Navigating the ‘Next Normal’

By AssistKD's Business Alchemist

For many knowledge workers, the past two years have led to a vast increase in remote working through necessity. With a global pandemic leading to lockdowns and travel bans, the only way to keep working was to think differently, and many organisations quickly and urgently deployed tools enabling their staff to work effectively from home.

While there may have been initial reluctance, many have found that remote working (when done well) can be incredibly effective. Not only this, it’s beneficial for the workers themselves, who no longer need to commute.

As the world starts to emerge from a very difficult two years, many are starting to ask what the ‘next normal’ will look like. Different commentators appear to be landing on different answers to this question with different levels of co-located office work being predicted.

One thing that seems certain is that what was considered a normal ‘office-centric work life’ in 2019 will no longer exist for most—the world has moved on. A more likely pattern will involve a mixture of remote and hybrid working, with co-located meetings being held when they are most valuable.

Online or In Person meetings? 5 Factors to Consider

Business analysis is, at its essence, a people profession. Of course, analysis and requirements are important, but both rely on building relationships with a range of different stakeholders. As a new normal emerges, decisions will need to be made over when to meet in person, and when to meet remotely. What is best will depend on the specific situation and context, but some factors to consider include:

1. Non-verbal feedback and conflict: when meeting in-person, it is much easier to see subtle non-verbal cues such as body language and facial expressions. Even when attendees’ cameras are turned on, it’s much harder to ‘read the room’ in a virtual meeting. This can be overcome, somewhat, by regularly checking-in with attendees. However, in a virtual setting it is still much harder to see when someone is struggling with an idea, is thinking or is disagreeing. Therefore, if the subject-matter of a meeting is likely to be extremely controversial, or there is an an unhelpful power imbalance in the room, an in-person meeting may be preferable.

2. Agenda and techniques: A one-to-one meeting where a BA is asking questions and taking notes can work extremely well in a virtual setting. Well-planned workshops can work extremely well in a virtual setting too. As with any meeting, thought needs to be put into the agenda and the techniques that will be used. Many practitioners use tools such as Mural or Miro to enable collaboration in virtual meetings, however, some techniques will be much harder to replicate in a virtual world. Focusing on the objective of the meeting, drilling down to the techniques to be used, and then determining whether they will be more effective in a virtual or in-person environment can help determine which route is best.

3. Familiarity between stakeholders: It is worth considering how well the attendees of a proposed meeting know each other. Teams that have worked together for years can often work very effectively virtually, even when the subject matter is complicated and controversial. Where existing positive relationships exist, stakeholders will often feel able to raise issues and speak openly. However, if a team has never worked together, planning an in-person ‘kick-off’ meeting may prove to be a sound investment. This provides people with the opportunity to get to know each other and begin to establish rapport, which can then be built upon afterwards with further virtual discussions.

4. Familiarity of subject matter: Another angle worth considering is to what extent the attendees (including the BA) are familiar with the subject matter. Will there be lots of terms that need explaining, and will people be ‘thinking with their pen’ and needing to draw diagrams? This is possible in a virtual environment; however, an old-fashioned whiteboard (and an in-person meeting) might prove the best option.

5. Location, travel, preferences and cost: Last, but by no means least, there are the economic, environmental and convenience factors. If there are four stakeholders, each on a different continent, virtual meetings will probably be the default (unless there is a very good reason to travel). The environmental and financial cost will likely make travelling unattractive. It’s also important to balance the need for an effective meeting against the preferences of those attending. This includes understanding the days when stakeholders are physically in the office, so that their time can be used efficiently.

These five factors provide a starting point when considering whether to run a meeting virtually or in-person.?

One final point to consider is that while the technology used to facilitate the meeting might change, the essence of the BA role does not change at all. While some meetings may be virtual, and some may be in-person, the core BA tools and techniques remain the same. As with any type of meeting, context and preparation are key!