really need to approve them? I often joke that the very best (because it’s simple and simple is best) business rule for membership is “Anyone with a pulse and a credit card can join.” In other words, other than being able to pay, there are no other requirements for membership. But very often I encounter associations who …
Negativity bias is why we need database PR I’ve written before how cognitive biases can affect data management. Another bias to add to the list is negativity bias. Simply put, our brains are hardwired to register and dwell on negative stimuli more than positive ones. Which is just another reason why it’s important to practice database public relations. …
A system change requires a culture change By its very nature, when you introduce a new enterprise-wide system like a new AMS, you are going to have to change the culture of your organization in order to best leverage the new system. A simple example: When I work with my clients on selecting a new …
Where is that data? This is what data management nirvana looks like: When the question starts with “Where is the data that tells us… …how many members we have? …who is on that committee? …what are the attendance numbers for our upcoming event? …what Wes’s email address is? The answer is always the same: “It’s in the database.” Not …
Be deliberate, but act quickly Be deliberate, but act quickly. These are my words of advice when it comes to selecting and implementing a new AMS. Be deliberate…make sure you’re putting in the time to figure out what you need from an AMS and which vendors are the best possible fit. And during implementation, make …
Why associations don’t like the “S” word A couple of weeks ago I asked my readers why associations seem to fear the word “sales.” I received dozens of responses here and on LinkedIn (thanks to everyone who responded!). The reasons I heard seemed to fall into the following three categories: Associations are non-profits, and “sales” suggests profit. As …
The “S” stands for “Standard” In a conversation with a past client, we were discussing the importance of standard operating procedures (SOPs) when managing data. I refer to this, generically, as documentation. Your processes need to be written down so that staff knows how to manage the data. My client pointed out that one of …
Is that meaningless data? I’m not a big quotes guy, but one of the few I love comes from Peter Drucker in The Effective Executive: “”The greatest wisdom not applied to action and behavior is meaningless data.” Put another way: If the data tells you something but you don’t act on it, that data is useless. …
Be aware of unintended consequences I’ve written before that every decision involves a trade-off. When considering the trade-offs that every decision requires, you should also keep in mind any unintended consequences that the decision may create. Consider the following example: A client of mine recently changed AMSes. As part of that change, members have to …
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