Tail Wagging Dog July 31, 2007

In the past few days I've been struck by where the perspective dog can bite you. Take this business of selecting fundraising software. There are two perpectives that play heavy here...the tech perspective and the user (fundraiser) perspective.

These diverse perspectives don't really run counter. But they do have the capacity to miss what's truly important to the other's welfare. To wit: In the software evaluation process, it is easy for fundraisers to get wrapped up in what and how we did it before that they are unable to evaulate the technologist's observations about data flexibility and accessibility. After all, the technologist knows needs and the processes developed to meet them will change.

Similarly, technologists can get so wrapped up in data structure and relational coding that they remain far isolated from the very real need of fundraisers to have tools they can master for day-in, day-out use. Basically, does it do what we need to do and can I learn how to use it.

In the end, software evaluation must entertain both perspectives. But we need to be ever mindful about which tail is wagging the dog.