This post is going to stretch a metaphor, possibly past breaking point! Stick with it… Daffodils are out. Trees are dressed in blossom. Spring is gradually springing. The promise of new growth and brighter days always has me feeling optimistic, and this year it has triggered some thinking about business analysis professionals and the wider… Read More »Be the whole BA garden
For a business analyst, defining reporting requirements can be a true test of our professionalism. No BA wants to simply take down requests as if stakeholders were ordering a meal. But when it comes to “reports”, it can be difficult to really dig into the underlying need behind any request, and the path of least… Read More »Better reporting requirements
The end of the year is almost upon us! In this post, I’ll be looking back at the past 12 months and reflecting on the highs (and occasional lows!) of 2023. I’ve been keenly aware this year of the value of the relationships in my life. In both my personal and professional worlds, I’ve been… Read More »2023 reflections
Peter Drucker famously wrote that “culture eats strategy for breakfast”. It’s become something of a cliché because, frankly, it’s true! Whatever great plans we think we’re hatching to improve the organisation, its culture will make (or break) our prospects of success! Culture acts as a lens or filter, determining what actually happens and how people… Read More »Culture: the key to successful business change
I was once told by a database engineer that every spreadsheet represented a failure by the organisation to provide appropriate tools. I’m far too much of a fence-sitter to give my unqualified agreement to that statement, but I definitely think he had a point worth considering – particularly for organisations hoping to reduce risk and… Read More »Do you really need that spreadsheet?
Why aren’t more business analysis professionals using fun and exciting techniques with their stakeholders to drive creative thinking? Is our reliance on a limited range of tools reducing the number and quality of ideas? Are we, to put it bluntly, a bit boring? A few years ago, I stumbled on an image of a workshop… Read More »Creative thinking and having more fun
In the coming weeks, my 2-year elected term as IIBA UK’s Communities Director for Wales, the Southwest, and Midlands comes to an end. There’s still lots to do before then, with a great pipeline of events coming up, but I’m also reflecting on the last couple of years leading my local Branch teams, being a… Read More »The end is nigh…
Last week I attended BA Conference Europe 2023 in London. It was a massive event, with around 500 BA professionals, dozens of speakers, and a whole lot going on! Thoughts on the content… With 70 speakers presenting over three days, there was no way to see everything I wanted. However, I was delighted by the… Read More »BA Conference Europe 2023
Many job ads for business analysis roles ask for specialist knowledge. This might be experience within the particular industry, knowledge of the product or business function, or familiarity with particular tools or methods. Yet it is often argued that a great BA can be dropped into any business situation and still be effective – we… Read More »Specialist vs Generalist: is being a good BA enough?
As part of my role volunteering with IIBA UK, I recently hosted an online event exploring the extent to which business analysis professionals need technical knowledge and skills. With over 130 BAs attending, we explored what voices in the BA world are saying (professional bodies, certifications, thought leaders etc.), what recruiters are asking for in… Read More »Technical knowledge for business analysts