Consulting Secrets for Business Analysts

Presented at Business Analyst World in Dallas, TX
Co-presenter: Damon Tigart, Project Manager, TransCanada

There is a difference between a great business analyst and a great consultant. Both ask questions, dig for details, and the very best can make a big difference in the workplace. The question is, what are the differences and can I master them? The answer is, “Yes!” Help dispel the idea that Analysts are just order takers that are only seen as being able to capture good notes during meetings. Good analysts drive out the underlying requirements and value proposition while good consultants can use the same analysis and their influence to shape the opinions and actions of people around them.

Come learn how these “soft skills” are used to maximize the beneficial impact while minimizing the divide between Analysis and Consulting. This session will give you practical tips for making an impact that shouldn’t be ignored. If you want to impact your project, team members, stakeholders, and executives, then come to this session. Stop walking into work as an employee and start leading like a consultant!

Learning Objectives
1. Explain how consultants learn to use expectation and perception for managing situations
2. Define “soft skill” techniques you can use for making a bigger impact at work
3. Quantify your skills to make you more marketable

Transcript

1. Consulting Secrets for Business Analysts Jeffrey Davidson & Damon Tigart @JeffreyGoodReq BUSINESS ANALYST WORLD February 3 - 4, 2014 | Dallas, TX
2. Soft Skills Expectation Management For You and Others Quantifying Soft Skills with Bloom’s Taxonomy This Is Easy
3. SOFT SKILLS
4. Soft Skills Working Definition: Things that help you successfully interact with others.
5. Be Engaged
6. To Arrive On Time Is To Be Late
7. Be Prompt
8. Be Professional
9. Be Professional
10. Be Professional
11. Expect the Best
12. “You” Statements
13. Build Excitement
14. Stress & Eustress
15. Approaches •  Collaborative •  Confident •  Honest •  Willing to fail •  Respectful •  Inquisitive •  Decisive •  Team focused
16. I KNOW I HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WHEN ... I hear people want to work with me again
17. I KNOW I HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WHEN ... I hear good things about me from others outside the team
18. I KNOW I HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL WHEN ... I feel true to myself while experiencing the above
19. Who? •  Users •  Development team •  Peers •  Ancillary teams you work with •  Business Executives •  Stakeholders
20. Exercise •  Break into groups of 4 or 5 •  Read scenario •  Collaborate on behaviors and approaches most needed for the scenario •  Present your selections and why your team selected them •  ~10 min
21. EXPECTATION MANAGEMENT (FOR YOU & OTHERS)
22. For You Say what you’re going to do Then freaking do it
23. For You Validate assumptions
24. For You Let people know you are on track to finish
25. For You If you’re going to miss, let people know early!!!!!
26. Others Question •  Ask what others (individuals or team) are going to do •  Ask if they are on track (well before the due date) •  Ask if they could use assistance (well before the due date) •  Ask if they finished (at the due date) •  Ask what the new date / time will be (when the deadline will be missed) +1
27. Others Validate •  Validate assumptions (throughout the time period) •  Never trust a promise when someone was volun-told to perform +2
28. Others Mitigate •  If you have reason to expect a commitment will be missed, develop a contingency •  Identify people possibly impacted by slipped date •  Let people know of the plan before needing to use it +3
29. QUANTIFYING SOFT SKILLS
31. Knowledge •  Observation and recall of information •  Knowledge of dates, events, places •  Knowledge of major ideas •  Mastery of subject matter Question Cues: list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label, collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when, where, etc.
32. Comprehension •  Understanding information •  Grasp meaning •  Translate knowledge into new context •  Interpret facts, compare, contrast •  Order, group, infer causes •  Predict consequences Question Cues: summarize, describe, interpret, contrast, predict, associate, distinguish, estimate, differentiate, discuss, extend
33. Application •  Use information •  Use methods, concepts, theories in new situations •  Solve problems using required skills or knowledge Questions Cues: apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate, show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change, classify, experiment, discover
34. Analysis •  Seeing patterns •  Organization of parts •  Recognition of hidden meanings •  Identification of components Question Cues: analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify, arrange, divide, compare, select, explain, infer
35. Synthesis •  Use old ideas to create new ones •  Generalize from given facts •  Relate knowledge from several areas •  Predict, draw conclusions Question Cues: combine, integrate, modify, rearrange, substitute, plan, create, design, invent, what if?, compose, formulate, prepare, generalize, rewrite
36. Evaluation •  Compare and discriminate between ideas •  Assess value of theories, presentations •  Make choices based on reasoned argument •  Verify value of evidence •  Recognize subjectivity Question Cues assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure, recommend, convince, select, judge, explain, discriminate, support, conclude, compare, summarize
37. THIS IS EASY
38. This is EASY! Use the tools you already have •  Observe
39. This is EASY! Use the tools you already have •  Capture
40. This is EASY! Use the tools you already have •  Continuous analysis
41. This is EASY! Use the tools you already have •  Identify patterns
42. This is EASY! Use the tools you already have •  Plan