What makes a GOOD Business Analyst Presented by Phil Rich Senior Business Analyst

The Fundamentals Analysis skills Logic skills Customer skills Tool skills Word UML BPMN

Analysis skills

Logic skills

Customer skills

Tool skills

Word

UML

BPMN

Analytical skills Logic skills Customer skills Tool skills Word UML BPMN Career Diversity Journalism (getting the story) Writing Interview skills Customer Service skills Negotiation skills My Fundamentals Body Language skills Psychological skills (personality profiling) Communication Skills Risk analysis skills Change Management skills Methodology Skills QA Skills Time and motion study skills JIT Analysis Skills (Just in time) Research Skills Audit Skills Mentoring Skills

Analytical skills

Logic skills

Customer skills

Tool skills

Word

UML

BPMN

Career Diversity

Journalism (getting the story)

Writing

Interview skills

Customer Service skills

Negotiation skills

Body Language skills

Psychological skills (personality profiling)

Communication Skills

Risk analysis skills

Change Management skills

Methodology Skills

QA Skills

Time and motion study skills

JIT Analysis Skills (Just in time)

Research Skills

Audit Skills

Mentoring Skills

If you can’t interview you can’t get the information If you can’t write you can’t communicate If you can’t write succinctly and explicitly your document will be of less quality – and worse will have less effect If you can’t write QUICKLY you’re already in trouble Journalism & Business Analysis

If you can’t interview you can’t get the information

If you can’t write you can’t communicate

If you can’t write succinctly and explicitly your document will be of less quality – and worse will have less effect

If you can’t write QUICKLY you’re already in trouble

Journalism & Business Analysis Interview skills Know who you are interviewing Either by personality or by position Interview Information recognition Developing an antennae for information Getting the story (the real one) Why hasn’t the problem been fixed before OR what has caused this new problem

Interview skills

Know who you are interviewing

Either by personality or by position

Interview Information recognition

Developing an antennae for information

Getting the story (the real one)

Why hasn’t the problem been fixed before

OR what has caused this new problem

Story Structuring Headline Lead 1 st paragraph outline 2 nd paragraph background Other paragraphs develop the story Final paragraph summarises the story Use OUTLINE mode Keep breaking down the headings until you can’t any more --- you just about have your text. Journalism & Business Analysis

Story Structuring

Headline

Lead

1 st paragraph outline

2 nd paragraph background

Other paragraphs develop the story

Final paragraph summarises the story

Use OUTLINE mode

Keep breaking down the headings until you can’t any more --- you just about have your text.

General document Writing Use ACTIVE voice!!!!! Look out for watch words eg “Will”, “that” – any often used word Write STRONGLY Eg “It is believed due to unusual circumstances this situation has arisen because…” – change to “This situation has likely arisen due to…” Focus on the important wording KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!!!!! Journalism & Business Analysis

General document Writing

Use ACTIVE voice!!!!!

Look out for watch words eg “Will”, “that” – any often used word

Write STRONGLY

Eg “It is believed due to unusual circumstances this situation has arisen because…” – change to “This situation has likely arisen due to…”

Focus on the important wording

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE!!!!!

Business Analysis Writing (Requirements) Waterfall the information Provide a complete background on the subject matter Break down the units of information to granular detail Use a waterfall approach to flowcharts Overview level (executive) Mid-Level (Management) Low-Level (Coal Face) Activity Diagrams to illustrate complexity Journalism & Business Analysis

Business Analysis Writing (Requirements)

Waterfall the information

Provide a complete background on the subject matter

Break down the units of information to granular detail

Use a waterfall approach to flowcharts

Overview level (executive)

Mid-Level (Management)

Low-Level (Coal Face)

Activity Diagrams to illustrate complexity

Understanding the types of requirements User Requirements FPS Requirements SSS Requirements Does your CUSTOMER know the difference? Manage expectations Write a requirement with the TEST already understood Good requirements writing Measureable, testable, explicit, succinct, non-ambiguous Journalism & Business Analysis

Understanding the types of requirements

User Requirements

FPS Requirements

SSS Requirements

Does your CUSTOMER know the difference?

Manage expectations

Write a requirement with the TEST already understood

Good requirements writing

Measureable, testable, explicit, succinct, non-ambiguous

How to learn journalism techniques Books on Journalism (the basics) Books on interviewing Writing magazines Learn Script Writing techniques These will teach story positioning in a given scene Active voice will be forced Learn Advertising copywriting Active and LEAN wording to get a message across DON’T be afraid to mix it up. Journalism & Business Analysis

How to learn journalism techniques

Books on Journalism (the basics)

Books on interviewing

Writing magazines

Learn Script Writing techniques

These will teach story positioning in a given scene

Active voice will be forced

Learn Advertising copywriting

Active and LEAN wording to get a message across

DON’T be afraid to mix it up.

Tips for editing your own work Unless your work has had time to go “cold”, then either: Get a person you respect to edit the work Edit the document yourself…. BACKWARDS! This stops you getting involved with the rhythm of the words Drone the words. Add NO inflection at all. Tips for writing (anything!!) Outline Mode Journalism & Business Analysis

Tips for editing your own work

Unless your work has had time to go “cold”, then either:

Get a person you respect to edit the work

Edit the document yourself…. BACKWARDS! This stops you getting involved with the rhythm of the words

Drone the words. Add NO inflection at all.

Tips for writing (anything!!)

Outline Mode

Research is essential but retrieval is paramount Key word groupings – how you enter information is vital Wikipedia type approach (knowledge base) Thales Intelligence Tool London Bombings Using the information to identify gaps Researching & Business Analysis

Research is essential

but retrieval is paramount

Key word groupings – how you enter information is vital

Wikipedia type approach (knowledge base)

Thales Intelligence Tool

London Bombings

Using the information to identify gaps

Interviewing & Business Analysis Rapport – all important Rapport can be built easily just by observation Eg. Is the office all crowded in, allows a comment like “Boy, I thought my desk was crowded in – how do you guys cope with all the noise?” Expressing REAL sympathy is a valuable tool to establish rapport. If the person is difficult then understand why they are. Most of the time it is because they don't think they’ve been heard. To show they ARE being heard, start using their own words back at them in your questions.

Rapport – all important

Rapport can be built easily just by observation

Eg. Is the office all crowded in, allows a comment like “Boy, I thought my desk was crowded in – how do you guys cope with all the noise?” Expressing REAL sympathy is a valuable tool to establish rapport.

If the person is difficult then understand why they are. Most of the time it is because they don't think they’ve been heard. To show they ARE being heard, start using their own words back at them in your questions.

Find the comfort zones Reflect their language eg lawyers tend to speak formally helpdesk & IT combine IT terms into normal languages eg Interface (with people) Write EVERYTHING down that is said, even if you don’t think what’s been said is important. You’d be surprised where such information comes into it’s own later in a project. Listen for NUANCE!! Interviewing & Business Analysis

Find the comfort zones

Reflect their language eg lawyers tend to speak formally

helpdesk & IT combine IT terms into normal languages eg Interface (with people)

Write EVERYTHING down that is said, even if you don’t think what’s been said is important.

You’d be surprised where such information comes into it’s own later in a project.

Listen for NUANCE!!

Body language & Business Analysis Security investigators (especially in retail) are trained in body language for a reason Look for the eye movements Watch body movements when discussing business functions or activities Discomfort can mean a political situation or lack of confidence in the picture A blocking movement can mean “Don’t go there” BUT body language MUST be read in clusters! How to learn – Books (by Alan Pease) Lie to Me (TV series)

Security investigators (especially in retail) are trained in body language for a reason

Look for the eye movements

Watch body movements when discussing business functions or activities

Discomfort can mean a political situation or lack of confidence in the picture

A blocking movement can mean “Don’t go there”

BUT body language MUST be read in clusters!

How to learn –

Books (by Alan Pease)

Lie to Me (TV series)

Profiling & Business Analysis Profiling is a valuable tool for a BA Learn the behavioural patterns Learn the cultural issues (multicultural users) Profile skill sets (Position Descriptions -> Reviews) Profile business units Profile Enterprise Utilise (or develop) the vision document Business Unit Enterprise Utilise (or develop) the strategy document Business Unit Enterprise

Profiling is a valuable tool for a BA

Learn the behavioural patterns

Learn the cultural issues (multicultural users)

Profile skill sets (Position Descriptions -> Reviews)

Profile business units

Profile Enterprise

Utilise (or develop) the vision document

Business Unit

Enterprise

Utilise (or develop) the strategy document

Business Unit

Enterprise

Just In Time To a Business Analyst At risk of rushed requirements Break up the workload into multi-phase To the end result Identify the low-hanging fruit – Phase 1 Identify the must haves – Phase 2 Identify the nice to haves – Phase 3 Identify the ideal world – Phase 4 JIT & Business Analysis

Just In Time

To a Business Analyst

At risk of rushed requirements

Break up the workload into multi-phase

To the end result

Identify the low-hanging fruit – Phase 1

Identify the must haves – Phase 2

Identify the nice to haves – Phase 3

Identify the ideal world – Phase 4

Set expectations and set boundaries Educate What is the document you’re creating? What is the outcome from this document? Let them know there is an action plan sitting behind the paperwork but the paperwork is necessary What is an FPS? I’ve seen differences of opinion between 3 project offices on a single floor of an org Make sure you DELIVER to the expectation The Customer & Business Analysis

Set expectations and set boundaries

Educate

What is the document you’re creating?

What is the outcome from this document?

Let them know there is an action plan sitting behind the paperwork but the paperwork is necessary

What is an FPS?

I’ve seen differences of opinion between 3 project offices on a single floor of an org

Make sure you DELIVER to the expectation

Managing Change in the organisation Create a vision Sell it Management Coalface Create a Strategy Confirm it Management Coalface Implement it Let the coalface implement it for you (SELL IT!!!) Who Moved My Cheese Change & Business Analysis

Managing Change in the organisation

Create a vision

Sell it

Management

Coalface

Create a Strategy

Confirm it

Management

Coalface

Implement it

Let the coalface implement it for you (SELL IT!!!)

Who Moved My Cheese

Mentor where possible Causes you to consider how you accomplish Forces honest appraisal of your own weaknesses Utilise other experiences Learn from problematic customers Learn from experiences from other organisations Learn from Commercial imperatives Treat each client/customer as a business and ask yourself the following: Should the business be more profitable (Gov Depts still can be)? Should the business goals be customer service focused (not every business should – but most definitely should)? What are the pain points for this business? Why does the business operate – what is the historical context and the imperatives it perceives? How do we improve?

Mentor where possible

Causes you to consider how you accomplish

Forces honest appraisal of your own weaknesses

Utilise other experiences

Learn from problematic customers

Learn from experiences from other organisations

Learn from Commercial imperatives

Treat each client/customer as a business and ask yourself the following:

Should the business be more profitable (Gov Depts still can be)?

Should the business goals be customer service focused (not every business should – but most definitely should)?

What are the pain points for this business?

Why does the business operate – what is the historical context and the imperatives it perceives?

Analytical skills Logic skills Customer skills Tool skills Word UML BPMN Career Diversity Journalism (getting the story) Writing Interview skills Customer Service skills Negotiation skills Questions? Body Language skills Psychological skills (personality profiling) Communication Skills Risk analysis skills Change Management skills Methodology Skills QA Skills Time and motion study skills JIT Analysis Skills (Just in time) Research Skills Audit Skills Mentoring Skills

Analytical skills

Logic skills

Customer skills

Tool skills

Word

UML

BPMN

Career Diversity

Journalism (getting the story)

Writing

Interview skills

Customer Service skills

Negotiation skills

Body Language skills

Psychological skills (personality profiling)

Communication Skills

Risk analysis skills

Change Management skills

Methodology Skills

QA Skills

Time and motion study skills

JIT Analysis Skills (Just in time)

Research Skills

Audit Skills

Mentoring Skills