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Tag: Skills

BATimes_Feb22_2023

Top Business Analysis Skills To Learn in 2023 To Thrive in a Volatile Economy

Written by Ananya Pani on . Posted in Articles.

With the economic landscape ever-evolving and uncertainty in the air, it pays to know which business analysis skills are essential for success. In such a business environment, having the right skills can be the difference between success and failure. As 2023 approaches, it’s more important than ever to develop the right business analysis skills that will help you stand out from competitors and thrive in these uncertain times. With new technologies and approaches emerging all the time, developing the right business analysis skills has become more important than ever before. In this article, we’ll explore the top business analysis skills you’ll need to master in order to stay ahead of the pack. Find out how you can get ahead of the curve by acquiring these valuable skills now!

 

 

What is Business Analysis?

The term ‘business analysis’ is used in many different ways, but at its core, business analysis is all about bringing positive change, improving business performance with technology adoption, Process improvement and removal of inefficiencies in the cycle. It also encompasses improvement of revenue, market reputation, user experience, understanding how businesses work and how they can be improved. It’s about finding ways to do things better, faster, or cheaper.

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Business analysts typically have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, and are able to see the ‘big picture’ while paying attention to detail. They need to be good communicators, great facilitators as well as collaborators, able to explain complex concepts in simple terms, asking the right questions and also be good listeners.

As businesses become more complex and the pace of change increases, the need for business analysts will continue to grow. If you’re thinking of a career in business analysis, or are already working as a business analyst, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the right skills, latest methods and tools.

Essential Skills for Business Analysts in 2023

As the world economy becomes increasingly volatile, businesses must be agile and adaptable to survive. Business analysts play a vital role in helping organizations in changing gears, understand and respond to change and adapt to the new business needs. In 2023, the most successful business analysts will be those who have developed the following essential skills:

 

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Data Analytics: With the increasing amount of tech penetration and the huge amount of data available, business analysts are expected to be skilled to interpret, analyze data, see patterns in them and come up with actionable insights from them. To be able to do all this they need to be proficient in data analytics tools and techniques such as data interpretation and visualization. They will need to be able to not only interpret and communicate the results of these analyses to key stakeholders but also present actionable insights for strategic decision making.

 

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Agile methodologies: Agile methodologies have proven to be effective in adapting to change, taking

frequent customer feedback and prioritizing delivery accordingly. And as a result, today more than 70% projects adopt agile methodology and their adoption will continue to grow. Business analysts need to be conversant with the principles of agile analysis and be able to work effectively within agile teams.

 

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Financial Analysis: In a volatile economy, it is important for business analysts to understand financial analysis and be able to assess the financial impact of different business decisions. They will need to be able to evaluate investment opportunities, assess risks involved, and make recommendations based on financial data. They need to have the ability to know which are the initiatives that can help in quicker turn around for revenue and which changes can bring cost control thus making a better cash flow situation for the organization.

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Strategic Thinking: Business analyst as a role requires higher level of thinking as well as attention to details to see the opportunities of improvement. Hence, they will need to be able to think strategically about the long-term goals of the organization and be able to develop plans to achieve those goals. They will need to be able to evaluate the potential impact of various business options and make recommendations based on data and best practices.

 

Adaptability: The ability to adapt to changes in their environment is a critical skill for success in a volatile economy. Business analysts will need to be able to quickly respond to changing conditions, be flexible to acquire skills to perform well in their approach to solving problems.

 

Cross-functional Collaboration: Business analysts are the change makers bringing positive changes to the organization thereby making the organization’s process faster and better. To achieve these objectives, they will need to be able to work effectively with teams from different departments, hierarchy, backgrounds, and be able to translate technical concepts and requirements into language that is accessible to a wide range of stakeholders.

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Communication Skills: Business analysts are the ones who are required to influence stakeholders and users to come to agreement for the business decisions, and this requires being a great communicator. Effective communication is and will remain a critical skill for business analysts in 2023 and years to come. They will need to be able to clearly and effectively communicate complex ideas and data to stakeholders, and be able to negotiate and manage conflicting interests.

 

In conclusion, the skills that business analysts need to focus on in 2023 will continue to evolve, but the skills outlined above will likely be critical for success in a volatile economy. It’s important for business analysts to stay up-to-date about emerging trends and to continuously grow their skills and knowledge to stay ahead of the curve.

BATimes_Feb16_2023

Deep Listening: Avoid Hearing What You Want To Hear

Written by Adrian Reed on . Posted in Articles.

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!

 

BATimes_Feb15_2023

What Do Business Analysts and Rockstars Have in Common?

Written by Jamie Toyne on . Posted in Articles.

Well, quite a lot actually. I’m not saying we’ve all got the swagger of Liam Gallagher, or the Ziggy Stardust fashion sense of Bowie. Nor, do we all play guitars, or know our way around a recording studio (although some do). And I’d confidently say, none of us are going around with diva-like demands or are smashing up hotel rooms. Most likely we’ll be littering the walls with post-its, hand-written using Sharpies.

But there are many aspects of being a Rockstar, that BAs do share in common. So much so, at Herd Consulting — we refer to ourselves as a Rockstar business analysis consultancy.

Here’s our top 5 reasons to convince you that good business analysis, really is rock ’n’ roll.

You wouldn’t see a Rockstar, ditching their genre. They love what they do. And that’s no different for most BAs. Sure, we could easily go on and become the next CEO of a major global firm, as many do. But they’re still using their inner BA and BA mindset day in, day out. Organizations, and the world around us is constantly evolving in its complexity. That means lots more challenges, and lots more opportunities. With our change know how, curiosity, and BA toolkit — we’re often best placed to take on the role of lead singer in any delivery team, as well as providing the backing rhythm when needed.

 

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Now I’m not suggesting we should charge £100 a ticket to come along to one of our gigs (also sometimes known as workshops, show and tells, or presentations). But the most impactful BAs know who their audience is and engages with them. Equally as importantly, they keep them engaged. Maybe even some of their stakeholders and users, end up becoming fans too.

 

There’s no point recording the best songs if no-one is ever going to hear it. Similarly, business analysis shouldn’t be confined to just artefacts. It needs to be brought alive, it needs to be seen and heard. Without it, how will it ever challenge thinking, solve a problem, or guide and enable decisions to be made. Business analysts at the top of their game, make an event out of sharing their analysis, they make it easy and memorable to engage with. They provide recommendations or calls to action. Dare I say, it might even be the beginnings of a catchy hit.

 

Lyrics are a subjective topic, so we’ll steer away from the taxonomy of what good lyrics are, other than to say — the best usually tell a story. As professional business analysts, we’re always telling a story albeit likely with more precision and clarity than a song does. We’re discovering and writing a story (not necessarily just user stories), to guide delivery teams on what it is we’re doing and why we’re doing it. To have a clear specification of what’s required, and what’s not. Ultimately to ensure we’re all thinking about the same thing and are heading to the same destination.

 

Vinyl, cassettes, CDs, MP3s, streaming services. The world of music is constantly evolving. Remember music video channels? Rockstar’s are always having to keep up with the world of technology, and the changing commercial landscape around them. Business analysis is no different. Given most of us work in Digital or Change environments, we’re often at the forefront of progression and new thinking, whether that be Tech led or not. Therefore, to survive and thrive, we’re having to regularly invest in our knowledge and skills, broadening our experience, and expanding our networks.

Part 2 coming soon…

 

BATimes_Jan25_2023

Should I Stay Or Should I Go?

Written by Christina Lovelock on . Posted in Articles.

New year…new job?  Many professionals are grappling with this decision and it’s hard to bring objective assessment into such an emotional decision. So how do we know if it’s time to go?

 

Reasons To Go

People rarely leave their job for salary increase alone. Forbes reported in 2022 that company culture, low salary, poor management, lack of  work-life boundaries and remote working were the top reasons people gave for leaving. In reality it is a complex blend of these reasons and others.

Once the idea of a new job has taken root, its hard to displace. By understanding what is making us want to explore if the grass is greener elsewhere it is easier to make an informed decision.

 

Reasons To Stay

It would be easy to assume that the reasons people stay within organizations and roles are simply the opposite of why people leave (I want to stay vs. I want to leave). But there is a further dimension which is partially or sometimes completely outside the employees control (I have to stay). External factors such as market conditions, skills and perceived “employability” can make someone stay in a role. So reasons to stay can be both personal, (“I like the culture and people”) and environmental (“I won’t find another role at this level/salary etc.”).

We all have responsibilities that cannot be ignored and not everyone gets to do their dream job, but it is always worth exploring the role that fear and self-doubt are playing in our decision making.

 

The Wheel of Work

A spider chart is a great way to visualize the key factors at play in a decision and how we feel about each aspect. One commonly used by coaches with their clients is the Wheel of Life. Here, we will narrow in on one area and consider all the factors which contribute to the decision to move jobs or stay put.

 

Step 1: Select up to 10 key factors related to work – the things which are making you think about moving, and the things which make you want to stay. These will be different and personal to each of us and will also change at different periods of our life. Try to select the ones which are most relevant to you right now.

Factors which commonly impact decision making in this area include:

  • Autonomy
  • Bonus/ Pension etc.
  • Community
  • Culture and values
  • Flexibility of location/ability to work from home
  • Length/cost of commute
  • Level of responsibility
  • Level of stress
  • Life Balance
  • Meaning/impact of the work
  • Recognition
  • Relationship with manager
  • Progression opportunities
  • Salary
  • Security/stability
  • Support for professional development
  • Variety
  • Working relationships
  • …

 

(Listed alphabetically, so as not to imply importance as this is different for each of us).

These are fairly tangible considerations. There will also be emotions which are more difficult to quantify, such as levels of anxiety, fear, boredom, respect, appreciation etc. that could also be candidates for inclusion in the analysis.

 

BATimes_Jan25_2023

 

Step 2: Enter the selected aspects around the wheel. Evaluate your current job against each of these. Ask questions around each aspect to prompt deeper thinking.

For example if considering “working relationships” – questions might include:

  • Who are my closest colleagues?
  • How often do I get to work with them?
  • Have people I care about left?
  • Have we stayed in touch?
  • Is this the best team I have worked in?
  • What made other teams better/worse?

 

Plot the figures 1-5, 5 being ‘could not imagine better’ and 1 being ‘could not be worse’.

 

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Step 3: Consider what this diagram is telling you. Is it surprising or confirming? Is it low in every aspect? Are there related highs or related lows? What’s the common thread? Is it just one aspect of the job you don’t like that is making everything feel worse?

 

Step 4: This creates a baseline. This can either be used to identify actions for improving your current situation, or as a basis for comparison for other opportunities. Once you have clarity on which aspects you are happy with and where things could improve – it is much easier to have a positive and constructive conversation with your boss. It demonstrates self-reflection and commitment to making your most effective contribution to the organization. Changing projects can sometimes feel the same as moving organizations – with new colleagues and fresh challenges.

There will be lots of ways to address the low-scoring areas identified.

 

Once you know what is important for you in a role, it can help your job search. It can also inform the questions you ask the recruiter/hiring manager. If you are in an organization with a strong and supportive community of practice for business analysts, it may be something which is important for potential new roles. Do they have one? If not are they open to establishing one?

Without paying attention to what is important, it is hard to translate a general feeling of dissatisfaction or unhappiness into tangible actions – either a targeted effort to change aspects of your current role, or a clear understanding of what a new role would need to offer.

 

Staying or Stagnating?

Using the wheel of work can help us to understand what is truly important at this point in time. Staying does not have to mean stagnating. Making an active choice to stay in your current role is as important as deciding to make a change. Committing to your role and organisation, committing to your personal development and committing to do this job to the best of your ability are all incredibly positive and this is a valid career strategy. This strategy may well pay long term dividends.

 

Conclusion

It’s a big decision to make, as our jobs are inextricably linked with our health, wealth and happiness. The decision has a lot of factors, which are incredibly subjective and there is no simple right answer or formula that can be applied.

Ultimately, we all know when it’s time to move on.

 

Further reading
Job Crafting for BAs C Lovelock, Jul 2021
Are you Losing BAs? C Lovelock, February 2022

 

Best of BATimes: Does Networking Hurt Your Hands? The Power Of A Glossary

Written by Adrian Reed on . Posted in Articles.

A few weeks ago I was working away from home, and I was able to attend an IIBA UK event in the evening.

 

It was a really enjoyable event, and after meeting a whole bunch of new people and chatting about all things BA related, I went and checked in to my hotel. As I was checking in, the receptionist asked me how my day had gone. I explained that it had been busy, and I’d spent a few hours networking late into the evening. As much as I enjoy networking (I love meeting new people and sharing/learning), I do find it exhausting. As he handed me my key, the receptionist said something that really surprised me:

“Ah, I used to do a lot of networking. Kills the hands, doesn’t it? All that terminating. I used to work for a communication company so I did a lot of networking”.

Perhaps it was because I was tired, but I did the typically British thing and just smiled and accepted the statement that he’d made without questioning it–but on my way to my room I was puzzling over what he’d said. Why would networking hurt his hands? Too many handshakes maybe? And why would you terminate something at a networking event… that sounds pretty serious! And why is the fact he worked for a communication company important…

Then the penny dropped. Networking has different meanings, and I suspect he was referring to laying physical networking cables in a data center or communication room, where cables have to be crimped and (presumably) ‘terminated’. Perhaps using some of the tools is uncomfortable after a while. “An evening networking” to me means meeting other BAs and having a coffee. To him it meant navigating cables in a comms room ‘out of hours’ getting everything ready before people arrive the next day.

 

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The Illusion Of Communication

As William H. Wyte once wrote “The great enemy of communication, we find, is the illusion of it.”. This is often the case inside organizations and between organizations too. With our plethora of acronyms and words with ‘special meanings’, it is easy to appear that we are agreeing on a particular issue, idea or requirement, only to find out that each person at the table has a subtly different understanding of what is being discussed.

Even words that appear, on the surface, to be obvious can have different meanings depending on who you ask. The word ‘customer’ might seem clear and obvious, but it is quite possible that different people attribute different meanings to it. Who is the ‘customer’ of a training course? The delegate who attends it? The company that employs the delegate (assuming they are paying)? Probably both–although both will have subtly different needs and requirements, only some of which overlap. This is made even more complicated in intermediated industries where there might be an end customer, and one (or many) intermediaries. If a financial service company sells products via brokers, some might refer to the broker as a ‘customer’, others might refer to the end investor as the ‘customer’. Again, they’ll have very different needs and requirements.

This can lead to all sorts of crossed-communication throughout the business change lifecycle, not least when it comes to requirements. Whether we’re writing user stories, use cases or even a heavy-weight requirements catalogue, it pays to think about terminology. This is where the good, old, trustworthy glossary comes in.

A glossary perhaps isn’t the first thing that springs to our minds as business analysts. It’s something we know we probably should do, but with the pressures of a project it can be easy to let it slide. This simple experience, with a misunderstanding over the word ‘networking’, reminded me how important they are. After all, with a clear glossary, writing just about any type of requirement artifact becomes easier. If there is a clear and agreed meaning of “Investor” and “Broker”, for example (rather than using a term like “Customer” that might mean either, or both) we can be concise and precise in our requirements writing.

This potential for misunderstanding also highlights the need for techniques that don’t rely on the written word. Visual techniques, including formal modeling, can help explore the problem space and requirement scope too. All of these activities help us cultivate conversations and help us ask “what exactly do you mean by ‘x’?”. Not only this, but a well-defined glossary can help inform the production of other artefacts such as a concept model (these are clearly different things, but defining terms up front helps a great deal).

In Summary

A glossary might take some time to create and maintain, but it’ll help avoid ambiguity and ensure we can create concise and precise requirements. It is an investment in time worth making.