Tag: Development

Accomplish Your Dreams NOW: The Easy Guide to Setting Goals

Written by Clinton Ages on May 12, 2016. Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on Accomplish Your Dreams NOW: The Easy Guide to Setting Goals

Note: Here is the 3rd episode of my ‘Coach Clinton 7-Steps to Accomplishment Methodology’ where I had set the stage for putting you on the track of accomplishment.

To get the most out of this article as well as the ones that will follow, I would suggest you to read the first article and second article before moving forward.

In the 7-step journey towards a successful and satisfying life, the piece that we are going to fit in today is one whose importance cannot be overemphasized.

Do you remember the fable about “The Ant and the Grasshopper”? The ant was diligent and planned for winter by gathering and storing food. What did the grasshopper do? It was short-sighted, only focusing on the present and failed to take heed toward preparation. The ending result? The grasshopper had no food and starved. The moral of the story is best summarized in the old adage – “If you fail to plan, then you plan to fail.”

In the first step, appraise, you saw the importance of evaluating yourself and your performance in order to separate the value-adding habits and patterns from the hazardous ones and then focusing on the actions that will actually help you materialize your accomplishments.

Moving forward, we will discuss the extremely important step, ascertain, that involves setting up goals for yourself that will drive your accomplishments and help you stay on track until the final objectives are achieved.

Why set goals?

You cannot achieve anything unless and until there is a clear and definite goal in front of you. Having a set of goals in front of you is crucial to your success because you can easily get distracted by other urgent yet unimportant things that won’t contribute towards your accomplishments.

In a landmark research study, American psychologist, Edwin Locke and his colleagues proved the fact that the presence of challenging goals enhances performance as compared to situations where there are easy goals, ambiguous goals or no goals at all. It is of utmost importance to set yourself goals because:

Goals add clarity to your vision
Goals help you break overwhelming feats into small, doable tasks
Goals give you a sense of accomplishment and the motivation to keep moving forward
Goals provide you feedback on your performance to be used for continuous improvement
Goals let you weed out the energy parasites from your life and help you focus only on valuable tasks

Elements of effective goals

Edwin Locke also proposed an influential theory by the name of ‘goal setting theory’ that rolls out the 5 basic characteristics of a successful goal(s). The following 5 principles, if kept in view, while setting your goals can improve the chances that a certain goal will be achieved:

Clarity
Challenge
Commitment
Feedback
Complexity

There is another framework called the SMART criteria that can help you set successful goals. SMART is the abbreviation of the following parameters that can help you set goals with a higher chance of success:

Specific
Measurable
Achievable
Realistic
Time-bound

Based on these two guidelines, you can make sure that your goals will be more likely to yield a successful outcome and contribute towards your life’s bigger ambitions.

Goal Setting Process

Now that there is no room for any doubt left about the importance of goal setting, you need to determine your goals and pursue them religiously if you are interested in living an accomplished and productive life. Since these goals will be deciding your fate, there must be enough due diligence going into the process rather than casually selecting your goals and wasting your time and energy – and having them revised later on.
Based on my extensive experience helping others with their goals, I recommend to use the process laid out here while setting your goals.

Step 1 – Goal Formulation

Remember the self-assessment diagnosis that I explained in my last article? In that article, I introduced you to self-assessment tools like The Innovator’s DNA Assessment, Gallup’s Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Personality Inventory and DiSC Personality Test. Using these, and many other similar tools, you need to get to know yourself in greater depth and identify your strengths and weaknesses so that you can leverage your strong points to accelerate your success and find ways to eliminate the shortfalls.

To start with, you will formulate your goals at three levels:

Long Term / Strategic Goals – First of all, you will sit down and contemplate on the ultimate demands that you want to place on yourself. Through this thinking process, you will visualize what you want to achieve and what you want to become. By doing this, you will be able to construct your long-term goals that will be the guiding light for all your efforts, from this point forward.
Medium Term Goals – Once the high-level goals are in place, you will have to draw up the supporting goals that will be required to keep you on the right track – a track that leads to the achievement of your strategic goals.
Short Term Goals – While keeping the ultimate objective(s) in view, you need to devise the short term goals with the intent to break down the sizeable long-term goals into manageable milestones. These goals when duly achieved will take you closer to the fulfillment of your life’s purpose.

Step 2 – Goal Categorization & Prioritization

In the second step, you will categorize all your goals by looking at each one and assigning it an appropriate label. Then you will pick out the themes and make an exhaustive list of all the themes that your goals fall into.
With the category list in front of you, you can assign a priority to each category depending on how much value you give to each one. After assigning a priority to all the categories, you will now have a list of categories or themes which you want to pursue in the shape of goals along with a guideline regarding which one to assign more energies, resources and your precious time.

Step 3 – Monthly Plan Development

Napoleon Hill very rightly said that “A goal is a dream with a deadline”.

Now that you are clear about your goals and their priority, it is time that you develop a monthly plan and convert your goals into monthly deliverables. At the end of each month, you will have to sit down and track your actual progress in the light of your monthly plan. In case you did not meet any deadline, you need to analyze that lapse and uncover the reason behind it so that it won’t happen in future.

Step 4 – Weekly Plan Development

People tend to carry great dreams in their minds throughout their lives, but most of them remain unfulfilled because people are overwhelmed by the sheer size of their wishes and dreams and end up giving up all hope for achieving those dreams. If any objective is broken down into challenging yet reasonable sub-tasks, it becomes easier to believe that you will make it through and finally achieve that goal, no matter how big and ambitious the idea might be.
So starting with the first goal, break it down into tasks/steps and assign weekly completion of tasks for the goal based on your best judgment as to your ability and time to complete. Then stick to the plan and make sure that your weekly objectives are met without fail.

Now you have all you need to start developing, prioritizing and breaking down your goals into smaller tasks. You must take out some quiet time and sit down to cover this tremendously important step. When you are done with your goal development, you will come much closer to the fulfillment of your life’s dreams and aspirations.

Time is very limited and running fast – so take action NOW and get busy chalking out your goals.

From the Archives: 6 Key Characteristics of a Senior Business Analyst

Written by Kupe Kupersmith on April 19, 2016. Posted in Articles.

In our profession there is a lot of discussion about what makes a business analyst a senior business analyst. To help better delineate between the levels of BAs the IIBA® has recently released a business analysis competency model which includes five levels of business analysts.

For today’s post, I wanted to share my thoughts on the key characteristics of a senior business analyst. Before I unveil the list I want to say that number of years as a BA is not an indicator if someone should be classified as a senior BA. I don’t think you can get to the senior level without a number of years of experience, but number of years alone is not an indicator.

Related Article: Taking the Helm: Navigating the Job Search Ocean

1. Business Analysis Techniques: Breadth and Depth of Knowledge and Experience

As BAs we need to have knowledge and experience in the various techniques to elicit, analyze and communicate requirements. We need a large tool box which we can pull from to meet the specific needs of each project. Without this large tool box your ability to perform at a high level for any project type that you are a part of is limited. Take a look through the IIBA’s BABOK® to see how large your toolbox is.

I have been asked by BAs who focus on specific areas, like facilitation or process modeling, if I felt they were senior BAs. My answer is no. They are most definitely senior facilitators or senior process modelers, but senior BAs need a broader, deeper skill set.

2. Project Types and Business Area Experience

Senior level BAs need experience working on multiple project types. At the highest level there are three types of projects I feel are necessary, COTS (commercial off the shelf), new development, and enhancements/support. Each of these project types requires some different techniques and skills. Having worked on different types of projects gives you the knowledge of which techniques work best for each project type. This will aid in planning which is characteristic number three, coming up next.

Working in multiple business areas within a company helps lay the foundation for strategic thinking, characteristic number four. By being involved in multiple business areas you start to see overlapping functions and interdepartmental dependencies. This allows you to start recommending solutions that benefit the whole company, not just the specific business area you are involved in.

3. Business Analysis Planning

How do you answer the following question when you are first assigned to a project? “How long will the analysis effort take?” Senior BAs respond to that question with an intelligent business analysis work plan. They think through the people they will be working with. They identify the stakeholders, get to know them and understand key characteristics to best work with them. They think through critical project characteristics like the size of the project, the business risks involved, and how many interfaces the project will include. They think through the processes that need to be adhered to for the project. They make sure they understand what project methodology is being used for the project, project roles and responsibilities, and what deliverables are required. Thinking through the people, project, and process gives you the ability to outline the tasks and deliverables needed for the project, to estimate their time needed, as well as the time of the stakeholders involved.

4. Strategic Thinking

A senior BA needs to see the big picture and do a deep dive for the project. Senior BAs will try to see the bigger picture before heading into the details trying to understand where this project fits in with the organizational goals. They will also be aware of, or try to determine how the project they are assigned to impacts other projects or business areas. They also take a look at the big picture during the project.

In an earlier post, Get Your Head Out of the Weeds, I highlighted the need for BAs to find ways to pull themselves out of the detail during a project to ensure their project is still meeting the needs of the organization.

5. Advocate and Advisor

Many BAs report into IT departments, but still need to be viewed as part of the business team they support. You work for the business and need to truly be an advocate for the business and their needs. I’m sure many of you can tell stories where there was conflict between the technology team and the business. A senior BA steps up to resolve the conflict to provide the best solution for the business.

A way to know you have this characteristic is if the business calls you for advice before and after a project. Do you have discussions with the business to determine what’s most important for an upcoming project? Do you attend their staff meetings to find out their pains and to understand their values and goals?

6. Ability to Learn a New Domain

The need to have domain experience for BAs is one of the biggest debates in our profession. I do think you need some domain knowledge prior to starting a project, but that does not mean you need to have worked in that domain for years. I believe a senior BA needs to be able to learn a new domain to be effective. Here are three ways that I primarily use to learn new domains prior to an interview or starting a project.

Google: There is so much information out there at your finger tips. Google the subject you need and take an afternoon reading.
My network: I am a big believer that I don’t need to know everything; I just need to know the people that have the answers. I use my network to help answer questions I have to learn about a domain. Continue to build your network.
Personal experience: I may not have worked in banking, but I do interact with banks as a consumer. I draw from my personal experiences to help understand a domain.

Please share your thoughts around the characteristics I’ve outlined and provide one or more of your own.

Kupe

Don’t forget to leave your comments below

Starting with the Man in the Mirror: Using Assessments to Drive Your Accomplishments

Written by Clinton Ages on March 14, 2016. Posted in Articles.

Note: Here is the first sequel to my ‘Coach Clinton 7-Steps to Accomplishment Methodology’ article where I had set the stage for putting you on the track of accomplishment. If you want to pick up something practical from this article and the ones following, I would suggest you to read the aforementioned article first, if you haven’t already.

If you are ready to do something that is nothing less than remarkable and committed to breaking all the barriers that are blocking your path to success – you are set to follow the Coach Clinton 7-Steps to Accomplishment Methodology.

Today in this post, we will dissect the first step ‘Appraise’ which is the starting point of your journey. You are starting the journey toward your destination by analyzing the person who is staring back at you in the mirror. The process of appraising yourself falls under the first phase i.e. the Mind Mapping phase. Now the first question that you should be asking is ‘What on earth is a mind map?’ Well, that question is best suited for Tony Buzan, the inventor of this technique:

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“A Mind Map is a powerful graphic technique which provides a universal key to unlock the potential of the brain. It harnesses the full range of cortical skills – word, image, number, logic, rhythm, color and spatial awareness – in a single, uniquely powerful manner. In so doing, it gives you the freedom to roam the infinite expanses of your brain. The Mind Map can be applied to every aspect of life where improved learning and clearer thinking will enhance human performance.”¹

In other words, a mind map is a graphic or a visual thinking tool that lets you plot your ideas and generate new ones by breaking large blocks of thoughts into smaller intelligible pieces. In the mind mapping phase, you will create a visual log of your goals and plan your journey effectively.

As mentioned in the last article, appraising in this context means assessing your current state of performance and identifying the factors that aid in enhancing your performance.

There are a number of assessment tools out there, and you need first to decide the tool that will bring out the best results for you. These tools focus on a number of aspects of your personality, your actions and habits, your strengths, your behaviors under stress, or your career options. In completing the assessments, it is imperative that you are specific about what you are assessing and answer each question honestly. It is also important to have a clear understanding and appreciation of your results. Do not judge yourself or your responses. The only way to effectively maximize your potential and create change is to accept what you’ve learned from the assessments and seek to comprehend them. Once all results have been received, the information will later be used to create an actionable plan for improvement.

Use of assessment tools is absolutely necessary. In order for you to reach your desired ending destination, you must first have clarity on your starting point. The assessments offer you the requirements needed to accelerate the speed of your journey.

The first step is to understand the nature of the tools available for assessment and then move on to deploying a specific tool that seems to fit the bill.

The discussion that follows is aimed at introducing you to a few assessment tools that are worth considering, when you are shopping for the most suitable assessment:

The Innovator’s DNA Assessment – As the name suggests, this tool’s foremost focus is to unearth the innovative or creative capabilities of an individual. This assessment is based on five specific skills i.e. Associating, Questioning, Observing, Networking, and Experimenting. The renowned developers of this assessment system, Jeffrey H. Dyer, Hal B. Gregersen & Clayton M. Christensen, have identified these five innovation capabilities after years of rigorous research. The Self & 360 Assessments tools provide individuals with a personalized Innovation Profile, detailed scores for their Courage to Innovate, Discovery Skills, and Delivery Skills.
Gallup’s Clifton StrengthsFinder Assessment – This assessment tool digs deep into the test taker’s personality and reports the most prominent strengths of the individual. These strengths then can be used to identify the types of activities that will be most suited for a certain person. The assessment presents the individuals with 177 pairs of statements that offer the opportunity to describe themselves in a number of different angles and perspectives. The test-takers are then required to choose the statements that best describe them in a limited period of time.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Personality Inventory – MBTI is a widely used personality assessment tool that categorizes people in 16 different personality types – based on a number of individual characteristics derived from Carl Jung’s theory of psychological types. The main ingredients of a MBTI profile is made up of a 4-item combination of these characteristics:

Extraversion or Introversion (E or I)

Sensing or Intuition (S or N)

Thinking or Feeling (T or F)

Judging or Perceiving (J or P)

So the result that you will get a four-letter profile (for example ISTJ or ENTJ) along with a detailed insight about that profile including the most suitable professions for your type of personality.

DiSC Personality Test – DiSC is another powerful personality assessment tool that provides the opportunity to have a closer look at one’s self – including the motivations, conflict management / self-management capabilities and problem-solving skills. DiSC is the acronym for:

Dominance – emphasis on accomplishing results

Influence – emphasis on influencing or persuading others

Steadiness – emphasis on cooperation, sincerity and dependability

Conscientiousness – emphasis on quality and accuracy, expertise, competency

Now that you have been introduced to the idea of using assessment tools to achieve the optimum performance levels, you should dig into the tools discussed above and see which one seems to stand out to you the most. This is not a comprehensive list; it is however, a list of a few of my personal favorites. This evaluation should be based on the objectives that you plan to achieve from this crucial exercise. If you really want to get the most out of it, I will advise you to research additional tools that are best suited for your personal needs.

For now, I’m leaving you with the task of looking at yourself in the mirror and throwing some tough questions at the person staring back at you – who is this person and how can I make use of assessments to know this person inside out. The answers to these important questions will pave the way for the next step that is goal-setting for realizing your dreams, discussed in the next article in this series.

Until then, start the process of honestly getting to know yourself.

[1] Source: http://www.tonybuzan.com/about/mind-mapping

Create a Path to Winning: 7 Steps to Accomplishment

Written by Clinton Ages on February 8, 2016. Posted in Articles. 2 Comments on Create a Path to Winning: 7 Steps to Accomplishment

Have you ever seen a single person walking the face of this Earth who doesn’t have at least a couple of dreams held close to their heart – the ‘ideal’ state that everyone wants to achieve someday? Of course not. And yet we see that the ones who actually try to achieve that dream in a coherent and persistent manner are quite uncommon, and the achievers are even more rare.

Bo Bennet once said that “A dream becomes a goal when action is taken toward its achievement.” The biggest issue with people not reaching their potential is that they are not focused enough to sit down and chalk out an action plan that can take them to their glory.

Words like “Productivity”, “Accomplishment”, and “Success” have been used up to a point where they seem to have lost their real essence.

A simple search on Amazon will fetch you hundreds, if not thousands of books that make claims to help you realize your true potential and achieve your life goals without putting in significant effort. A whole world of research has been done on the subject, and a lot more has been written. Despite all this buzz, the majority of the dreamers are still not even close to fulfilling their destiny.

So what seems to be the solution to this problem? Well, the first ingredient that needs to go into the recipe for your success is your unfaltering commitment and devotion to your own success. If you are not completely devoted to achieving your ideal self, no one else can ever help. Before looking for external support, you first need to make a vow that nothing will get in your way to success and happiness. Then you can look for a success and accomplishment plan that is most suited to your personality.

I have spent considerable time coaching people to achieve success and accomplish their goals, and this experience has helped me pinpoint the problems that people face on this daunting journey. As a result, I have developed an action framework, aka Coach Clinton 7-Steps to Accomplishment Methodology, which has helped many people to positively reach their destination. This is a method which was developed painstakingly and after much deliberation. The end product is a plan that generates great results.

Notice that each step in the process is a word that begins with the letter A. Why, you ask? Because we have been taught to strive for excellence. In the United States, the grade mark “A” signifies that level of excellence.

So without wasting any further time, let’s get into discussing the steps that can build your pathway to success and accomplishment.

THE METHOD

As evident from the name, this magical method consists of seven steps that are divided into three broad categories titled the Mind Mapping Phase, the Plan & Execute Phase, and the Complete & Learn Phase. The seven steps along with the relevant phases are discussed below:

I – MIND MAPPING PHASE

In the first phase, the objective is to chalk out the course of action and plan the journey toward your individual performance improvement.

Step 1 – Appraise

This process starts off with a nonjudgmental appraisal or evaluation of your individual performance. The purpose behind this assessment is to analyze every aspect of your life and categorize your actions and habits as either catalysts or deterrents toward your performance. Once labelled, the negative patterns are singled out for elimination and the rest are further studied regarding their contribution toward your life success and only the ones worth your time are marked for further continuation.

Step 2 – Ascertain

Based on your ambitions, this step begins with a determining a comprehensive set of goals for the short-term, mid-term and the long-term. Then you will create certain themes for your performance improvement and fit all the previously ascertained goals into relevant themes. Once the themes are complete with the subsequent goals, you will assign a priority to each theme so that you have a clear order of execution when you begin to take action.

II – PLAN AND EXECUTE PHASE

Step 3 – Approach

Now that the themes and goals are established and prioritized, come up with a practical plan for the themes and goals that are on top of the priority list. It is also necessary to pin down the activities that can take you toward actualization of your goals. This will require more brainstorming and a list of activities to attach to each goal. This list of activities can be a combination of both one-time tasks as well as recurring actions that become your new ‘success habits’.

Step 4 – Avert

Now, look at what you’ve accomplished so far. You have a set of themes, goals for each theme, and activities for each goal. Next, prepare for actual execution by enhancing your motivational level by creating and reciting your affirmation statement. So much of what we do or don’t do comes from our own self-limiting thoughts and beliefs. It is absolutely necessary to motivate ourselves with repetitive positive messages. Your personalized bespoke ‘Motivation Affirmation’ will catalyze this process of performance enhancement by clearing up your thinking process and making you more confident of your abilities and unique talents.

Step 5 – Actualize

Steps one through four have set the rhythm for your performance enhancement process, stay on the right track with the right pace by adding some accountability into the equation. Your stated goals must be specific, realistic and measurable – now you must hold yourself accountable so that you can measure your actual progress along the way.

II – COMPLETE AND LEARN PHASE

During this phase, you should seek to review your progress. By evaluating the results of your work efforts, you can make determinations for how to change your plan to accomplish your desired results.

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Step 6 – Accomplish

While it is necessary to work hard to make progress, it is equally important to stop for a minute and look at the distance you have covered. Celebrate all your victories – no matter the size! This sense of accomplishment provides you with the fuel to keep pushing ahead and conquer even larger territories.

Step 7 – Analyze

In this last step, take the time to review thoroughly the entire process that started with goal setting and reached completion through planning and execution.

The objective of this step is to produce knowledge by learning from the process. Use this knowledge to aim even higher next time around. This analysis will tell you more about yourself in terms of your working style, your ability to overcome obstacles, your strengths, and weaknesses along with many other important insights, all of which will guide your way for the coming expeditions.

This is very important – because this is where your self-enlightenment and self-awareness grow!

By signing up to go through this process, you will be doing yourself a huge favor – a favor that you will never regret especially when people will look at you as the ‘wow’ person who completely transformed his or her life, achieving something that was not even vaguely possible otherwise.

Follow my articles as I deep dive further into each of the seven steps.

Facebook using Business Analysis and Improvisation

Written by Kupe Kupersmith on January 19, 2016. Posted in Articles.

There are two things I really love. One is business analysis, and the other is improvisation (improv). Even more so, is applied improv. Applied improv is the concept of applying improvisation skills to other things besides acting. I focus on helping others apply improv skills and business analysis in a business environment.

So, when I read this article via Business Insider, How Facebook’s design team organizes its critique meetings so nobody gets offended and everyone has clear goals, I loved how they talked about business analysis and improv in one article. I thought they wrote this for me. Or maybe their Product Designer, Tanner Christensen, is my long lost twin.

Here is the catch, though. They never mentioned business analysis or improv in the article. Not once. Regardless, you can recognize it if you read between the lines. This phenomenon is a big issue in the business analysis space. I believe that business analysis is happening everywhere in organizations, and no one even knows it. We are also always improvising. When is the last time you had a conversation with someone and you used scripts?! Articles like this prove it.

In our book, Business Analysis for Dummies, Kate McGoey, Paul Mulvey, and I wrote a chapter about business analysis happening at all levels of an organization. We mention there is analysis at the enterprise level, organizational level, operational level, and project level. With books like ours, other experts in the field writing and speaking about this, and even some companies realizing it, the majority of people and organizations either don’t understand the value of analysis or see the value only at the project level.

To help break the trend of some not seeing business analysis happening at all levels, I will break down two key points in the article about Facebook. The article is covering Mr. Christensen’s design critique process his teams use to yield positive, useful information to create or improve products.

1) Business Analysis: The first step in their process is to make sure everyone understands and agrees to the problem that is trying to be addressed. At its heart, this is business analysis. If teams do not have a shared understanding of the problem or goal that is trying to be achieved, then the chance of success is limited.

The best business analysis professionals around the world do this day in and day out. Even if a solution is handed to them, they work to understand the problem that the solution is trying to solve. They use tools like the problem statement, impact mapping, etc. to draw out the problem and communicate it in a way that it is clear and visible to the team. In creative ways, they are asking the “5 Whys.” Since asking why can put people on the defense you can ask, “What does success look like” or “What will be different after we implement this solution?”

2) Improv: For the team members critiquing the proposed design for a product there is a general rule they should follow. In the article it is written, “To make a critique valuable to a presenter, it is advisable to begin with a positive note on something you liked about the solution and to pose your thoughts as questions. Doing so will encourage him/her to offer reasonings instead of being defensive.” I almost jumped out of my seat when I read that. It was music to my ears.

When I work with individuals and teams, I stress the need for having positive conversations. One way to do that is by having the “Yes, and” mindset. The mother of all rules in improv is never deny. Since there are no scripts used when you are performing improv denying just kills scenes. In improv if someone walks into a scene and exclaims “Wow, I love that you colored your hair yellow,” you never say “it’s not yellow.” That denial instantly puts the burden back on the other actor to come up with something else. If you deny like that on stage too often, the other actors won’t want to work with you anymore. The same applies to the work you do. If someone proposes something and you consistently deny them using words like “that idea is terrible” or “yeah, but I have a better idea” your co-workers won’t want to work with you much longer. And, no value is gained.

Improv actors practice the art of never denying by playing a game called “Yes, and.” One version of the game goes something like this. A topic is given, and one actor starts off with a sentence. The next actor says “Yes, and…” then adds to the conversation. Then is goes back and forth. The feeling is very positive and rewarding as you keep adding things and supporting your partner. And crazy ideas come out of those conversations. Try it!

When I am teaching this to business professionals the conversation around not agreeing with someone always comes up. In real life, you can’t just keep saying “yes, and…” Absolutely, you need to critique without putting others on the defensive.

The advice I give is exactly what Mr. Christensen gives to his team. One idea is saying, “What I like about that is…” You need to have the mindset of finding something good in other people’s ideas. The other piece of advice I share is to ask a question. Sometimes the ideas people have are viewed to you as crazy, wild, unimaginable, or maybe you know things like that have failed before. So instead of saying, “yeah, but that idea is crazy, what about this.” Ask, “Help me understand how that idea gets us closer to solving our problem. I just don’t see the connection yet.” Two things can happen there. One is the person may realize that their idea is crazy and does not work for this problem or two, they convince you the idea is good and will work. Either way, both parties have a positive conversation rather than an adversarial one.

One way to help others understand that business analysis (and improv) is happening everywhere is for us to highlight it when you see it. Read between the lines, keep your eyes open. When you see good business analysis and improv happening tell the people around you what is really happening.

All the best,

Kupe