Sanity needs predictability

On a coaching call today, a client and I explored changing how CiviCRM auto-creates contribution soft-credits based on contact relationships.

It made sense -- to her and to me. But we paused, and she asked a very smart question:

"Should we just do this now, or should I check with my team lead first?"

That's gold, right there. And here's why:

This isn't a change to one or two records. It's a change to configuration -- one that could generate hundreds of new soft-credits in a short time, when nobody's looking.

Meanwhile, other staff are already relying on soft-credit data to make important decisions.

So we agreed on a quick sanity check: run it by one or two teammates first.

Here's the thing:

Even if you've got the best idea in the world, having it show up as a surprise for others is almost guaranteed to cause stress and confusion.

Staff sanity depends on predictable systems.

Changes that affect large swaths of system behavior -- or appear to -- need warning, context, and consent.

All the best,
A.