1. Cecilie Hoffman Business Analyst World 2010 Nov 19, 2010

2. 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas2

3. 3 Elicitation Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Requirements Management and Communications Underlying Competencies Requirements Analysis Enterprise Analysis Solution Assessment and Validation

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5. 5 Business Analyst Project Managers Designers / Developers Customers / Clients End Users Architects Quality Assurance Customer Relationship Manager Stakeholders 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas

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7.  Practices – what to do’s – a situation-based customary way of operation or behavior  Principles – why to do’s – have universal application When principles are internalized into habits, they empower people to create a wide variety of practices to deal with different situations. Source: Steven Covey 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas7

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9. 9 If you are the BA, asking questions is your job.

10.  Admit you don’t know, ask for input  Show work at early stages get the incremental feedback  Ask the crazy-as-a-fox stupid questions  Humility is a strength, it gives you resilience 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas10

11. 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas11 - Peter Ueberroth

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13.  “Just-in-time” agendas  A I D: actions, issues, decisions 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas13 The person taking the minutes is the most powerful person in the room!

14.  No success criteria?  Talk to the people you need to talk to Don’t wait for permission, ask for forgiveness 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas14 Drive top down for cost savings or cost avoidance Drive bottom up with use cases and try to quantify

15. 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas15 - Spencer Johnson

16.  Architects and business people talk to BAs about possible changes in direction  QA folk and developers tell BAs “interesting” information  Users gripe freely in our presence... we know what’s going on. 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas16

17.  Someone has to say what needs to be said  Bad news is best presented early  It will always surface eventually  Give managers a chance to do the right thing  Seek guidance, avoid laying blame  Remind people of assumptions made 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas17

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19.  Acknowledge that you may have gone too far  Verify the goal is shared, then ask for another way to achieve the goal  Don’t get defensive! Gracefully deflect the barbs 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas19

20.  Learn from the failure – nothing ventured, nothing gained!  Accept that sometimes the best you can do is strive to do your best Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment. - Jim Horning, ACM Fellow 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas20

21. Recognize the efforts that no one else sees, or that everyone takes for granted 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas21

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23.  Personalize it Be specific: What did you need? What did the person do?  Keep it simple ◦ eCards ◦ Virtual or real tasty treats ◦ Small, silly inexpensive gift 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas23

24. 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas24 Elicitation Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring Requirements Management and Communications Underlying Competencies Requirements Analysis Enterprise Analysis Solution Assessment and Validation

25. 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas25

26. 2010 BA World Conference - Las Vegas26

27. cecilie.hoffman@comcast.net Want a license for yourself? The template is on http://www.balsamfir.com