Stories from the Front!

We are STILL receiving REAL news from BAs and CBAPs at the front lines.  Check these samples out, and send me an email ([email protected]) letting me know which one(s) you relate to the most, and sharing YOUR story.

Story 1

I spent about six months refusing a Connecticut based Enterprise Architecture-based job.  This was all related to my BA resume and CBAP certification.  Recruiters simply wouldn’t go away, though my on-line profile and response was always clear – “not going to Connecticut”. 

In the meantime, I got a few direct phone calls, from hiring managers – a little more fun than recruiters – and landed a contract to assist a government agency implement some BA BOK based standards.  For me, this is a dream job, a chance to help create an environment where BA is supported (even championed?).

After four months, things are going pretty well – executive involvement is way up, and stakeholders are eager to move to next steps.

The backing is all due to IIBA, the BA BOK, and the CBAP, vendor neutral certification.  As always, I am just one more voice in the project, it is the BA BOK that speaks surprisingly loudly, and surprisingly effectively.

Story 2

Not much has changed for me – I have been in a stable, and respected and supported position for several years.

AND we did have some hairy debates concerning data vs. business data vs. data modeling and who had influence and responsibility – my use of the BOK helped settle the matter more quickly and easily.

Story 3

I was engaged by a government agency to introduce BA standards and practices.  They worked with me for over nine months, and loved my work, BUT finally told me that they just weren’t ready to make such big changes.

After consulting BOK I realized that I had allowed myself to work on a TO BE, without insisting on eliciting an AS IS.  Next time I will not miss this, and will be able to tailor BOK to the actual situation, instead of the ideal one.

De du, de du, de du…that’s all folks!

Keep sending me your war stories!

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NEXT MONTH: YOUR STORY HERE or I will be forced to tell mine!

Thanks to my gentle readers for their frankness and willingness to share.

More shall be revealed. Have fun!