5 things all business analysts should know. Delivered to IIBA professional day in Melbourne October 2019

1. 5 things every
Business Analyst
should know
Business Analyst Professional Day
24th October 2019
craig@everest.engineering

2. What can we do with
2 hours?

3. 0. The context
1. Planning for success
2. Understanding Value
3. Modelling Problems and Solutions
4. Measuring Progress & Making an Impact
5. Feedback systems
Table of contents

4. A story
How did we end up here?

5. 0. The context
1. Planning for success
2. Understanding Value
3. Modelling Problems and Solutions
4. Measuring Progress & Making an Impact
5. Feedback systems
Table of contents

6. “Having lost sight of our
objective, we redoubled our
efforts.”
Planning for success
Charles Granger, HBR 1964

7. Learning Objective
Be able to plan your contribution
to creating valuable outcomes
Understanding Value

8. Planning
What, Who, When, How, Why
Planning for success

9. Activity (What)
1. Map the Value stream your work contributes to.
2. Mark up high leverage points that will make the best impact
3. Note the action that could be taken to improve things
Planning for success

10. Activity (What)
1. Map the Value stream your work contributes to.
2. Mark up high leverage points that will make the best impact
3. Note the action that could be taken to improve things
Planning for success

12. Activity (Who)
1. List the stakeholders to your project/initiative
2. Identify their stake, their goals and their fears
3. Note who is aligned and in conflict with your project goals
Planning for success

13. Activity (When)
Given the motivations of your customers, organisation,
stakeholders, which is the right move to make now?
Why this one?
Why now?
What are the implications of this?
Planning for success

14. Activity (How)
Where does your project sit
in this landscape?
Diagnose the context & plan
accordingly
Planning for success

15. Activity (Why)
1. What is the story you will tell to enlist people on this journey?
2. What is the story you will tell to align people’s vision?
3. What is the story people will share after your project is done?
Planning for success

16. Reflection
What insight did this activity
generate?
How will you change your practice?
Planning for success

17. 0. The context
1. Planning for success
2. Understanding Value
3. Modelling Problems and Solutions
4. Measuring Progress & Making an Impact
5. Feedback systems
Table of contents

18. I am rare, and there is value
in all rarity; therefore, I
am valuable.
Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World
Understanding Value

19. Learning Objective
Be able to consistently speak
clearly about value that you are
creating.
Understanding Value

20. A taxonomy
What are you
working on
today?
Use this model
to describe the
value.

21. A reflection
What value does this workshop
provide for you?
What is the Value of this IIBA
professional day to you?
What is the value of the IIBA
to you?
What is the value of your
project to the target users?
What is the value of your
project to your employer?
What value do various
stakeholders get from this
project?
What value do you provide to
your team?

22. A reflection
What value does this workshop
provide for you?
What is the Value of this IIBA
professional day to you?
What is the value of the IIBA
to you?
What is the value of your
project to the target users?
What is the value of your
project to your employer?
What value do various
stakeholders get from this
project?
What value do you provide to
your team?

23. Activity
Tell your value story
Understanding Value

24. Reflection
1. What insight did this activity
generate?
2. How will you change your practice?
Planning for success

25. 0. The context
1. Planning for success
2. Understanding Value
3. Modelling Problems and Solutions
4. Measuring Progress & Making an Impact
5. Feedback systems
Table of contents

26. This modeling thing, it's
pretty easy, but actually
it's also really tough.
Cara Delevingne
Modeling

27. Learning Objective
Develop an understanding of the
strengths and weaknesses of
different modelling techniques
and how they help teams succeed.
Modeling

28. Discussion
Where is the boundary between
problem and solution?
Modeling

29. All models are wrong
but some are useful.
George Box
Modeling

30. All models
are wrong
Model
Storming
Model the
problem
+
=
+
Great
Modeling

31.  A day in the life
 Activity diagram
 Class diagram
 Concept maps
 Context diagram
 Communication flow
 Component diagram
 Data models
 Flowchart
 Lists
 Mind maps
 Narratives
 Object diagram
 Process model
 RACI
 Relationship
diagrams
 Sketching Screens
 State diagram
 Stories
 Story maps
 Time sequences
 Use Cases
 User Journey
 User stories
 Venn diagrams
What are the
strengths and
weaknesses of
each of these
models?

32. All models
are wrong
Model
Storming
Model the
problem
+
=
+
Great
Modeling

33. Remember, BA is also the
abbreviation for band-aid.
Scott Amlbler
Modeling

34. Model Storming
Collaborative
Brief
Just in time
AgileModeling.com

35. Agile Modeling
Effective Practices
for Modeling and
Documentation
AgileModeling.com

37. All models
are wrong
Model
Storming
Model the
problem
+
=
+
Great
Modeling

38. Love the problem, not
the solution.
Ash Maurya

39. What are we trying to
do with a model?
Let’s discuss

41. All models
are wrong
Model
Storming
Model the
problem
+
=
+
Great
Modeling

42. 0. The context
1. Planning for success
2. Understanding Value
3. Modelling Problems and Solutions
4. Measuring Progress & Making an Impact
5. Feedback systems
Table of contents

43. It’s 2011…
“I am on a drug – it's
called Charlie Sheen. It's not
available because if you try it,
you will die. Your face will melt
off and your children will weep
over your exploded body.”

44. It’s 2011…
#tigerblood

45. It’s 2019 now
and things are
much more mature

47. JTBD
Activity

48. Impact Mapping
Activity

49. 0. The context
1. Planning for success
2. Understanding Value
3. Modelling Problems and Solutions
4. Measuring Progress & Making an Impact
5. Feedback systems
Table of contents

50. I can grow as a leader only if
I'm willing to accept feedback.
Jennifer Hyman
Feedback

51. Learning Objective
Recognize the feedback systems we
have today and take action to
improve them.
Feedback

52. We all know how important
feedback is on the products and
services we create.
Feedback

53. We can probably do better
measuring them.
Feedback

54. But, today…
Feedback

55. When was the last time you got
feedback on your performance?
Let’s look at feedback on our personal
performance

56. Activity
Write down the last three pieces
of professional feedback you
received.
Feedback

58. Activity
Sketch a framework for where you
can reach deeper for feedback.
Feedback

59. When do we take on feedback &
When do we ignore it?
Own your own feedback.

60. 0. The context
1. Planning for success
2. Understanding Value
3. Modelling Problems and Solutions
4. Measuring Progress & Making an Impact
5. Feedback systems
Table of contents