Are you using a workshop to crack every nut?

As the saying goes – if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Are business analysts falling into this trap by using a workshop for every situation?

Benefits of workshops

Getting all of the right people in the right place at the same time can move projects and initiatives forward at an accelerated rate. We have different perspectives represented, we can fact-check and enable constructive challenge. We can build on great ideas and identify clear problems with others. Workshops that are well facilitated can be motivating, build trust in the product/ project and deepen working relationships. We can co-create outputs using collaborative approaches and get real buy-in from all attendees. So, it’s easy to see why workshops are an attractive choice.

But if we ONLY use workshops…

They become stale, people stop coming, they are no longer motivating, and we can end up wasting time. Some people do not make their best contribution ‘on the spot’ or in a large group, so we also need to consider whose perspective and input we might be missing by relying only on this approach. Some teams cannot release people for long periods, and may become systemically unrepresented in discussions and decisions. We end up with the group of people who have the time or inclination to attend workshops, not the group we actually need.

Bias towards workshops

Workshops can too easily become the default action. From the perspective of the stakeholder, it can be very difficult to suggest alternatives to a proposed workshop. As an invited workshop attendee, it can feel that if you are not in the room, you will lose the ability to influence. This creates a situation where no one can propose a suitable alternative to workshops, and people only attend due to FOMO!

High visibility

Workshops are very visible. They often exist as a big chunk of time booked in lots of people’s diaries, often weeks or months in advance. During the workshop, business analysis becomes very visible, in the central role of the facilitator and the choice of analytical and collaborative techniques.

Perhaps we have a bias towards workshops precisely because they are so visible. It’s a way to remind stakeholders who we are and why we are useful. The outputs are often very visual, flip charts, post-it notes and colourful virtual whiteboards. Many days or weeks of effort of business analysis sometimes has very little to ‘show’ for it… but workshops scream: here we are! We did this! We have agreed stuff!

The time cost of workshops

It is easy to convince ourselves that workshops are the most efficient way of engaging with a group. And often workshops do ‘save time’ in the long run, but let’s look in detail at the question “How long does a workshop take?”

Let’s say we have allocated 3 hours for a workshop (W = 3).

A good rule for facilitators is that the workshop will take 5 times the length of the workshop to prepare PER facilitator (Prep = 5W x F). This is everything from identifying attendees, sending invites, logistics, planning purpose, designing exercises, creating slides etc.

And actions after the workshop will require 2 times the length of the workshop, again per facilitator (After = 2W x F). This will range from tiding a room, to creating outputs and doing follow up actions.

It might seem like all attendees have to do is show up, but they may have to do some thinking/ reading/ speaking to others. They may also have to share information about the workshop, or carry out follow-up actions. Their multiplying factor is 1.5 times the length of the workshop per attendee.

(If travel time is also required, this is likely an underestimate).

So we have

Prep for facilitators: 5W x F

Plus the actual workshop time for facilitators: W x F

Plus the workshop time for attendees: 1.5W x A

Plus the follow up after for facilitators: 2W x F

Total = W x(8F +1.5A)

Where W is workshop length, F is number of facilitators and A is number of attendees.

So a 3 hour workshop with 2 facilitators, and 20 attendees requires a total of

3 hrs x (8 x 2   +   1.5 x 20)  = 90 hrs

A workshop may still be the best way to move forward, but at least we are not kidding ourselves that “it’s only 3 hrs”!

Types of workshop

It’s useful to consider there are 3 main types of workshop.

Strategic – vision, alignment, big picture, new ideas, changing direction, transformation

Operational – how does this work? What do you need? efficiency, consistency, continuous improvement

Educational – a learning opportunity. This could be two-way, with both participants and facilitators learning something, or primarily one-way, it is mostly a learning opportunity for participants.

The type of workshop will significantly impact the time needed AND understanding the type will help to answer whether a workshop is the right approach to the situation at hand.

Other approaches BAs should be considering

Before we start arranging the inevitable workshop, we need to really consider if this is the best approach, and what else could be achieved given the same amount of time and effort.

We should consider:

• One to one interviews
• Small group discussions
• Attending existing meetings
• Surveys
• Pro-Formas
• Observation
• Work shadowing
• Focus groups
• Prototyping
• Document analysis
• Competitor analysis

We may want to use one or more of these methods to supplement workshops, and perhaps doing so will allow us to reduce the duration of the workshop or the number of attendees.

Conclusion

Workshops can be great – but they are not the only tool in your BA toolkit. If we over-rely on workshops, people can start to disengage and loose trust. Workshops take a lot of time and can lead to the idea that the only way to get anything done or agreed is via a workshop. Don’t organise a workshop as the default option. Consider all possible approaches and select the most appropriate for the situation.

Further reading

Planning workshops using the 7Ps technique, BA Times (2021)

Business Analysis Techniques: 123 essential tools for success Cadle, Paul et al (2021)

Author:
Rianat Abbas – Product Analyst

Are you wondering how the business analyst profession and cybersecurity relate to one another? What is BA’s role in cybersecurity? The role of the Business Analyst (BA) has expanded in recent years to encompass responsibilities traditionally associated with cybersecurity professionals. BAs play a critical role in supporting cybersecurity efforts in organizations by acting as liaisons between security teams, IT, business units, and project management. They contribute to the development and implementation of policies, tools, and procedures specifically designed to mitigate cybercrime risks.

With the growing rate of cybercrime threats to businesses, the demand for skilled BAs with cybersecurity expertise has risen significantly. This evolution shows the importance of BAs as integral contributors to security strategies, bridging both technical and business perspectives as well as safeguarding operations.

In today’s technology system, the frequency and sophistication of cyber threats are increasing rapidly. In 2021, a ransomware attack occurred every 11 seconds, which is anticipated to increase to every two seconds by 2031. BAs contribute a distinct skill set that bridges the gap between technical teams and business stakeholders, ensuring that cybersecurity measures are consistent with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.

The Basic Cybersecurity Concepts

Three security basic concepts guide the information security domain, which every Business Analyst should know:

Confidentiality: Maintain access control and disclosure limits on information. Ensure that no one will violate the norms of personal privacy and proprietary information.

Integrity: prevent improper (unauthorized) information modification or deletion. This section includes measures to ensure non-repudiation and information veracity.

Availability: The information must be accessible and used at all times and with consistent reliability. Certainly, it must be true for those with the right to access.

When these principles are broken, it is characterized as the level of damage that they can have on corporate information, assets, or individuals. Generally, the influence is described as:

Low: produce a modest harmful effect.

Moderate: cause a serious or critical unfavorable effect.

High: cause a significant or catastrophic bad consequence.

Cybersecurity is business-critical.

Cybersecurity is a key component of any business, and as a Business Analyst (BA), you must understand and contribute to managing cybersecurity risks. A Business Analyst may not be directly responsible for adopting cybersecurity measures but should be aware of potential threats and contribute to maintaining the organization’s security posture. Cybersecurity helps to protect the critical components of the projects you work on in organizations, including data, systems, and sensitive information. For far too long, it has been considered primarily as a technical obligation limited to the IT and security departments. In reality, cross-functional collaboration across the enterprise is necessary, with the business analysis community playing an important role.

Companies that demonstrate a strong commitment to protecting customer data and operating in a secure manner are more likely to obtain customer trust and market share. Business analysts can help change the notion of cybersecurity as a technological afterthought to a business enabler.

The following are important cybersecurity rules for business analysts.

Fundamental Concepts of Cybersecurity: As a Business Analyst, to perform effectively, you must have a comprehensive understanding of fundamental cybersecurity principles, including prevalent threats, vulnerabilities, and risk mitigation measures. Understanding this fundamental enables Business Analysts to recognize challenges and coordinate the deployment of effective security solutions.

Risk Identification and Mitigation: In identifying potential cybersecurity vulnerabilities early in a project’s lifecycle, Business Analysts are essential in assessing risks in system architectures and processes; they assist enterprises in circumventing expensive security issues. Motivating stakeholders to contemplate security consequences from the outset guarantees that these issues are addressed preemptively.

Documenting Security requirements: In order to have effective cybersecurity initiatives, a detailed comprehension of cybersecurity needs is vital. Business Analysts work with teams to collect business and technical requirements, converting them into implementable security specifications. Collaborating with Security architects, they strive to implement suitable safeguards, prioritizing “security by design” as a fundamental premise.

Enhancing Security Protocols: Cybersecurity encompasses not only technology but also carefully organized processes. One of the key roles of a business analyst is designing and implementing process improvement, which can be integrated into security best practices. Business Analysts lead and support in evaluating current business operations, pinpointing areas to enhance security while ensuring regulatory compliance. By optimizing these procedures, they can establish an environment in which security and efficiency will coexist.

Effective Communication and Awareness Training: For security initiatives to succeed, all stakeholders must comprehend their obligations. Business Analysts connect technical and non-technical teams, facilitating effective communication about policies and best practices. They contribute to the creation of training programs that enhance employee understanding of cyber threats, promoting a culture of accountability.

Ensuring Regulatory Compliance: Organizations must remain cautious to evade penalties or reputational damage due to escalating regulatory expectations. Business Analysts conduct gap studies to pinpoint noncompliance areas, recommend repair solutions, and assist audit processes by supplying pertinent paperwork and proof.

Security Incidents Response: In the event of a cybersecurity incident, Business Analysts facilitate the organization’s response coordination. They collaborate with technical teams to examine the issue, ascertain the main cause, and execute preventative actions. Informing stakeholders guarantees a transparent and cooperative settlement process.

Incorporating Security Throughout the Development Process: Secure Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC) in recent times has become widely adopted by most companies, and Business Analysts are important in integrating security at every phase of development. This method facilitates the early identification of vulnerabilities, which diminishes the probability of subsequent breaches and safeguards the integrity of the final product.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity is more than just ethical hackers coping with malicious ransomware attacks. BA professionals are also working on comparable concerns, using their analytical talents to foresee potential dangers. They inform stakeholders and other relevant people about potential hazards. The demand for Business Analysts in cyber security has grown due to a rise in cybercrime and the critical requirement to forecast any danger. BA is making significant contributions to cyber security through the use of artificial intelligence and advanced analytical techniques.

The Sniff’s, Scurry’s, Hem’s, and Haw’s of Transformation Efforts

Author: Amanda Zurn

Stakeholders can be seen as the wildcard in our engagements. We may not know or understand how they will react to our engagement efforts which can cause uncertainty and anxiety as we prepare to do our work.

IIBA BABOK v3 describes Stakeholders as:

A group or individual with a relationship to the change, the need, or the solution. Stakeholders are often defined in terms of interest in, impact on, and influence over the change. Stakeholders are grouped based on their relationship to the needs, changes, and solutions.

Stakeholders are one of the components of the Business Analysis Core Concept Model (BACCM) as defined by the IIBA.

Each component is equally important and necessary to the practice of business analysis. Neglecting one component can have a negative impact on our work activities and the overall success of initiatives. This blog will focus on the Stakeholders component.

The BACCM is applied to each Knowledge Area in the BABOK and frames each component to the specific Knowledge Area. The following frames Stakeholders with respect to each Knowledge Area:

1. Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring: perform a stakeholder analysis to ensure planning and monitoring activities reflect stakeholder needs and account for stakeholder characteristics.
2. Elicitation and Collaboration: manage the collaboration with the stakeholders who participate in the business analysis work. All stakeholders may participate in different roles and at different times during a change.
3. Requirements Life Cycle Management: work closely with key stakeholders to maintain understanding, agreement, and approval of requirements and designs.
4. Strategy Analysis: collaborate with stakeholders to understand the business need and to develop a change strategy and future state that will meet those needs.
5. Requirements Analysis and Design Definition: tailor the requirements and designs so that they are understandable and usable by each stakeholder group.
6. Solution Evaluation: elicit information from the stakeholders about solution performance and value delivery.

Successfully navigating the people/stakeholder aspect as a business analyst can be part of the art of our role. Each of the stakeholders related to our work responds differently to change and transformation efforts. This difference is not only found between each of the stakeholders but can also evolve over the career of an individual.

Dr. Spencer Johnson pens a short fictional story about navigating change in his book titled “Who Moved My Cheese?”. The characters in the book represent the different ways we see ourselves and others responding to change.

Characters:

• Sniff: is always looking for what is different, anticipating change.
• Scurry: quickly moves into action when change occurs.
• Hem: denies and resists change and is known to say, “it has always been done this way”.
• Haw: contemplates change and adapts after processing and accepting change.

As business analysts, we support the ability of the organization to successfully transform. Through our initiatives, we engage and guide our stakeholders who embody the Sniff, Scurry, Hem, and Haw characters.

The more we learn about our stakeholders and decipher which character represents them, the better we can determine how to engage each stakeholder during our work activities. We want to do this as early in the engagement as possible. The following are a few points for consideration related to each character in “Who Moved My Cheese?”:

• Sniff:
  • Pro: Is an early adopter and change advocate. Known for finding new options to address challenges in the organization.
  • Con: May be distracted by the next “shiny” thing.
  • Strategy: Leverage their enthusiasm for new ideas.
  • Actions: Involve them early in brainstorming sessions and innovation discussions. Encourage them to spread the word and show adoption.
  • Communication: Provide updates with the latest developments and potential opportunities.
• Scurry:
  • Pro: Quick to action and accepting change.
  • Con: Is reactive and may not understand “why” the change needs to occur.
  • Strategy: Capitalize on their readiness to act.
  • Actions: Assign them tasks that require quick execution. Provide clear and concise instructions to ensure they understand the objectives and move forward in the correct direction.
  • Communication: Be direct and to the point. Regularly check in to ensure they are on track and address any issues promptly.
• Hem:
  • Pro: Provides historical reference as to “why” and “how” things have been done to date.
  • Con: Can be contradictory and resistant due to unwillingness to let go of what has become comfortable.
  • Strategy: Address their resistance to change.
  • Actions: Provide reasoning regarding necessity of change. Help them see their role in realizing the future state. Involve them in discussions to gather their insights and address their concerns.
  • Communication: Be patient and empathetic. Make a safe environment to share their concerns and truly listen and understand their perspectives. Use data and evidence to demonstrate the need to change is based in thoughtfulness.
• Haw:
  • Pro: Through contemplation, can ground the team and ensure thoughtfulness is applied to change efforts.
  • Con: Can drag out the analysis process creating the risk of missing the opportunity the change would create.
  • Strategy: Support their thoughtful approach to understanding the need to change.
  • Actions: Give them time to process information and buy into the change. Encourage them to share the reasoning behind the change.
  • Communication: Engage in detailed discussions and provide comprehensive information. Highlight the benefits and potential risks of the change to help them gain understanding.

A point I contemplated was group work. What if each member had strong tendencies of one of the characters? Or the team was a mix of the four characters? As an example, it would be important to know early if the team had Scurry tendencies. I can foresee a team eager to find the path to change but moving in many directions at once and engaging in “trial and error” methods until the envisioned future state is realized. What if a Sniff or Haw were added to the team? Will these individuals balance the team?

As business analysts, we may or may not have the luxury of choosing those in which we engage, but we can certainly conduct stakeholder analysis to understand those we engage and create an engagement strategy to maximize the strengths each character brings to the team.

“Who Moved My Cheese?” is a simple story with an applicable message to our business analysis work and to our personal lives. I invite you to read and contemplate the message contained in this book found in the Development Center.

Questions to reflect upon:

• Which character do you relate to the most? Has that changed over time?
• Which character best represents those in which you engage?
• What has or has not gone well in your stakeholder engagements? Why?
• What strategies can you use to capitalize on the pros and minimize the cons each stakeholder brings in your engagements?

Cultivating Curiosity

Curiosity is the BA superpower. But is it a trait we are born with or a skill we can cultivate?

Benefits of curiosity

Bringing genuine curiosity to our discussions helps to foster deeper connections. It improves our understanding of situations and creates empathy with those involved. Curiosity leads to better solutions to problems. Being curious stops us from using mental short cuts, making assumptions and applying biases.

There are several studies showing that:

• There are positive correlations between curiosity and wellbeing
• Openness to new experience predicts levels of life-satisfaction
• Greater levels of curiosity are associated with greater resilience.

Curiosity also protects us from poor decision making and jumping to judgement.

Curiosity versus judgement

When we rush to judgment, it closes our eyes to different perspectives and different possibilities.

Remaining curious for just a little longer, before formulating judgements helps us to keep an open mind with our stakeholders, projects and products.

Curiosity is really the opposite of judgement as it is incredibly difficult to be judgemental if we are truly curious about a situation or person.

Barriers to curiosity

What can get in the way of applying an appropriate level of curiosity in our work?

• “Time” (which really means “priorities”)
• Too much domain/ subject matter knowledge
• Bias towards action
• JFDI culture
• Lacking tools, support or willingness
• Worry about asking a stupid question
• Feeling inadequate, intimidated or afraid

There are lots of things which can prevent us from being curious, or from acting on our curiosity. If that happens our organisations will make the same mistakes, fall into the same traps and fail to learn and innovate.

Curiosity, experience and aging

Children a naturally inquisitive, but most of us lose this attribute as we age, because we have found many answers and now have frames of reference for so many situations. Curiosity can be seen as analogous to naivety, which is not the same at all! Gaining experience does not replace the need for curiosity. Curiosity is the route to increasing our knowledge and experience. As we age, we must be more conscious of the need for curiosity and build it into our approach. Research from the University of Reading (2018) suggests that “While curiosity seems to decline with advancing age, it can also be a proxy for maintaining cognitive functioning, mental health, and physical health in older adults, thus serving as a conduit for “successful aging.”. It seems that maintaining curiosity is good for us.

Techniques for encouraging and enabling curiosity

There are a number of ways we can bring more curiosity into our lives, and in particular our professional practices. Including:

• Brainstorming for questions about a topic –  before we start asking for suggestions and answers.
• Adopting “Learn it to teach it” – set learning tasks with a view to sharing that knowledge with others
• Leveraging existing interests – encourage people to share existing skills and knowledge (which may or may not be work-related) as a “skills exchange”.
• Applying active listening techniques – giving our full focus, using probing to get more depth and summarising to confirm understanding.
• Praising curiosity – when we see people around us being inquisitive, asking good questions and identifying assumptions, draw attention to these positive behaviours.
• Encourage work-shadowing – experience processes and challenges from another perspective and discover unknown unknowns!
• Using the 6 Thinking Hats – to encourage different perspectives to be taken
• Experimenting – defining and testing assumptions and hypotheses, using pilot programmes and adopting a proof-of-concept approach.
• Role modelling curiosity – demonstrate it is OK not to know, and that if you don’t know, it’s OK to ask!

Simply talking more about the expectation of curiosity creates the permission and reminder that some people need. There can be no improvement and certainly no innovation without curiosity.

Conclusion

Curiosity is closely linked to a growth mindset, reminding us that there is always more to learn. As individuals and as business analysts, we are never finished products. Our capacity for curiosity isn’t fixed; it’s a skill we can nurture through deliberate practice. There are many ways to encourage and enable curiosity within our teams. By embedding curiosity into the workplace culture, we can create an environment where information is freely shared, knowledge is continually generated, and innovation is actually achievable.

Further reading

Curiosity in old age: a possible key to achieving adaptive aging,  Yagi, A. and Murayama, K. (2018)

Leveraging do Bonos Six Thinking Hats, BA Times (2011)