Notes

Similar to the conceptual modeling skills is communicating various levels of detail appropriate to the audience. This can be especially difficult when you have various stakeholder needs on the team or in the meeting, and many times multiple views is needed to ensure the right message is communicated to all audience needs. Where I see the gap today is details are not organized to be digestible and understandable to many audiences and there may be a lack of conceptual and context to accompany the details. Without the concept and context information, the details - even when well organized - may not be understood or thought of in with the frame of mind that the BA needs from the stakeholders. Rethink requirements packaging, does the same document need to go out to everyone? Or, can each audience be given a guide as to which pages/sections are most pertinent to them? Just a few ideas to help stakeholders consume what is important to them.

4) Decomposing the Abstract into Details
I have to call this out separately from Conceptual Modeling and Communicating Details and Concepts. The same themes are in play, but yet executed a bit differently and in different scenarios. Decomposing the abstract into details is also referred to as "critical thinking" and sometimes "system thinking"; taking something large, ambiguous, and abstract and breaking into smaller pieces, patterns, and views. It is about helping others see the details and big picture from different perspectives, helping stakeholders with varying points of view and priorities see where their details and others fit into the bigger picture. It will also help BAs better estimate and work with PMs on the status and risk of requirements.

BAs are in a prime position to see the details and big picture view; this includes seeing the risks to the project, delivering a solution that does not maximize business value. I find that BAs have an intuitive sense of this, but often struggle to communicate the risk in a way that gets leadership attention. In order to get leadership attention to the business value at risk, BAs will need to develop skills in communicating the true business impact of the risk.


In the heat of requirements and design details, we often let the details drive risk discussions and never get to the bottom line impacts that can really propel leaders to make the right decisions.


The role of a change agent in the BA is critical to ensuring all impacted parties are ready for the changes needed to accept the solution. Understanding how changes and solutions impact the stakeholders operations, processes, attitudes and behaviors is a key skill in maximizing the success of the new solution and the business value it brings. Sometimes the most simple changes impact operations in many various ways

BAs to be agents of change


Have you ever met someone who just loves to shatter dreams by “bringing people back to reality”?

Are you normally the self-proclaimed realist in these situations?

There are a lot of words thrown around to describe this type of person. Pessimistic. Bitter. Jaded. These individuals are often pilloried in movies and decried for their brutal honesty in real life. However, the question that needs to be asked here is if dream-killers and critics are mean-spirited or just individuals who missed their calling as business analysts.


Solving Business Problems through Requirements Management and Development

If you’re a perfectionist with a knack for finding worst-case scenarios in every situation, then this line of work could very well be suited to your liking.