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Tag: Learning

Deep Listening: Avoid Hearing What You Want To Hear

Elicitation is a key business analysis skill. Whether it’s one-on-one interviews, workshops, observation or one of the many other techniques, elicitation is a key source of information. As BAs, it’s easy to think that we are highly attuned listeners, carefully scouring the airwaves for tasty morsels of relevant information. Of course, this is probably true. However, have you ever reflected on how deeply you pay attention and listen? For example, have you ever:

  • Quickly checked your email in a meeting (where something critical could be mentioned, but you weren’t expecting it)
  • Been tired at the end of the day so tried to rush a conversation
  • Skim-read an email and missed a key detail
  • Missed a key piece of information in a document
  • By the time you interview the sixth person, you think you already know the answer so ‘tune out’ for part of the interview

If you haven’t, then you probably deserve a medal. I’m sure most of us have indulged in some—or all—of these behaviors at some point in our careers. While there might be good reasons to do so in some cases, doing so will affect the ability to listen deeply. Notably, by ‘listening’ here, I’m also referring to ‘reading’ of information, as I suspect we all spend a lot of time ‘listening’ to our colleagues through their emails and comments on documents etc.

 

Miscommunication Is Rife

It’s easy to miss the point when listening or reading.  As an example, I was wandering around a large supermarket here in the UK, and I picked up a bottle of own-brand hand wash. I was looking on the back of it, and noticed the following statement in bold:

 

[Supermarket name] is against animal testing and funds alternatives

It struck me that this is a deliberate piece of misdirection. If you were scanning it quickly to look for information about whether the product is tested on animals, you might see that statement and think “oh, they’re against animal testing, so it’s fine”. This is similar to a case where a listener hears what they expect to hear, or what they want to hear! However, the statement taken at face value doesn’t confirm (or refute) whether the product was (or wasn’t) tested on animals. It just says the supermarket is against animal testing and funds alternatives.  Yet many readers’ might inadvertently apply their own meaning to it.

 

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Granted, you’re unlikely to be reading a statement on the back of a hand wash bottle at work, and it’s unlikely that folks will be deliberately trying to deceive. But it’s very easy to miss tiny nuances in verbal or written communication.  Take these statements:

  • “I broadly agree with what is proposed” (what does broadly mean? Are there areas of disagreement? If so, what are they?)
  • “I agree with points 1 and 3”. (OK. Do you disagree with point 2?)
  • “This is a real pain point for us.” (What does ‘pain point’ mean? Does our definition of ‘pain point’ agree with theirs?)

These are just three specific examples, but I’m sure you get the point.

 

Curiosity Is A Prerequisite To Listening Deeply

Deep listening is hard, and a skill that one could probably work on for their entire life. I have heard it said multiple times that people tend to listen to respond; by the end of the speaker’s sentence the listener is tuned out thinking how to respond. As a BA, this might translate into thinking about the next question.

It is almost as if we are scared of silence. Like silence will be interpreted as some awful slight on our stakeholders. Yet in reality a (relatively short) amount of silence can be useful. In my experience, people will often pause, reflect, and add more insight when given a bit of breathing space. Of course, what is considered an appropriate length of silence varies, and certainly it shouldn’t be excessive!

A common thread throughout this is curiosity. If we are genuinely curious about the stakeholder, the subject-matter, their perspectives and so on then it’s easier to focus in and listen. If we lose curiosity or get distracted by the busy-work of organizational life it’s far too easy to tune out.

 

Here’s to remaining curious, and to listening deeply!

 

Best of BATimes: 4 Common Mistakes Made When Looking For Your First Business Analyst Job

Published on: May 12, 2021

Often when I coach Business Analysts to land their first Business Analysis Job, I find that either they have no strategy and just throw darts and hope one of them hits the bullseye, or that they make some serious errors in how they approach it.

Darts does sometimes work, but not always (read my e-book on 13 strategies for your first Business Analysis Job) and if you do the following errors then it takes just as much wasted effort.

Let’s look at some of the common errors I see:

 

1. Don’t Have A Plan Or Strategy

Many prospective candidates who want to break into Business Analysis don’t have a strategy or plan. They send their CVs out to every job ad that mentions Business Analysis.

The first thing I look for when I get CVs for job ads is if the person takes the time to match his/her skills and CV to the position they are applying for.

A successful business strategy comes down to the following. First, what are your goals? Getting a job as a Business Analyst isn’t a SMART goal.

If we think of SMART then it comes to the A – achievable ask yourself is this achievable i.e. are you accountable for it.

I think it is important to have a goal you are accountable to achieve, no one else. Getting a job isn’t entirely in your control, is it? Someone else has to agree to it, and you don’t have that authority.

An appropriate goal would be something like:

“I will engage at least x recruiters per week with my CV”, or

“I will spend at least x hours a week looking for Business Analysis jobs that match my skill set”.

So let’s test those two through SMART:

S (Specific) – Yes, I am specific about what I wish to achieve.

M (Measurable) – Yes, I can measure how many

A (Achievable) – Yes, because I am responsible for them.

R(Realistic) – Yes, I can do either one.

T (Timeous) – They follow a schedule.

 

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2. Your Resume Or CV Makes You Sound Like You Know You Know What A Business Does – Not That You Can Do The Job

When receiving a CV, I also look at it to determine if it seems like the person has a good understanding of what a Business Analyst does and if their experiences on the CV reflect that.

You don’t have to actually work as a Business Analyst to have real Business Analysis experience. You can have it regardless of what you do.

So I am looking at the title.  Even the BABOK 3.0 says it is not about the title but the tasks when defining what a Business Analyst is.

It is the skills, the experiences, and the tasks and related activities that a candidate performed in that role that speak to their understanding of a Business Analyst, and that even the candidate can recognize the tasks they have performed that are applicable to a Business Analyst.

A few weeks ago, I was talking to an employer and they told me about how many CVs they are rejecting just because the CV does not position a candidate with relevant Business Analysis task experience.

 

3. Your CV Must Speak The Language Of The Job You’re Applying For

You putting job before experience and not experience before job

A few days ago I was coaching a client who wanted to become a Business Analyst. They are in a non-Business Analyst role. I was trying to find out how much experience they have in tasks related to Business Analysis.

I asked what I could do to fill the gaps of experience. He said there are none and I will wait until I have a Business Analysis job to acquire the experience.

Here is the problem. Employers value experience. It is no different in any job application. Even doctors have to go through a community service program before they are allowed as practicing doctors.

You must embrace it, so think about how you can gain relevant experience at your current location.

I love the saying “We grow into opportunity”.  Apply the skills now and learn, gain experience, and reflect that on your CV.  Then the opportunity will come.

 

4. Focus On Certification

As a member of the IIBA, and CBAP certified individual, you are probably raising your eyebrows. Let me explain.

Certifying yourself is one good way to learn about Business Analysis, gain accreditation with peers, and boost your confidence. Yes, it does play a role in getting a job.

However, for an entrant in Business Analysis you must understand that employers want experience foremost.  A certification doesn’t give you that. Just like a degree doesn’t give experience, it gives knowledge.

Do the certification to gain knowledge that you can apply to gain experience.  Back to having the right goals again.

You need to put in the time and have SMART goals that you can achieve. Then, your strategy flows from there. It’s not an overnight thing either. Work at it, and adjust your strategy as you go.

When you have worked hard for your first opportunity, it will come.

 

For more strategies download my free e-book “13 strategies to getting your first Business Analysis job” – https://www.altitudejourney.com/ba-career-starter

Constructive Conflict Is Better Than False Agreement

Over a decade ago, I was in a workshop with a range of different stakeholders.

 

Everything seemed to be going well, and people seemed to be agreeing and we were even running ahead of the meeting schedule.  Around halfway through the meeting a particular issue was being discussed, a conclusion was going to be drawn and a stakeholder interjected strongly and firmly with two powerful words.  They simply said:

“I disagree”

I remember being taken aback by the bluntness.  I live in the UK and our communication style is somewhat indirect most of the time.  It’s far more normal to say “Hmmm, interesting idea, or what about…?” which is code for “That’s a crazy idea”.  Or often the temptation might be to revert to the ultimate British stereotype and apologize “Sorry to be a pain here, but I’m not sure I entirely agree”.   I’m sure British culture is not the only one that has such indirect nuance.

The reason I remember this meeting so vividly, even more than a decade ago is that those two words initially made people visibly uncomfortable.  Someone was breaking the consensus; they were “creating conflict”.  Yet that wasn’t the intention, and of course they didn’t just say that, the stakeholder went on to explain the source of their disagreement, and what they proposed instead.  Thirty seconds later (once the stakeholder had explained themselves) any feeling of discomfort gently dispersed.  What’s more, other attendees of the meeting started to question things, interject and show disagreement.   One stakeholder questioning a decision had the apparent result in creating perceived permission for others to do so.  And you know what? I am convinced that the output of that meeting was better as a result.

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Don’t Let Conflict Fester

Many of us have been taught to consider conflict as bad and consensus as good.  I suppose that is true in an ideal case, but if you’re working on any kind of large scale change how realistic is it that every stakeholder is really going to be ‘on the same page’ and in total agreement?  If a government implements a new type of tax and requires businesses to submit more information, there’s unlikely to be a standing ovation from business owners.  Yet that doesn’t mean that their input isn’t valuable—I would go as far as saying it’s essential!

Our fixation with consensus can lead to a situation where we achieve illusory agreement, a veneer of satisfaction.  Dissenting voices get marginalized, as they’ll never agree (so why spend too much time asking them?). We carefully facilitate meetings so that there aren’t big disruptive arguments, as we’re desperate to hit all of the aggressive (sorry ‘ambitious’) project deadlines. Yet this dangerous glossy veneer is very quickly broken when people start to interact with the product or service that we deliver. All we’ve done is defer the conflict to an even less convenient time, often a time when there’s so much political capital riding on the ‘solution’ that’s been designed that there’s no appetite to change it.

Cultivating Constructive Disagreement

As business analysts, we can help avoid these situations.  We have the opportunity to create space for constructive and respectful conflict, and we should certainly avoid us or others sidelining people just because they have contradictory views. In our analysis activities we should encourage constructive and respectful disagreement.

Taking an example, when setting up a workshop we have the perfect opportunity for creating the opportunity for a robust and respectful discussion.  We can lay down an appropriate set of ground rules that allow for differences of opinions to surface.  I’ve found myself opening workshops saying things such as:

“This is a controversial topic, and there are bound to be some differences of opinion.  That’s to be expected.  With that in mind please do speak up at any time and add your view, but please do be prepared to elaborate on it. Keep in mind I’ll be facilitating fiercely but fairly—and there might be times when I need to ‘park’ your item for later discussion. It absolutely won’t be lost, we will come back to it, but please don’t be offended if I need to do that.”

When we facilitate, we can actively prompt, asking questions such as:

“We seem to have complete agreement here; are there any contradictory thoughts. What have we missed?”

Ensuring that stakeholders have the ‘air time’, and ensuring that the most bombastic attendees don’t steal the limelight is crucial.  Using a range of tools and techniques in the workshop to consider not only what we want but also what could go wrong can be useful too.  Even just asking a question such as “That seemed too simple, might we have missed something?” can help.

Most of all, cultural nuances aside, we shouldn’t be afraid of the concise clarity of an expression such as “I disagree”.  When someone says it they provide us with a gift, an opportunity to better understand them.

Books To Bank On For Your Business: Five Top Reads For Avid Business Analysts

In the fast-paced world of business analysis, you live and learn from minute to minute. Keeping up with cutting-edge industry developments can be a Herculean task for even the most dedicated of business professionals.

So, when it comes to studying, ensure that you are expending your time wisely on quality learning from the best. Here to broaden your knowledge base, expand your vocabulary, and share insider experience, we have collated a small but perfectly formed reading list to equip anybody from post-graduate all the way up to leadership levels with the information needed to succeed. Rather than wasting your time wading your way through reams of useless information to garner a few insightful gems of wisdom when you could already be one step ahead in applying your newfound knowledge to your latest project, use our guide to the top five reads of the moment to help you cut straight to the chase.

 

1: ‘How To Lead In Product Management: Practices To Align Stakeholders, Guide Development Teams, And Create Value Together’ By Roman Pichle

Author of no less than four books and creator of his own blog alongside an educational product management podcast, Roman Pichler is your go-to consultant when it comes to leading in product management. Within the pages of Roman’s latest offering, you’ll find out how to guide your team successfully and to foster positive relationships with your stakeholders. While technical skills and knowledge of your industry are vital elements of leadership, Pichler lends his wisdom on the more nuanced aspects of the interpersonal relationships that must be cultivated as a good leader. This includes invaluable advice on building trust with your team, creating common goals, resolving challenging situations and maintaining your own wellbeing in this high-stakes environment.

 

2: ‘Seven Steps To Mastering Business Analysis (Business Analysis Professional Development)’ By Jamie Champagne

Written by Jamie Champagne, the first ever Hawaiian to become a Certified Business Analysis Professional, this book is a simple yet thorough guide to the complex world of business analysis. An insightful read for beginners and experts alike, Jamie uses her font of experience as founder of her own successful company, Champagne Collaborations, to provide seven clearly structured steps to business success. Champagne generously provides explanations of all key terms and concepts, alongside proven techniques that are coupled with real-life examples for ease of learning. A great resource for those studying for exams in the field, or for anybody looking to understand and  increase the value of their work or to broaden their professional horizon.

 

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3: ‘Agile And Business Analysis’ By Debra Paul And Lynda Girvan

With 55 years of experience in the industry between the two of them, the brains behind Assist Knowledge Development Debra Paul and Linda Girvan have applied their expertise to an in-depth exploration into the use of Agile as an approach in business in this book. Paul and Girvan delve into what Agile means as a business analysis methodology, outlining their thoughts on it’s role in all of the most important aspects of business such as the understanding of customer requirements, the engagement of key stakeholders in the company or product, and the accurate measurement of how successfully the company is achieving its targets in relation to these.

 

4: ‘Agile Software Requirements: Lean Requirements Practices For Teams, Programs, And The Enterprise’ By Dean Leffingwell

With 30 years of experience in the software industry, Dean Leffingwell is an absolute authority in his field. Leffingwell generously shares his experience as the founding CEO of Requisite, Inc., and as Vice President of IBM’s Rational Software in a revolutionary compilation of his recommended best practices. No matter what your company structure of developmental process in the Agile business environment, Leffingwell has likely devised a business model to suit it. His application of the latest in Agile methodology, combined with his expertise in traditional management practices and lean product development creates an all-encompassing bible for anybody interested in getting the best from their business in terms of software requirements.

 

5: ‘Mastering The Requirements Process: Getting Requirements Right’ By Suzanne Robertson And James Robertson

Suzanne and James Robertson’s goal in writing this definitive guide to the requirements process was to teach business analysts how to identify requirements accurately, therefore ensuring an efficient and successful development process free from time and resource-wasting hiccups. Such has been the success of this detailed volume that it is now in it’s third edition, with constantly updated strategies that include information on how to apply it’s lessons to both traditional and to Agile business models. In this latest publication, the Robertsons have provided additional information on the Volere Knowledge Model and Requirements Process, the Brown Cow Model, as well as further chapters on specification templates, formality guides and story cards.

You can find more information about the writer at UKWritingsAcademized and State Of Writing

Best of BATimes: How To Level Up Your Business Analyst Career

As a forward-thinking Business Analyst, this question is probably crossing your mind frequently.

 

You’ve established yourself in your career, but you may feel stagnant, eager for a change of scenery or simply ready to learn something new. In a competitive job market, Business Analysts need career know-how to navigate their next steps to keep their work fulfilling. Read on for simple steps you can take to take your Business Analyst career to the next level.

Understand Which Career Path You Want

To get an edge on advancing your career, you need to know where you want to end up. Business Analysts can take their careers in any one of a variety of directions. It all depends on your interests, strengths and opportunities.

As you move through your career, you’ll see that job titles and descriptions become more specialized and specific based on industry and skills. If you’re interested in the tech industry and you’re good at bridging technical work with communicating specialized ideas, a role as an IT Business Analyst could be a great fit. If you’d prefer to work in a variety of industries doing C-level consulting, you may consider a path into a Management Analyst position.

These are just a couple of examples of advanced and in-demand career paths for Business Analysts. Collabera and New Horizons Computer Learning Centers have detailed descriptions of directions that Business Analysts may take as they move throughout their careers.

Find A Mentor

A mentor is a great industry-specific resource for everything from day-to-day questions to giving insight into career decisions. Mentor-mentee relationships can begin organically, like with a trusted superior at work, or you can seek one out with a networking program. The International Institute of Business Analysts (IIBA) hosts local chapters where you can meet other analysts at different points in their careers, and they are forming a mentorship program for members.

A mentor should be someone you can see regularly, perhaps daily or weekly, and who can get to know you and your work habits well. Ideally your mentor is someone at your company, but a former colleague or even a professor can make a great mentor too. With a mentor, you’ll form an ongoing bond that will evolve as your career goals change.

 

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Get A Career Coach

While mentors are typically fellow Business Analysts, career coaches are professionals who operate from a higher level as they help you seek out new opportunities. They may not be Business Analysts themselves, like a mentor would be, but they have plentiful resources for networking, optimizing your soft skills, and helping with resumes and cover letters.

Career coaches often focus on a local region where they have expertise on the job market. They meet with their clients for sessions lasting up to a couple of hours for a flat fee. Virtual and nationwide services are also available through organizations like TheMuse. If you plan on meeting with a career coach, make sure you have an idea of what you want to accomplish during your session and have documents like your resume and work history handy.

Take Classes

Your experience as a Business Analyst doesn’t have to come solely from formal education or on-the-job projects. Taking classes allows you to improve existing skills or add new skills to your resume through cheap and accessible means.

Business Analyst networking groups, like the IIBA, hold specialized workshops to help you hone your skills and learn from other Business Analysts. If you prefer self-directed learning, there are free online resources with high-quality trainings for Business Analysts, like LinkedIn Learning, where you can earn certificates to display on your profile. Coursera also has a free curriculum that specializes in business analytics with courses designed by The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. These courses are great if you have a specialty field in mind where you may be lacking competencies.

Volunteer For Challenging Projects

If you feel stagnated in your current role, be on the lookout for opportunities to challenge yourself. Offer your input in projects that may be out of your usual comfort zone so that you can learn with skilled colleagues or step forward to tackle an issue you found in day-to-day processes. No matter the project, be sure to ask for help when you need it—that’s one of the best ways to grasp new concepts and skills. By taking on challenging projects, you’ll not only gain experience, but you’ll also establish yourself as someone who takes initiative.

Invest In Soft Skills

While it makes sense to devote your time to expanding your technical skills, don’t let soft skills fall by the wayside. Soft skills are qualities and interpersonal skills that are less “trainable” than hard skills, but translate to every role in every industry. Soft skills include conflict resolution, negotiation, communication skills and more. Usman Haq details important soft skills for Business Analysts in his article in BATimes. These skills are acquired and practiced daily, so be mindful of opportunities to hone them. LinkedIn Learning also has courses on soft skills so you can study at your leisure.

Are You Ready To Take Your Career To The Next Level?

Being a business analyst entails wearing a lot of hats. Conquer your career path by understanding your long term career goals, find a mentor and a career coach to help you reach those goals, take classes for both hard and soft skills and don’t be afraid to raise your hand for big projects.  As you take these small steps, your future in Business Analytics will unfold.