The Business Analyst as Switzerland

The Business Analyst needs to be Switzerland. You can use terms like agnostic or apolitical, but I think neutral best represents the position a BA needs to maintain and like that little mountainous country of watches and holely cheese tucked in the middle of Europe you need to develop a strategy to retain your independence when surrounded by more powerful and influential forces.

Why is neutrality important? Because a Business Analyst needs a modicum of impartiality so all potential informants feel comfortable and safe when providing them information. This is not an easy task but adhering to the principle of neutrality and maintaining it often is a daily effort. Being impartial is extremely valuable to the success of a BA’s assignment. It means you never judge the message or the messenger, you build trust by not sharing information provided in confidence, you avoid anything that could be construed as an opinion unless it is in the context of a deliverable such as recommendations.

The currency of a Business Analyst is impartiality.? If a BA strays away from their neutrality they risk losing their credibility with their prime informants as well as their sponsors.? It can be a fine line to walk, but the best work is the result of the BA finding ways to keep all their constituencies feeling their needs are being met while producing products that accurately represent the true conditions and circumstances.??

If you are hiring a Business Analyst for work, you want neutrality and honesty that is not unduly influenced by who is paying for the work or writing the checks.? You need to get the most honest appraisal that the BA can provide. The more complete and detailed the work products of the BA are, the lower risk and the higher likelihood of success for your project.??