Faye Thompson from CareWorks Tech presented on how great business analysts think like "freaks" by adopting unconventional approaches. She discussed techniques like thinking like a child by asking simple questions, ignoring boundaries to fully understand problems, learning what truly motivates people through experiments, considering opportunity costs over concrete costs, and being willing to admit what you don't know. The presentation emphasized that these "freak" thinking methods are simple but rarely used.

1. BT10
Session
6/9/16 3:00 PM
Great Business Analysts "Think Like a
Freak"
Presented by:
Faye Thompson
CareWorks Tech
Brought to you by:
350 Corporate Way, Suite 400, Orange Park, FL 32073
888---268---8770 ·· 904---278---0524 - info@techwell.com - http://www.techwell.com/

2. Faye Thompson
CareWorks Tech
With more than eighteen years of project delivery experience, Faye Thompson,
JD, PSMI, is a senior agile consultant with CareWorks Tech. Focusing on agile
methodologies and continuous improvement, she has had a positive impact in
the financial services, healthcare, advertising, and automotive industries.
Passionate about using innovative solutions to drive business value, Faye helps
workgroups transform into highly engaged and energized teams. She enjoys
serving on the board of directors for the Central Ohio Agile Association,
volunteering as an instructor and emergency medical responder for the American
Red Cross, and spending time with her husband and two dogs.

3. 6/2/16
1
Great BAs Think Like Freaks
Faye Thompson, JD, PSM I
9 June 2016
IT by way of
InternaFonal
RelaFons,
Economics and Law
Avid wineau and dog lover
Worked on agile
teams since 2006
Amateur Chef
Voluntarism
Evangelist
SFll check books out of the
library
Background
Red Cross
Central Ohio Agile
AssociaFon
BriFsh Sheep Farm

4. 6/2/16
2
Inspira(on

5. 6/2/16
3
Think like a child
• Share your wildest ideas
• Ask the small quesFons
• Don’t be afraid of the obvious
Think like a child

6. 6/2/16
4
Think like a child
Think like a child

7. 6/2/16
5
Ignore Boundaries
Make sure you’re not just aXacking the
noisy part of the problem
Ignore Boundaries
Yes, and

8. 6/2/16
6
Ignore Boundaries
Ignore Boundaries
• Use experiments to determine moFvaFon
• Mind the gap of ‘declared preferences’ v.
‘revealed preferences
Learn what mo(vates people

9. 6/2/16
7
Learn what mo(vates people
As a (who)
I want (what)
So that I can (why)
Ignore Boundaries
Learn what mo(vates people

10. 6/2/16
8
Ignore Boundaries
Learn what mo(vates people
Ignore Boundaries
Project Team Charter
Learn what mo(vates people

11. 6/2/16
9
Consider the Upside of QuiAng
Know the value of concrete costs v.
opportunity costs
Consider the Upside of QuiAng

12. 6/2/16
10
Consider the Upside of QuiAng
Value ProposiFon Canvas
Consider the Upside of QuiAng
Celebrate failure

13. 6/2/16
11
Learn to say, ‘I don’t know.’
Be willing to point out when there are gaps
in understanding
Learn to say, ‘I don’t know.’

14. 6/2/16
12
Thinking like a Freak is simple enough
that anyone can do it. What’s
perplexing is that so few people do.
Con(nue the Conversa(on
Faye Thompson, JD, PSMI
@agilefaye
h"ps://www.linkedin.com/in/fayethompson
Faye.Thompson@careworkstech.com