Cecilie Hoffman Business Analyst World 2010 Nov 19, 2010

Exploring Personal Qualities of the Successful

BA

Cecilie Hoffman

Business Analyst World 2010Nov 19, 2010

2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas 2

32010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas

Business Analysis Body of Knowledge

Elicitation

Business Analysis

Planning and Monitoring

Requirements Management

and Communications

Underlying Competencies

Requirements Analysis

Enterprise

Analysis

Solution Assessment

and Validation


BA BoK – Underlying CompetenciesBehavioral

characteristics

Interaction skills

Analytical thinking and

problem solving

Leadership

Business knowledg

e

Software applications

Influence and motivation

skills

Communication skills


Communication Hub

Business

Analyst

Project Managers

Designers /Developers

Customers / Clients

End Users

Architects

Quality Assurance

CustomerRelationship

Manager

Stakeholders

6

Leave your ego at the door

Authority is 20% given and

80% taken – take it!

If you don't fail on occasion, you

aren't trying hard enough

Integrity is telling yourself

the truth, honesty is telling

it to others

Acknowledge people


Principles

7

Practices – what to do’s – a situation-based customary way of operation or behavior

Principles – why to do’s – have universal application

When principles are internalized into habits, they empower people to create a wide variety of practices to deal with different situations.

Source: Steven Covey


Principles vs. Practices


Principle 1.

Leave your ego at the door


If you are the BA, asking questions is your job.

10

Admit you don’t know, ask for input

Show work at early stagesget the incremental feedback

Ask the crazy-as-a-fox stupid questions

Humility is a strength, it gives you resilience


Don’t let your ego get between you and information


Principle 2.

Authority is 20% given and 80% taken

- Peter Ueberroth


Approach problems “top down” and “bottom up”


“Just-in-time” agendas

A I D: actions, issues, decisions

Manage the Meetings

The person taking the minutes is the

most powerful person in the room!

14

No success criteria?

Talk to the people you need to talk to Don’t wait for permission, ask for forgiveness


More Initiative

• Drive top down for cost savings or cost avoidance

• Drive bottom up with use cases and try to quantify


Principle 3.

Integrity is telling yourself the truth; honesty is telling

the truth to other people. - Spencer Johnson


Architects and business people talk to BAs about possible changes in direction

QA folk and developers tell BAs “interesting” information

Users gripe freely in our presence

. . . we know what’s going on.

BAs are trusted

17

Someone has to say what needs to be said

Bad news is best presented early It will always surface eventually Give managers a chance to do the right thing

Seek guidance, avoid laying blame

Remind people of assumptions made


Speak truth to power


Principle 4.

If you don’t fail once in a while,

you aren’t trying hard enough


Acknowledge that you may have gone too far

Verify the goal is shared, then ask for another way to achieve the goal

Don’t get defensive! Gracefully deflect the barbs

If your initiative backfires

20

Learn from the failure – nothing ventured, nothing gained!

Accept that sometimes the best you can do is strive to do your best

Good judgment comes from experience.Experience comes from bad judgment.

- Jim Horning, ACM Fellow


In difficult situations


Principle 5.

Acknowledge peopleRecognize the efforts that no one else sees, or that everyone takes for granted


Three ways to acknowledge people

Direct communication to the person

Message to the manager

Company-sponsored recognition award

23

Personalize itBe specific: What did you need? What did the person do?

Keep it simple◦ eCards ◦ Virtual or real tasty treats◦ Small, silly inexpensive gift


Acknowledgement and recognition builds relationships and trust


Back to the BA BoK . . .

Elicitation

Business Analysis

Planning and Monitoring

Requirements Management

and Communications

Underlying Competencies

Requirements Analysis

Enterprise

Analysis

Solution Assessment

and Validation

25

Humility

Initiative

CourageIntegrity

Empathy


Personal Attributes? Skills ?

26

Humility Leave your ego

at the door

InitiativeAuthority is 20% given

and80% taken –

take it!

CourageIf you don't

fail on occasion, you aren't trying hard enough

Integrity is telling

yourself the truth, honesty

is telling it to others

EmpathyAcknowledge

people


Principles

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Cecilie Hoffman Business Analyst World 2010 Nov 19, 2010