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Exploring Personal Qualities of the Successful
BA
Cecilie Hoffman
Business Analyst World 2010Nov 19, 2010
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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
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BA BoK – Underlying CompetenciesBehavioral
characteristics
Interaction skills
Analytical thinking and
problem solving
LeadershipBusiness knowledg
e
Software applications
Influence and motivation
skills
Communication skills
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Communication Hub
Business
Analyst
Project Managers
Designers /Developers
Customers / Clients
End Users
Architects
Quality Assurance
CustomerRelationship
Manager
Stakeholders
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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
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
Principles
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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
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
Principles vs. Practices
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Principle 1.
Leave your ego at the door
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If you are the BA, asking questions is your job.
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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
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
Don’t let your ego get between you and information
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Principle 2.
Authority is 20% given and 80% taken- Peter Ueberroth
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Approach problems “top down” and “bottom up”
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“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!
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No success criteria?
Talk to the people you need to talk to Don’t wait for permission, ask for forgiveness
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
More Initiative
• Drive top down for cost savings or cost avoidance
• Drive bottom up with use cases and try to quantify
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Principle 3.
Integrity is telling yourself the truth; honesty is telling
the truth to other people. - Spencer Johnson
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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
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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
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
Speak truth to power
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Principle 4.
If you don’t fail once in a while,
you aren’t trying hard enough
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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
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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
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
In difficult situations
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Principle 5.
Acknowledge peopleRecognize the efforts that no one else sees, or that everyone takes for granted
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Three ways to acknowledge people
Direct communication to the person
Message to the manager
Company-sponsored recognition award
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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
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
Acknowledgement and recognition builds relationships and trust
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242010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
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
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Humility
Initiative
CourageIntegrity
Empathy
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
Personal Attributes? Skills ?
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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
2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas
Principles