The implications of Emotion in Business Analysis and Requirements Gathering

1. The Emotion Side of Business Analysis
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Unearthing Information hidden within Enterprise Stakeholders’ Hearts and Souls

2. Context
• A recent article by Anne Kreamer in the Harvard
Business Review (HBR) was titled ”How One CEO
Grows Her Business with Feeling”
• This is a list of important statements found in the
article:
– “Successful Social Entrepreneurship Combines Mind and
Heart”
– “Emotion Creates a Common Language”
– “Emotion Attracts Good People”
– “Emotion Inspires Ongoing Development and Builds
Community”
– “Managing Emotion Effectively Keeps Business On Track”
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3. Context
• In the execution of their tasks, Business
Analysts are often confronted with challenges
that can be attributed to the manifestation of
“Emotion” throughout an organization.
• Overcoming Emotion based challenges
directly contributes to realizing the HBR’s 5
statements listed on the previous slide.
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4. Context
• Pragmatic Cohesion has formulated a framework for
Business Analysis called the Business Analysis Compass
• The Business Analysis Compass includes a Thinking
Perspective called the Holistic Perspective
• The Holistic Perspective is very well defined by Dr.
Harold Kurstedt. His work on the subject is a primary
reference.
• The Holistic Perspective helps in understanding and
approaching “Emotion” and its manifestations
throughout an organization
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5. Context
• The side of the Business Analysis Compass
that is most impacted by emotion is
Requirements Gathering
• We stipulate that Business Analysts should
conduct Requirements Gathering activities
that incorporate a proper understanding and
application of the Holistic Perspective
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6. Context
• BAs during Requirements Gathering primarily
focus on capturing from various stakeholders
Process Flows, System Components, Activities,
and Resources for an existing or future system
or process.
• There are very well documented
Requirements Gathering tools crafted to that
end (See BABOK®)
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7. Holistic Perspective and Requirements
Gathering
• The Holistic Perspective reminds BAs that they
must equally understand:
– The Soul of an organization: “Its spirit…The spirit
inspires enthusiasm, devotion, commitment,
dedication, and a regard for the honor and the
values of the group”
– The organization ultimate Purpose or Essence:
“look beyond the physical into what the workers,
machines, and products are, what they do, and
what they do it for”
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8. Holistic Perspective and Requirements
Gathering
• The Holistic Perspective reminds BAs that they
must be able to: “
– Read between the lines
– Interpret empty space (blank space on a page or
silence in discussion)
– Understand the flow and feeling of a single line,
word, or image
– Realize [Perceive] the meaning or essence of a
system”
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9. Holistic Perspective and Requirements
Gathering
• The Holistic Perspective reminds BAs that Requirements
Gathering sessions:
– Must “include everyone (or their representative) who will gain
or lose by:
• one alternative being selected or ranked over another
• [or one Requirement being included or formulated a certain way].”
(Brackets added)
– Are “meetings of the right people with mutual respect, good
communications, a good process for participation, and a shared
purpose.”
– Are “A group of human minds [who] can consider things no
analytic model can and the group can render a synergistic
answer…Synergy is what you get when the holistic perspective
is working. In synergy the whole is greater than the sum of its
parts.”
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Cohesion Consulting
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