5 Indispensable Reminders For Your Business Analysis Career Development

Every Business Analyst shouldn't forget these 5 important things:?

Reminder #1: People First

In short, putting people first drives business results from start to finish. The ability for a Business Analyst to build and maintain good stakeholder relationships whilst focusing on business goals and objectives during the business analysis activities on an ongoing project is a key BA reminder that cannot be emphasized enough. Stakeholders come first. Very importantly, maintaining the relationship with them is key. Building your soft skills like effective communication skill, empathy, responsiveness, and effective time management skill can all be useful in achieving the People or Stakeholder first agenda.?

Reminder #2: Objectives?

A Business Analyst that gains a clear ability to understand and APPRECIATE the organisations overall plan and objectives will be able to deliver relevant business analysis outputs that benefits the organisation. The BA that only focuses on a detailed level output without the APPRECIATION of the objectives might often fail to deliver business focused expectations. You don't have to like the objectives, it's important to just do your job. Some Business Analysts might have certain bias towards the objective and hence say to themselves: "This is good, but it can be better". If it's not your personal project, simply do what you were asked to do. It's not about you but your client.?

Reminder #3: Tools

Having the ability to apply tools and techniques in the appropriate situations and at the most needed times is a very crucial skill which can make a big difference in the final results achieved. Knowledge is power. A business analyst who has all the knowledge of the various types of approaches, techniques and tools but gets confused as to when to apply them, still has a lot to learn. You need to know when to use certain tools in order to perform within an industry standard. It is normal for bigger organisations to have established BA tools and best practices in place which is often also aligned with the industry standards. It is advisable for every BA to have an active understanding of how to use these BA tools to ensure they have the ability to apply the most current tools where it may be applicable.?

Reminder #4: Code of Ethical Conduct?

Is it true that rules are meant to be broken? Yes or No however we explore ways in which business analysts can demonstrate their professionalism, with a focus on Ethics. The profession of Business Analysis is becoming a very well grounded profession as time goes by. It is becoming vital for every Business Analyst to continuously adhere to the code of ethical conduct and professional standards in order to stay ahead and remain competitive with their professional Business Analysis knowledge and skills. A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold. Both your BA skill set and an honorable reputation are good.

Reminder #5: Team Spirit?

A fresh project that a BA gets involved with, will have different team dynamics and working styles. Every experienced BA can vouch that the ability of a Business Analyst to develop a well nurtured competence to be agile, adaptable and flexible when it comes to the diverse working styles and dynamics that different project team brings, is paramount. Successful Business Analysts all develop this ability to fit into a new team with ease and minimal personal disruption during their careers. Whether you're a lone wolf or not, working with a team is important. Research shows that collaborative problem solving leads to better outcomes. People are more likely to take calculated risks that lead to innovation if they have the support of a team behind them.?It is important for every Business Analyst to never forget these reminders in order to ensure a sustainable career ahead.

~ The BA Priest

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