By Katie Delahaye Paine, CEO of KD Paine & Partners and co-author of Measuring the Networked Nonprofit: Using Data to Change the World

A simple rule of thumb is that you should spend more time learning from your data than gathering it. When you get your data, make sure you understand why things happen. This doesn’t mean that you need to prove causality, most of the time a simple correlation will do. The important thing is that you think through the results, analyze them for insights and learning, and, most of all, look for failures

A look back at the most popular links from "Things We Like" in 2012.

1. According to the data, you're distracted. Or you want to be distracted. Or maybe there's no difference. In pulling the most popular link from each month this year, we found that NTEN: Connect readers clicked fun links about as often as they clicked links about how to avoid distractions or boost productivity. So, in the interest of time, try saying "no" to projects every once in awhile. You'll thank us later.
2. You might also consider taking a nap: Napping at work may be a good idea.
3. Still pressed for time? Try streamlining your e-mail processes. Here are "9 Gmail Plugins to Revive Your Productivity". Don't have time to finish reading this newsletter right now? Boomerang it! Want to learn more about who sent it to you? Add Rapportive! Nice.
4. Fortunately, some things have already been settled -- like Twitter. Over the summer, Taco Bell won Twitter, so we might as well move on to other things.
5. But there are so many cool distractions, right? I mean, consider the hexaflexagon. Have you made one of those yet? They're awesome!
6. Even 404 error pages can be distracting. "This is not the web page you are looking for" combines our love of Star Wars with actual technology.
7. These conflicting trends -- greater productivity vs. intentional distraction -- may explain the rise of the easily digestible infographic, like "Which Social Network Should You Use – and When?".
8. Or this nifty infographic explaining bounce rates.
9. If only there were an infographic to help us deal with this conundrum. There is? Oh, thank you! So, here you go: "How to Focus in the Age of Distraction".
10. And hopefully you have an extraordinary boss, one who understands that having fun is essential to creating a more passionate work culture, and that taking the occasional mental break will help you work with more energy... if not more focus.
11. Because in the end, how can we ignore cats in a drawer. Happy holidays!

In 2012, we had more than 3,500 attendees to our local 501 Tech Club events, and hundreds more at local meet-ups across the country. We couldn't have done it without the generous support of the NTEN community.

But we have our sights set even higher for 2013. And there's never been a better time to show your support for NTEN. In fact, right now, your contribution will be matched by the NTEN Board, dollar for dollar – up to a total of $15,000. That's doubling your impact! (Thank you, NTEN Board!)

> Your donation will help us put on more local events in 2013

[Editor's note: The following is from the December 2012 issue of NTEN:Change, NTEN's quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders. Read the complete issue on "Collaboration" when you subscribe to the journal for free!]

By Michelle Hines, UCP/CLASS

Since the economic downturn, an increasing number of organizations have explored and implemented mergers or collaborative agreements. Many factors should be considered when organizations begin to work on mergers, including technology. Beyond financial and equipment matters, one of the most important concerns that can dictate the technological success or failure of a merger is change management. To ensure a smooth transition during a merger, you can prepare your staff for merging technology in five steps: