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.They also deal with sensitive issues and may find themselves in the midst of tension and disagreement.To succeed as a business analyst you need to be able to separate feedback about your documents and ideas from feedback about you personally.While the business analyst in our sample work day at first hesitated to bring up the touchy issue with the architect, she was able to get past her initial fear of the architect’s reaction.As a result, the short conversation directly impacted the effectiveness of her meeting.Of course, her approach could have backfired, and the architect could have given the business analyst some negative feedback or decided to go on and on about the issue.The business analyst put the quality of the meeting ahead of her own ego and asked the question.This is an example of having a thick skin.Below are some indications that you have a thick skin:When someone points out a mistake you made, do you seek to find the root cause and resolve it promptly? (Alternatively, if your skin needs thickening, you might spend more time worrying about the mistake and less time fixing it.)When a document you created is reviewed by others, do you hope for feedback so that you can make it better? (Alternatively, if your skin needs thickening, you might await feedback anxiously and second-guess every one of your reviewers.)Can you recall an experience when your idea was rejected and you willingly went along with the new idea because you agreed that it was better?Even if you do not currently have a thick skin, it can be cultivated over time.Being aware of your sensitivities and how they might impact your business analysis work is the first step toward working past them so that you can accept feedback more openly, objectively, and graciously.Driving ImprovementsWhile business analysts are not usually decision-makers, they still fill critical leadership roles on projects.Business analysts drive change, overcome resistance, and keep projects moving forward.The business analyst must keep the goal of the project in perspective and align their efforts as well as the efforts of the project’s stakeholders toward that goal.Business analysts are regularly in the unique position to see positive outcomes and help project sponsors and other stakeholders buy into the possibilities enabled by change.Throughout the entire business analysis process, the analyst must also keep the project moving forward, unfailingly transforming ambiguity into clarity.As a business analyst, you may find yourself facing resistance to change from one or more stakeholder groups on your project.Resistance can be passive, such as a stakeholder withholding critical information that is needed to identify the requirements for a project.Resistance can also be active, such as a stakeholder moving forward with a different approach than the one that the team has agreed to.A strong business analyst is aware of all kinds of resistance and uses a number of techniques to bring all of the project stakeholders into alignment.Business analysts also anticipate resistance and take proactive actions to effect buy-in early in their projects.I once worked with a project manager who had tremendous skills in this area.The executive leadership had decided to build a new online portal for use by their customers.In another office, there were stakeholders from four different departments that interacted with these customers.The executives did not directly involve the directors of these departments in their decision to fund the project.Moreover, there was a history of these stakeholders directly and indirectly resisting technology and process changes.The project manager’s first step was to meet with these stakeholders and describe the executive vision.She took care to frame the vision in such a way that emphasized the benefits to members of the four teams.Then she shifted the discussion and sought to understand the stakeholders’ frustrations with the current processes.Finally, she suggested many adjustments to the scope of the project so that the stakeholders’ frustrations were addressed while still fulfilling key elements of the executive vision.As a result, we experienced unprecedented buy-in and engagement from these four departments, and the project proceeded rather smoothly.Below are some signs that driving improvements is a strength for you:Can you see a future that’s better than what exists today? Can you effectively describe a future that does not yet exist to others?Do you help others see the benefits of embracing change?Do you actively seek to understand why others might resist change and take proactive steps to confirm their buy-in?Do you find ways to keep your projects moving forward?Do your projects and efforts tend to fulfill your sponsor’s original vision and goals?CommunicatingBusiness analysts must be powerful communicators.This means that they can facilitate working meetings, ask insightful questions, listen to the answers (really listen), and absorb what is being said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]