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Tag: Stakeholder

7 Habits of Highly Effective Business Analysts

Written by Angela Wick on . Posted in Articles.

Highly effective BAs, regardless of their skill level or years of experience, consistently hone their craft. Guided by curiosity and passion, great BAs are always on the lookout for growth opportunities—ways to strengthen and sharpen their skills.

This focus on continuous professional improvement goes far beyond attending an annual conference or workshop. Instead, effective BAs develop daily habits that demonstrate leadership and expertise.

So, I’ll borrow Stephen Covey’s popular “seven habits” framework to discuss the recurrent behaviors that support excellence in the business analysis profession.

Although I refer to these as BA habits, they can be applied to most professions. So, whether you are a project manager, a tester, a techie or a trainer, think about how these habits can help you become a leader in your organization.

Habit #1: Effective BAs engage stakeholders.

BAs need information, cooperation and trust from their stakeholders. Skilled BAs get what they need by building strong relationships. They engage stakeholders in a way that inspires engagement, creativity, collaboration and innovation.

How do you know if your stakeholders are engaged? Well, these are common issues on teams with weak stakeholder engagement:

  • Strongly conflicting requirements between stakeholders.
  • Stakeholders are silent; roll their eyes, sigh or multi-task during meetings.
  • Stakeholders do not contribute to the project. They don’t return phone calls, do not reply to emails, do not review project documents, provide resources, etc.
  • Stakeholders show up late for meetings, leave meetings early or skip meetings.
  • Disparate groups do not understand other stakeholder’s needs and benefits from the project.
  • Progress is slow.
  • Discussions loop in circles.
  • Decisions are difficult to obtain.

Do you see any of those things happening consistently in your organization? Effective BAs use their influence to create an environment that looks more like this:

  • Stakeholders have a shared vision and can communicate the vision to their team/s.
  • Stakeholders understand their connection to each other.
  • Stakeholders trust each other and the BA.
  • Stakeholders enthusiastically participate in meetings.
  • Stakeholders make themselves and their resources available to the BA as needed.
  • Questions, discussion and meaningful debates.
  • Proactive, 2-way communication

Habit #2: Effective BAs research new techniques.

Great BAs love discovering new tools that make work efficient, valuable and maybe even fun. Experts estimate there are more than 500+ BA techniques in use today—literally lurking around every corner. Here are a few ways to find them:

  • Read the BABoK! The IIBA’s comprehensive handbook describes 40 of the most common and useful BA techniques. Current IIBA members can get a sneak peak at BABoK 3.0 by participating in the public review process. 
  • Attend industry conferences and workshops. Full-day or multi-day training sessions give BAs exposure to a variety of new techniques, trends, and methodologies. Many training companies and universities offer BA training. IIBA and PMI sponsor events across the world.
  • Network. Connect regularly with other BAs. Ask them about new techniques. Find out what works on their projects. Solicit advice when you hit road blocks.
  • Observe others. Find a mentor. Watch your peers. Which techniques do they use regularly? Are they working? Why or why not? How could you make them better?
  • Borrow from other industries and professions. The most obvious example may be the lean processes project teams have borrowed from manufacturing. Are there techniques you could borrow from an elementary school teacher, a farmer, a scientist or an actor? Definitely!

Habit #3: Effective BAs experiment with new techniques.

Now, it’s time to put those new techniques to work! Stagnation and boredom are the enemy of an effective BA. Applying new techniques keeps BAs motivated, engaged and inspired.

Experimentation often invites risk, but there are many ways to contain possible fallout:

  • Start small. Try a new techniques on small, low risk projects. Apply the new technique to a small part of a big project.
  • Break it down. Find a way to break the new technique in pieces. Try one piece on an analysis or elicitation effort to see if it is works. Then get feedback and adjust course if needed.
  • Find your friendlies. Use a new technique with a small, friendly group of co-workers. Encourage them to give you honest feedback.
  • Set expectations. Let stakeholders know why you are trying the new technique.
  • Ponder plan b. Courage to try new things includes the possibility of failure. Think about the worst case scenario. What’s your plan b if the new technique fails?

Habit #4: Effective BAs plan to re-plan.

I run into so many BAs that get stressed out by estimating requirement deliverables. They often ask, “How can I estimate when I don’t have any requirements yet?” My answer: “We plan to re-plan!”

As the project needs and scope evolve, effective BAs revisit their estimates—they reevaluate and adjust as the project moves forward.

Every BA leader and PM I have talked to about this agrees. It’s totally fine to change the estimate and re-plan, just not at the last hour!

So, set expectations and share them.

  • Make sure the PM and other leaders understand that this is your best estimate based on the current state of the project.
  • Help them understand which factors will increase or decrease estimates.
  • Plan resources: What can you do in the early stages of the project to anticipate estimate changes? Who can you pull in if you get behind? What tools can you use to be more efficient? How can you manage busy SMEs to get good requirements?
  • Look at the value and risk of scope items and adjust the plan accordingly to spend more time on high value and high risk items.
  • If your incentives are based on estimation accuracy, then talk to your leader about re-planning and how it fits in the incentive plan.

Effective BAs know that re-planning will be required to protect the project value. They look at the tasks and deliverables like puzzle pieces that need to be flipped, turned, and shuffled until they all come together in their proper place.

Habit #5: Effective BAs use visuals, often.

In most cases, visual communication is more effective than text-heavy documents or verbal descriptions—humans process visual information more quickly and completely. Effective BAs understand the importance and efficiency of visual communication. They always look for new and improved ways to use visuals in their meetings, presentations and documentation.

Skilled visual communicators:

  • Create high-level conceptual visuals, low-level detailed visuals and everything in between.
  • Tailor their visuals to meet the needs of their audience. Does a CEO want to review a 20-page process model? Does a group of SMEs want to focus on the whole organization or just their piece of the pie?
  • Draw spontaneously on white boards when discussions start spinning.
  • Use visuals in virtual meetings too. They use virtual whiteboards, post-it notes, flow charts, etc.
  • Know that visuals do not need to be perfect. You don’t need to be an artist. You don’t need 100% accuracy on day one. A flawed visual is so much better than starting with a blank page.

Habit #6: Effective BAs develop Underlying Competencies.

Obviously, BAs need techniques and tools to complete their practical tasks, but they also rely on underlying competencies. The techniques are like the tools in the tool box, but underlying competencies (UCs) influence how the tools are used and how the techniques are applied. UCs are the artistry, the finesse, or the soft skills.

Effective BAs continuously refine their UCs in many of the same ways they develop techniques: research, training, observation, experimentation, etc.

Effective BAs maintain dozens of UCs, but here are a few of the most important:

  • Critical thinking and Problem Solving
  • Teaching
  • Leadership and Influence
  • Facilitation and Negotiation
  • Personal integrity
  • Organizational Knowledge

Habit #7: Effective BAs consider politics.

Politics exist in every organization.

In project work, politics usually play out during prioritization efforts: which work will get funding, whose projects fit into an implementation, which requirements get cut.

Skilled BAs don’t ignore politics, but they avoid playing. They work around and within them.

How do effective BAs walk this fine political line? How do they understand and manage politics without getting involved? Good questions. Here are a few ideas:

  • Build wide support to eliminate politics as a factor.
  • Always redirect the team back to the project value. Which requirements, timelines, bug fixes, testing strategies, etc. best support the goals of the project and value to the organization?
  • Gather data. In many cases, good data can tell as story that transcends politics and makes the right answer obvious.
  • Lead with empathy. Understand what each stakeholder is seeing, hearing, thinking, feeling. Use these insights to help you influence each stakeholder.
  • Understand the definition of success for each stakeholder.

Which habits make you a highly effective project professional?

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

Work of the Future – Answers and Prize Award

Written by Marcos Ferrer on . Posted in Articles.

The responses to last February’s challenge were excellent (thanks to my excellent readers) that we share them here. A winner has been chosen, even though reasonable people can and will disagree. Prize choices are listed at bottom* – the winner (don’t peek) will choose for himself or herself.

Case Study :

Questions and Answers: (ranked as):

UNO: Best based on my experience
DOS: Good first instinct, if there is no time for best answer UNO
TRES: Anything might work, and if TRES works best I SHOULD be embarrassed.
QUATTRO: No explanation or else ambiguous / unclear to this reader / writer?

Here we go – DRUM ROLL….

1. The best first “action” you could take would be to:

  1. Understand the farmer’s “root” cause more deeply
  2. Introduce yourself to the farmers for rapport
  3. Interview the blacksmith
  4. Start a project to invent steel
  5. Understand how you might be perceived by others

Debbie 2014-03-25 14:53
DOS 1. B

Ravi 2014-03-25 17:23
DOS 1. B
Since rapport is needed for either A, C or E. D is really solutioning, even before the problem is understood.

Mohsin 2014-03-26 00:26
DOS 1. A

Teri 2014-03-26 07:18
TRES 1. C
Figure out how the blacksmith is fixing the points, sharper edges may break the soil better

Dan 2014-03-31 16:00
DOS 1. B
The farmer will reject your foolish waste of time trying to understand why the soil is hard, or iron is soft. You must first be his friend to elicit deeper issues. The blacksmith will be defensive and say that he is working as fast as he can doing everything his father taught him, and no one will support you in creating steel unless other farmers and blacksmiths can relate to how you are solving their problems.

Ramya 2014-04-01 10:40
DOS 1. B
Human psychology, which has not changed with ages, wants a reliable solution. So I would first build rapport before jumping into solutions. Agile manifesto says – People over practices.

Bob F 2014-04-08 21:27
UNO 1. E
Until you at least try to understand how you will be perceived, you shouldn’t introduce yourself ( 2nd).

Asif Jehangir 2014-04-20 02:41
DOS 1. A
You may find something that may help in softening the soil.

Marcos supports Bob’s answer:

A BA who is comfortable with establishing rapport in the modern world (or in the U.S., for that matter) should probably not assume that they know anything about establishing rapport with rural farmers of the past (or anyone not from the U.S.).

For that matter, minus actual experience, a sharp BA should not assume they know how to rapport with doctors, sewer engineers, bankers, or with distant people on a teleconference, past or present. Best is to keep a low profile before jumping in with a “standard” approach of any kind, people or technical. Consider the following questions:

  • Are the farmers of French, German, Dutch or British ancestry?
  • Are they Catholic or Protestant or Quaker or Amish?
  • Are they Jeffersonians, Adams-sians, Simians, what?
  • Are they educated and in what ways?
  • How many people does the community:
    • Hang every year?
    • Shoot every year?
    • And for what violations of local protocol?
    • No dancing?
    • Too much debt?
    • Wrong color, creed, gender, or approach to life?
    • Offending the sheriff?
    • …?
  • Do you even have any local currency in your pocket?
  • In an economy where barter is still important, do you have anything to offer besides insane thoughts about the future?
  • How can you position yourself to learn and watch and see how the community treats others before interacting with them in a more serious relationship that is none of your business as a general rule?
  • Are farmers more powerful than merchants? Blacksmiths? Bankers? Archer Midland?
  • Is there a library in town?
  • Are there any teachers you could hire or barter with?
  • Are there any charities that might be sympathetic to a slightly deranged outsider from the future until she recovers from a concussion?

2. The best way to learn what solutions could address the farmer’s concerns would be:

  1. Get a job as a farmer
  2. Get a job as a blacksmith
  3. Get a job in Manchester, England
  4. Google the specifics
  5. Join the farmer’s cooperative

Debbie 2014-03-25 14:53
UNO 2.E

Ravi 2014-03-25 17:23
UNO 2.E
since cooperative will allow us to get various perspectives. D is not valid since there is no Google at that time. A and B only provide limited perspective. Not sure what value C provides.

Mohsin 2014-03-26 00:26
UNO 2.E

Teri 2014-03-26 07:18
UNO 2.E
More perspective, you don’t need to be the expert, just surround yourself with experts

Dan 2014-03-31 16:00
UNO 2.E
If you become the farmer or the blacksmith you will spend years learning how they do it, by hearing from others in the cooperative you can tap the experience of many.

Ramya 2014-04-01 10:40
UNO 2.E
Join the cooperative to have a better collaboration.

Bob F 2014-04-08 21:27
DOS 2. A
Nothing beats first-hand knowledge. Second best is listening to them at the cooperative.

Asif Jehangir 2014-04-20 02:41
UNO 2.E
Understand all the stakeholders

Marcos supports everyone with small caveat for Bob’s answer:

The first hand knowledge about hard soil and iron plow tips is probably as advanced as it is going to get in rural Virginia.

Look up Manchester, England for first hand knowledge that MIGHT make some difference IF it could be researched and developed in the Virginia of the time).

To figure out the best approach for the Virginia community, more voices matter more, not less, we think.

3. The most immediate way (from the following) to influence the farmers would be to:

  1. Explain the advantages of a steel plow
  2. Get a job as a blacksmith
  3. Listen for a few weeks before saying anything
  4. Get a job as a banker
  5. Beat them at farming using steel tools

Debbie 2014-03-25 14:53
QUATTRO 3.C

Ravi 2014-03-25 17:23
TRES 3.E
Provided you have steel tools since demo provides the best influence . However, if the steel tools aren’t available C would be the next best alternative followed by A. B and D wouldn’t be major influences in my opinion.

Mohsin 2014-03-26 00:26
DOS 3. C

Teri 2014-03-26 07:18
DOS 3. C
They are the experts, they don’t want to immediately hear an outsider giving their “opinion”, gain buy in and trust, build credibility

Dan 2014-03-31 16:00
UNO 3. B
Become the Blacksmith. This way you can temporarily provide the most evident need of the farmers by giving them additional plow heads. You can then implement the steam engine in your work showing them the benefits of automation and explaining how this could help them too.

Ramya 2014-04-01 10:40
DOS 3. C
Listening is important more than solution. This ensures that all are on the same page.

Bob F 2014-04-08 21:27
DOS 3. C
Listening is also good. Second best is the job as a blacksmith.

Asif Jehangir 2014-04-20 02:41
DOS 3. C
You can have all the viewpoints before making any decision

Marcos is torn, but believes in / is backing Dan (with or without steam) (why is Marcos writing about himself in the third person – medic? Medic?! MEDIC!!!):

A productive apprentice blacksmith (were you going to start at the top?), who belongs to the cooperative, and has knowledge of modern technology, could have enough influence (friendship) to eventually bring improvements to local (eventually world) plows. More importantly to the farmers, they get more plow tips immediately, even though they wear like iron.

Key phrase in the question: “Most immediate way”. Answer B is also good because no one is upset (except MAYBE the blacksmith, if an apprentice is not wanted.

Can you pull this off without apprenticing, or fist-fighting the blacksmith? If so, “Let ‘im whine” say the farmers, and off we go.

Changing the world can only work if the analyst succeeds in improving the plow (i.e., they must become the DEVELOPER, or frankly, the GENIUS).

A smaller success (for the farmer stakeholders and overall community) would be if the analyst resigns herself to making iron plow points (everyone has to eat).

By the way, a banker with an eye on the future and money to lend just MIGHT have much more LONG TERM influence, but less immediate influence (and impact). Anyone who can produce the next plow tip NOW might win friends quickly.

4. The most likely acceptable (and successful) solution for this time and place in Virginia would be:

  1. Mass production of plow tips
  2. Acceleration of the invention of steel tips
  3. Development of the first all iron plows
  4. Adding more animals for more power
  5. If you would just keep working as a blacksmith

Debbie 2014-03-25 14:53
TRES 4. D

Ravi 2014-03-25 17:23
DOS 4. A
Mass production would alleviate the delays in receiving plows allowing (D) more animals to be added. With B and D there is no guarantee that the problem will be addressed and in a reasonable time frame. E is not a good option since I can only produce so many plows.

Mohsin 2014-03-26 00:26
DOS 4. A

Teri 2014-03-26 07:18
DOS 4. A
Workers are available to produce. More animals require more equipment

Dan 2014-03-31 16:00
QUATTRO 4. B
Both Animals and Iron were scarce in 1714 so the solution of building an all iron plow, or mass producing plow heads would not have solved the blacksmith’s problem, and if you told poor settlers to “just go get more animals” you would be scoffed at. The best solution is better use of the resources you have .

Ramya 2014-04-01 10:40
TRES 4. D
Adding more animals [in a state rich in animal resource]. All others take significant money to initiate. Working as a blacksmith might be working but not by a BA who is actually there to provide a solution.

Bob F 2014-04-08 21:27
DOS 4. A
Quantity would always help; the sharper tips could become dull quickly esp. if due to rocks (and could break off if too sharp). More power might help (2nd).

Asif Jehangir 2014-04-20 02:41
TRES 4. D
Rest of the options will take too much time and effort.

Marcos says nice try everyone  (no hate mail please, question asked for the “most likely acceptable solution for this time and place in Virginia”):

UNO 4. E
Most likely acceptable. If YOU don’t apprentice to or become the blacksmith, someone else is bound to, no? While they build plow tips you can invent steel first, but I would go to Manchester, and I would NOT expect to get credit for the invention (since history shows that you didn’t )

5. The most “technologically accessible” solution offering improvement in plow performance would be:

  1. Mass production of plow tips
  2. Acceleration of the invention of steel tips
  3. Development of the first all iron plows
  4. Adding more animals for more power
  5. Making plow points sharper

Debbie 2014-03-25 14:53
TRES 5. C

Ravi 2014-03-25 17:23
UNO 5. A
is the most practical option. D is not a technical solution. B, C and E are options with unknown benefits.

Mohsin 2014-03-26 00:26
TRES 5. E

Teri 2014-03-26 07:18
TRES 5. E
See my answer to number 1, re-designing the plow tip

Dan 2014-03-31 16:00
TRES 5.E
Making sharper blades would have been the most technologically accessible solution, but it would not create long-term value since the plow heads were dulling too quickly already. A sharper point would just dull even quicker.

Ramya 2014-04-01 10:40
UNO 5. A
Initial problem was that the blacksmith is producing plow tips slow, so mass production. But then root cause may be known only after analyzing the soil, etc scenarios.

Bob F 2014-04-08 21:27
UNO 5. A
Mass production is doable assuming materials available – more blacksmiths sharing, around-the clock, in nearby towns. More power is definitely accessible but may not help – may not be a solution (so I wouldn’t call it a most-feasible solution).

Asif Jehangir 2014-04-20 02:41
TRES 5.E
Will ease out plowing.

Ravi, Ramya, Bob F. and Marcos all recommend mass production.

Iron and its sharpening has been around long enough that you need a breakthrough beyond the obvious. If you aren’t going for steel (sharpens better, AND it’s a little early, and you would probably want to move to Manchester, England, the “silicon valley” of the industrial revolution), mass production is most feasible. Can you organize a team of Virginians around process improvement?

AND mass production is much harder than you think – are you a natural leader, or maybe a metallurgist? Metallurgy has been around for at least 1200 years. Is it possible that there ARE limits to mass production of iron (never mind steel) and its needed forms – in Virginia if not in Manchester?

If you ARE a metallurgist, just get on with creating steel already and leave us BAs alone until you need to track your steel . We welcome HELP from any metallurgists in the house? Could steel be invented before the industrial revolution if one “knew the formula”, or are the temperatures and cauldrons and coke quality and air/oxygen needs not within reach of Virginian technology?

As a blacksmith apprentice it is conceivable that you could learn the limits of ironworking in Virginia (what about elsewhere?) and what (if anything) could increase productivity more than simply adding blacksmiths.

I (Marcos) just realized something! In Spanish, one would add Ferrers (Latin root “Ferrum” – Iron). Oh crud, Marcos’ subconscious having more influence than his conscious – where is that medic, anyway?

6. The most likely way to get your project off the ground would be:

  1. Convince all the farmers
  2. Convince the blacksmith
  3. Convince the competition
  4. All of the above
  5. Convince a banker

Debbie 2014-03-25 14:53
TRES 6. A

Ravi 2014-03-25 17:23
DOS 6. B
Since the best option identified is mass production of plows.

Mohsin 2014-03-26 00:26
TRES 6. A

Teri 2014-03-26 07:18
DOS 6. D
Farmers and blacksmiths need to be on the same page, competition encourages changes

Dan 2014-03-31 16:00
DOS 6. B
Once a better process/product exists adaption is easy as long as it is cost effective. With steel plows you are working with materials that the smiths are already using so additional funds aren’t needed, but convincing the blacksmith to change their process is going to be hard.

Ramya 2014-04-01 10:40
DOS 6. D
All the people [farmers and blacksmith should agree on mass production. then the competitors to accelerate the process.

Bob F 2014-04-08 21:27
UNO 6. E
Convince a banker to get a loan to hire/employ more blacksmiths is creative thinking. Next would be the “all of the above” answer (great and necessary to get everyone in line, but usually can’t get going without cash).

Asif Jehangir 2014-04-20 02:41
DOS 6. D

Bob F knows that Money Rules (while Marcos drools?)
(On the medic?)
(I/we think):

Any project will “get off the ground” if money is thrown at it – not always because everyone wants it (want does NOT hurt a project’s chances of funding and clearly doesn’t guarantee it).

IF you have influence with Bankers, you can use it to do lots of things, even if poorly. Best of all is to (of course) have the wide consensus AND the money – all stakeholders mattering can make for a really BIG win.

7. How did you explain your answers?

Just in case someone else is as brilliant as you, your explanation could be the tiebreaker.

8. AND, just for FUN theyouwehimermemarcoses ask (there are dozens of us now, we are explaining this to first responders without getting through, they think we are delirious, come in socraMarcos, come in…?):

You are in the present, and a person appears from the future and lets you know that the BA job has changed because …. ???

Ravi
…Every problem has been resolved and all processes are running as efficiently as they can.

Teri
…The world never runs out of issues/problems , but new ways to analyze them and come up with solutions will always evolve.

Dan
…Software became intelligent enough to eliminate QC issues, User Interfaces were so intuitive anyone could create good reports, and someone developed a program to make database integration seamless.

Ramya
…BA work is automated and business analysis now involves something great and innovative as usual.

Bob F
…Solution-Deliver-ers (used to be called programs) are so flexible / powerful / voice-instruction-driven now that you just communicate with the SD rules-reactor and it spits out the solution. So it is like RAD on steroids – a prototype is almost instantly available – you help guide the discussion to keep it on-topic and the job is all but done except for the inevitable “This is what I asked for but now that I see it, it, it, it,…

….DRUM ROLL….
….
….Hold It….
….
….
….Wait For It…
….
….Here It Comes…
….”It”….
….”It”….
….”It”….
….
….
….It isn’t what I want”.

Human nature hasn’t changed.

Thanks, numero UNO Bob F, for the last word, and for your winning entry. Thanks to everyone else for showing great thinking and instincts. Any DOS, TRES or Quattro’s were my confusion, bias from experience, or missed facts in the case study presented in February.

(Was it March? Marchos? Narchos? Wake up man, blink if you can hear us…).

Bob F. PLEASE choose your prize (list at bottom) and preferred mode of delivery.

I will contact you via BA Times comment mail and/or you can:

Best wishes to all my fearless readers (and creators, updaters and deleters)!

* PRIZES:

  • A chance to co-author a future blog in this space
  • A chunk of Silly Putty larger than a chicken egg
  • Free BABOK study charts
  • OR $20 of MY MONEY (sterilized, of course)
  • BA Times has NO liability for these prizes 

Don’t forget to leave your comments below.

It’s Time to Put Value in the Driver’s Seat

Written by Ellen Gottesdiener on . Posted in Articles.

Deliver value. It is the mantra of every agile or lean team and a big part of the conversation among traditional or waterfall teams as well. You would expect, then, for all teams to define a product’s value explicitly and transparently—to make it the basis for every decision, the determining factor behind every potential product feature. Yet, too often this is not the case.

Let’s explore how successful teams define value, use it to drive decisions, and consider and reconsider value throughout a product’s lifecycle.

Let Value Be Your Guide

According the Value Standard and Body of Knowledge value is “a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged.” In other words, value is what you get for what you give up.

What one company considers valuable, at a certain time, might be completely different than what matters to another company, or to the same organization at another point in time. For example, one team we recently worked with selected a minimum set of product features, or slice of functionality, that could be delivered to their primary end users within two months, so as to stay within the bounds of a highly profitable purchase agreement. Another organization identified the set of features that simultaneously reduced operating costs and flagged conditions in the field that could risk life and limb.

So how did these teams decide on what to deliver? What enabled them to quickly, transparently, and collaboratively select the highest value features? They relied on value to steer their product in the right direction.

Choose Your Destination

Defining a product’s desired result, before building it, is fundamental to that product’s success. As the old saying goes, if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there. Successful agile teams start by determining where they want to finish.

In our first article in this series, we described how product stakeholders from the customer, business, and technology realms become collaborating partners. These product partners envision the product, define goals, and specify measurable objectives, creating a high-level view of the desired product outcomes. These key markers describe and quantify the product’s anticipated value, ensuring that the team is always moving in the correct direction.

One aspect to consider is the tangible, financial qualities, including measures such as IRR (internal rate of return), ROI (return on investment), TCO (total cost of ownership), and EVA (economic value added). Value, though, is about more than money; it is also about intangible aspects, such as user experience, joy, belonging, convenience, sense of well being, trust, alignment to strategy, upsell potential, or brand projection. These intangibles can often be as or more important than tangible value qualities, such as cost or profit margins. Though these intangible considerations are more elusive to measure, they can be quantified by accounting for uncertainty and risk. (For more on this, we recommend Hubbard’s How to Measure Anything).

One of the ways to uncover both tangible and intangible value is to have the product partners explore and share their own value considerations. A value consideration is some variable that is used when assessing the value of your product options. For example, the customer partners might include safety or a convenient-to-use product among their value considerations. Business partners (the people sponsoring the product’s development) might be most concerned about market positioning or protecting the company’s reputation. The technology partners (those who build the product) might be more interested in feasibility and compatibility with existing and future architecture. Making all of these varied (and often competing) value considerations transparent is crucial for making good decisions.

Identify Potential Hazards

Another aspect to consider when making value decisions is risk. Like value, risks change with time and can impede, mitigate, or even obviate delivered value. These risks include rework (if the wrong thing is delivered or technical debt is incurred), noncompliance, opportunity cost, and more. We recommend you consider risks along the same categories as we consider product partners: customer, business and technology.

Dependencies—product and project, internal and external—also constrain product decisions. For example, the partners need to understand the consequences of deviating from an optimal sequence, in both time and cost.

Plot the Preliminary Route

With the guideposts of vision, goals, and objectives in sight, and a clear view of all the tangible and intangible value considerations, the product partners can select the best set of high-value product features (options) for the next planning horizon. (In our second article in this series we define options and describe how teams discover them for all 7 Product Dimensions.) To do this, they consider the costs, benefits, risks, dependencies, and value considerations of each option. They then adjust each option’s value up or down accordingly, always ensuring the option is aligned with the product’s vision, goals and objectives.

Together, the desired outcomes, value considerations, benefits, and risks make up the business value model for a product. The product partners use the value model during discovery and delivery to guide their decisions. In the next article in this series we’ll describe how the partners plan collaboratively, choosing decision-making rules and the timing of the decisions, favoring the last responsible moment.

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Adjust Course As Needed

Discovering value isn’t a one-and-done activity. The product partners repeat the process at every planning horizon: the long-term (Big-View), the interim-term (Pre-View), and the short-term (Now-View). Throughout the product’s lifecycle, the partners stay alert to changes in market conditions, availability of resources, costs of delay, etc., and their potential impact on the product, modifying the business value model as needed.

After each delivery cycle, the partners determine if what was delivered actually realizes the anticipated value. This comparison may uncover gaps to be addressed in future releases. Though the Lean Startup movement has made this seem like a new concept, we’ve long had a name for it in requirements engineering: validation. In Discover to Deliver, we call it “confirm to learn.”

Ensure Optimal Visibility

Before value can drive decisions, it must be defined, visible, and well understood by all concerned. Teams need to understand what value means through the eyes of the stakeholders—the product partners from business, customer, and technology. They can then view potential product options (requirements) in the context of these values to choose the most valuable set of features for each release.

When was the last time you collaboratively discussed and purposefully validated your value assumptions? Take some time in your next planning session to honestly and transparently define your product’s value, so that value truly becomes the driving force behind your product decisions.

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References:
Gottesdiener, Ellen and Mary Gorman. Discover to Deliver: Agile Product Planning and Analysis. EBG Consulting, 2012.
Hubbard, Douglas. How to Measure Anything: Finding the Value of Intangibles in Business. 3rd edition, Wiley, 2014.
SAVE International. Value Standard and Body of Knowledge. June 2007. Available online here.

Paint a Picture of Your Project Results

Written by Kupe Kupersmith on . Posted in Articles. 1 Comment on Paint a Picture of Your Project Results

You have heard over and over that you need a large toolbox so that you can grab the right tool for each situation. In addition, you need to be creative and use some of your tools that were intended for one purpose for a different one. For example, using a screw driver to open a paint can. Definitely not the inventor’s intention, but it works. Over the past few weeks a number of things have led me to thinking about how teams can do a better job helping their business stakeholders elevate the conversation from a solution to desired business outcomes. You need to help them get clarity around the problem or opportunity they are trying to solve and more importantly the outcomes or results they want. This is not always easy as you know. I thought of a tool normally used to help build a companies envisioned future. Why just used it at the highest level? Why not use it for every project?

A common scenario for many of you is your team is handed a solution from the business and they want you to implement it. As someone that has been practicing business analysis you know you need to understand their problem, needs, and desired outcomes. You have already implemented solutions that your stakeholder wanted just to find out it was not what they needed. I heard a speaker the other day joke about how he has built over $10,000,000 of “shelfware”! You know you have to get to the why. But, jumping in with both feet and asking why 5 times can end up putting the stakeholder on the defense or feeling frustrated with you for thinking they did not already have this idea fleshed out. Instead of jumping in with the “5 Whys” I try to put things back on me. To start the conversation I say something like “most likely we can deliver that. First help me understand how I know my team will be successful if we implement that solution.” I quickly get to questions that help answer what success looks like once implemented. I don’t jump in trying to get SMART goals/objectives yet. That is important and needed, just not yet. I want them to paint a picture for me of what life is like once we implement a solution. And this is where you can use a tool for its unattended purpose.

From the Jim Collin’s Vision Framework you could use the steps to helping define vivid descriptions of what a company’s future looks like. Over the past few years I have done work with helping define my company’s and other organizations’ vision using the Jim Collin’s Framework. Defining vivid descriptions is always my favorite part of the process because you have to be able to visualize the picture you are trying to paint. If you close your eyes you can actually see the vivid description come to life! And, all team members can see it too, helping to make sure everyone is headed for the same goal. Here is part of the definition that explains what it is.

Vivid Description. …an envisioned future needs what we call vivid description – that is, a vibrant, engaging, and specific description of what it will be like to achieve the BHAG (Big Hairy Audacious Goal). Think of it as translating the vision from words into pictures, of creating an image that people can carry around in their heads. It is a question of painting a picture with your words. Picture painting is essential for making the 10-to-30-year BHAG tangible in people’s minds.

For an example, here is Sony’s Vivid Description in the 1950’s:

We will create products that become pervasive around the world.… We will be the first Japanese company to go into the U.S. market and distribute directly.… We will succeed with innovations that
U.S. companies have failed at – such as the transistor radio.… Fifty years from now, our brand name will be as well-known as any in the world…and will signify innovation and quality that rival the most innovative companies anywhere.… “Made in Japan” will mean something fine, not something shoddy.

When defining a vivid description for your project’s outcomes you should use the questions below that Jim Collin’s outlines in his framework:

To be a good vivid description you need to answer yes to these questions:

  1. Does the Vivid Description conjure up pictures and images of what it will be like to achieve your vision? If the vivid description does not create a clear picture in your mind’s eye, then it is not vivid enough.
  2. Does it use specific, concrete examples and analogies to bring the vision to life, rather than bland platitudes?
  3. Does it express passion, intensity, and emotion?
  4. When reading the vivid description, do you think, “Wow, it would be really fantastic to make all this happen. I would really want to be a part of that, and I’m willing to put out significant effort to realize this vision!”?

The last one is the one I like most. You need full engagement from the team to be successful. Just having an objective of increase sales by 20% is so blah and does not really get people excited. Now you do need to get to some measureable results. Just get there by discussing the vivid description of what success looks like.

All the best,
Kupe

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Effective Communication Versus Noise

Written by Alsie Borromeo-Salvador on . Posted in Articles.

alsi Apr1How would you respond to a stakeholder who avoids voicing out concerns plainly because he is afraid to create noise?

In an IT solutions organization stakeholders span a broad range: from business analysts, project managers, and customer service support personnel to quality assurance engineers. Depending on the organizational structure, one stakeholder may wear different hats. Reality bites – silos block communication channels between key players.

It is never wrong to share one’s ideas. Voicing out one’s stand does not mean that he tells everyone that what he thinks is the best way to go. In fact, the act of speaking up takes a lot of effort. It entails research, rational thinking, and courage! Therefore, it is not fair regard the act of collaborating as creating “noise”.

As a Business Analyst, it can be beyond our role to break walls. It is a leap of faith to share a piece of the stage for the sake of delivering a “quality” product. Over the years, it has been evident that sharing ideas, imparting the solutions from top of head and providing answers to questions sharpen the saw of an individual.

Healthy discussion(s) that facilitates team collaboration results to the following:

  1. Deeper understanding of functionality
  2. Beefing up of communication skills
  3. Increases confidence
  4. Establishment of good working relationship (infinite benefit which will definitely be a savior during crunch time)

Inspired by the following:

Foster a collaborating environment and smack down the thinking – “I’ll just create noise when I say this”.

This article communicates personal views of the author and has nothing to do with the organization to which she belongs.

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