McKinley has been through a lot of changes recently, not the least of which was a major database overhaul. While time-consuming, tedious, and sometimes emotionally draining, we are all much better off for having gone through the process. Our data are now readily available, well-organized, and most importantly, collected and managed with an eye toward the most actionable and strategic data points. However, how do you decide exactly what is “actionable” and “strategic” when it comes to data?
This challenge is by no means unique to McKinley. Of course, we see most of our clients collect an overwhelming amount of information in their membership databases, but they are rarely able to pull key elements of this data together to drive organizational progress. Granted, many associations excel at gathering and maintaining accurate member records, as rock-solid data entry and management is critical to perform basic membership functions. However, we find that an abundance of ancillary data can often work against progress. Many of our clients simply become overwhelmed by the amount of information they gather, can’t separate the wheat from the chaff and find themselves stuck in an unproductive loop.
Here are some tips to help you be more strategic and actionable with your data: