The Five Pillars of A Great Business Analyst - V1.0

TheBACoach.
com
presents
5
The
pillars
of a great
business analyst
by Yaaqub Mohamed (Yamo)
www.TheBACoach.com
@TheBACoach
Version 1.0
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Copyright
The Five Pillars of a Great Business Analyst
You’re given the unlimited right to print and distribute this e-book and I
encourage you to share it using the URL www.freebagift.com. However, you
cannot alter it in any way and you may not charge for either the book or the
content within it.
The copyright in this work belongs to Yaaqub Mohamed(Yamo) who is

solely responsible for the content. Please send feedback or questions to
yamo@thebacoach.com or use www.freebagift.com/feedback.
Other copyrights
IIBA®, the IIBA® logo, BABOK® and Business Analysis Body of Knowledge®
are registered trademarks owned by International Institute of Business
Analysis.
GTD® and Getting Things Done® are registered trademarks of David Allen
& Co.
Project whispering is inspired by the book The Project Whisperer by Pam

Stanton and used with her permission
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Acknowledgement and Thanks

To:
This book is dedicated to all the business analysts who love their job, and
are willing to constantly learn and be better analysts.
Special thanks to the following people:
Laura Brandenburg, Adrian Reed, Sabiha Shaikh, Katie Metcalfe, Anam

Shaikh and Karl Wiegers for providing feedback and comments to greatly
improve the content and structure of this book. Doug Goldberg for
pushing me to do some major rewriting.
Extra special thanks to Bennett Mendes and Katie Metcalfe for being
unrelenting supporters of the five pillars project and the podcast/blog.
Howard Podeswa and Karl Wiegers for being great mentors, and inspiring
authors.
My mom Asmathunnisa who taught me how to connect with people,

and instilled values to give back, and my dad Yousuff Mohamed for
exemplifying that there is no substitute for hard work. All my friends (too
many to list here) who have supported all my endeavors, and encouraged
me through this five-pillar project.
Maude Stephany my copyeditor for refining some parts of the content and
doing a fantastic job of editing.
Pam Stanton for sharing her insights on being a project whisperer and
recording an exclusive podcast episode for this book.
#baot and #pmot twitter community for being supportive and

encouraging me to make this project a reality.
My best friend and wife Asma for being a great support, critic, and loving
me unconditionally.

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Contents
4
Introduction
8
Pillar 1 - The Passion
16
Pillar 2 - Adaptive Social Skills
25
Pillar 3 - Recursive Systems Thinking
36
Pillar 4 - Going the Extra Mile
46
Pillar 5 - Peak Productivity
54
Epilogue
56
About Yamo
57
Join the Community

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Introduction
Where are we positioned?
No business needs convincing that improvement and change is an
essential part of its existence. It is becoming increasingly apparent that
change is the most important factor to manage for an enterprise, from
a tactical, strategic and enterprise standpoint. The need to quickly win
over change is often amplified by changing market dynamics and ever
increasing competition.
Due to this push from the changing marketplace dynamics, teams that
are involved in change execution are challenged to use fewer resources
to deliver more in less time. This calls for an increased efficiency in
utilization of all the resources, and lays a greater emphasis on teams to
be more cohesive and to perform at a higher level on the delivery curve.
Business analysts are at the heart of improvement and change in an

organization. A Business Analyst plays a crucial role in a team that
does the analysis, assessment and execution of change – be it process
related, operational and/or technological in nature. Our position
is also increasingly embedded in the growing use of technology in
organizations and it’s inherent complexity in the context of an intricate
business environment.
The position of a business analyst in a team has gone through a gradual

metamorphosis in the past decade. With increased awareness and
realization that a business analyst can be more valuable if leveraged
properly, we are seeing a positive trend on how business analysts are
being perceived in an organization. This is just the beginning of a
paradigm shift; business analysts still have a lot of work to do to be
perceived as a valued part of a team. They must continue to contribute
positively in the teams they work in. Organizations such as the
International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA®) add to the positive
perception of business analysis by increasing awareness and creating
standards.

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Do you recognize this reality?

You are a business analyst assigned to a top priority project for the
current fiscal year, which was envisioned by the management team.
A certain budget is allocated, a project charter created, an initial list
of stakeholders is supplied, and an end date is determined for getting
the requirements signed-off from key stakeholders to begin the
development process. You accept the recurring invite for the weekly or
daily status meeting to provide an ongoing status about the progression
of the project.
You start digging for any documentation that can provide some clues
on the project, you interview the stakeholders, and you observe a few
on how they do certain tasks and perform a process. With some initial
research and analysis, you begin synthesizing process flows, context
diagrams, use cases, conduct a series of JAD sessions with your team
and the first draft of your specs begins to take shape. You love the whole
creative process.
Fast forward a few months, and you are in a high-strung situation. You
are constantly being asked about the sign-off from a stakeholder who is
on vacation or has not yet read your specs completely. The development
team has already started design on some requirements that still need
some clarification and review, because they just can’t wait until sign-off.
A decision on whether an interface is in scope or not due to its feasibility
is still pending because the team that needs to decide this is busy with
another critical project.
After some tussle you make it to sign-off, and during testing some
missing features surface that should have been identified during the
requirements review with the subject matter experts (SME). You
work with the SMEs to create a change request and work towards its
approval, while being pushed by your PM to get the UAT sign-off before
its due date. You engage in some wishful thinking to transition into a
better role, or consider completing your MBA for more meaningful
work than being stuck in this predicament for every project.

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The context for this book

The disjunction between the use of BA tools, techniques, methodologies,
and the intrinsic characteristics of a successful business analysis
practitioner serves as the underlying context for this book.
Time and again, we have seen that project methodologies, BA tools and
techniques don’t always guarantee a project’s success. These are just
means to an end, not a definitive recipe for the success of projects. The
probability of a project being successful is directly proportional to the
caliber of the team executing the project.
In this book I want to focus on the role of a business analyst in a high

caliber team and highlight the characteristics of a great business analyst.
We need great business analysts to execute projects, change businesses,
lead and educate teams, create an atmosphere of trust, and get things
done.
It is a great time to be a business analyst, and also timely to define

the characteristics of a great BA. These characteristics help a business
analyst to vanquish the recurring situation described above. These
characteristics of a great BA are packaged into five pillars and are
closely connected. Together, these pillars create a synergy that makes it
possible for a business analyst to overcome key challenges in projects.
A great BA is someone who aligns well with the tenets as described

in the five pillars elaborated in this book. These are neither academic
guidelines which provide an algorithm for the definition of a great BA,
nor a ranked list of competencies picked through a survey. These five
pillars are what I have observed through repeated patterns of excellence
in projects, in the resolution of crises, in interviewing other business
analysts, and in project situations where people prevailed under the
most demanding of situations.

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A Great Business Analyst ...
1. is passionate about being a business analyst, and goes beyond all

the frustrations involved in the job. This passion is often married with
talent. This is key for being emotionally engaged as a BA.
2. connects with stakeholders at a level that facilitates easier

collaboration, elicits the right information, and influences decisions.
3. has the ability to rise above the intricate low-level details. They see
the big picture and constantly keep an eye on the final outcome. A great
BA is cognizant enough to know how and when to alternate between
these perspectives.
4. can gauge the pulse of the project, its people, and when it is necessary
go the extra mile to make things happen.
5. uses the appropriate context-specific productivity tools and

techniques that will maximize business analysis efforts in a project.
This book elaborates on these five pillars and walks you through the
reasoning of why they are essential. It also provides tips for learning
how to implement them in your role as a BA.
Happy reading, and I wish you ultimate success in your

career!
Yaaqub Mohamed (Yamo).

Your fellow BA,
Host for www.TheBACoach.com

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Pillar 1
The passion…
fueled with talent

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Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion.
- Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
If you don’t like it don’t do it. If you were not made for it don’t do it
either.
Passion is probably the most important ingredient for being a great
business analyst. You need to love every aspect of being a business
analysis practitioner. The ensuing emotional energy due to this passion
is what makes business analysts move forward despite obstacles, deliver
despite impediments, and show up at work despite having demanding
bosses.
At this point you might be wondering, “Isn’t this true for any profession?”
It absolutely is. However, over the course of walking you through this
pillar, I want to strengthen your passion dimension in the context of
being a business analyst. I want to focus on Why BAs love being BAs. In
this section, I will also draw on my own reasons. In addition to this, I also
want to illustrate the power of how having the right talent can be highly
conducive to performing the role of a business analyst.
The breed of passionate business analysts

Passionate business analysts can immediately explain the specifics of their
job that make them love it. They get enthused and charged while talking
about it, and always look forward to taking their passion at work to the
next level. They consider their jobs to be a source of great enjoyment,
interest, and an ongoing pursuit of positive engagement and contribution.
At this point, if you are wondering, I am not attempting to paint a rosy

picture around being a business analyst. There are adjoining frustrations
with being a business analyst, just like with any other profession.
However, passionate business analysts have a way of going beyond these
frustrations. As you will read later in this chapter, their point of view and
perspective makes them focus on the positives of this role. Their passion
and strengths makes them overcome the challenges that come with being
a BA.

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When I created the structure for doing BA Interview podcasts on

TheBACoach.com, one of the first few questions to each BA I interviewed
was, “Why do you like being a BA?” because I wanted to elicit the essence
of what made them choose this profession. Was it a conscious choice? Was
it something that they decided to do because it had better scope in terms of
jobs and a higher salary? Or was it just an accident?
The responses were inspiring, and each interviewee had an array of reasons
for becoming a BA which were unique to each of them. Holistically they
all had one underlying theme, which made their responses a beautiful
symphony of a strong business case for being a business analyst. I want to
quote and elaborate on a few of these below.
Adrian Reed from Portsmouth, UK likes being a BA because:

“I enjoy the variety – no two days are the same, and I like having the
opportunity to make a positive change to the organization I work for.”
Variety and versatility are two exciting facets of being a business analyst.
The tasks associated with performing different phases of analysis offer
variety. You could be talking to a business partner at 10:00 AM, having a
status meeting with testers listening to their pain points at 11:00 AM, and
engaging in creating a process flow in the afternoon along with your team
in a JAD session. Often, there is no room for boredom. And while you
enjoy the variety, contributing positively to an organization you work for is
something you won’t regret.
Doug Goldberg from Dallas, Texas, USA likes it because:

“I enjoy the challenge and interaction of working with people and
personalities to resolve problems and deliver solution options.”
Working with myriad personality types under different situations is

something very common with being a business analyst. You get to work
with stakeholders that are extremely analytical, and cater to their style of
being extremely systematic, well organized, and deliberate. You work with
“drivers”, folks that are very practical and results-oriented.

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You work with friendly people who hate dealing with impersonal details
and hard facts. You work with outgoing, enthusiastic, and expressive
personalities. A business analyst gets to work with all these personalities
under varying stress levels, when their personality takes a slightly different
shape.
Margaret Marco from Toronto, Canada likes it because:

“Being a BA is like being a detective - one has to work to find out what is
really going on, produce a vision that others can understand and agree
to, and provide clear details so that it can actually be implemented.”
Problem solving and navigating a confusing ecosystem of a project is often

an essential component of being a business analyst. Where there is chaos
and scattered information, a business analyst needs to collate the relevant
pieces and create alignment in order to facilitate agreement to move things
further along.
Jayesh Jain from Auckland, New Zealand likes it because:

“There are three aspects of the job I like the most: people, challenges
and problem solving. I love interacting with people. Being a BA I get to
do that a lot. No two days are the same and no two projects are same;
there is always a variety in what I do. As passionate as I am about
learning and being able to correctly apply the skills and tasks that
make business analysis effective, I am a lot more passionate about the
impact good business analysis has on businesses”
A lot of times it’s just the combination of these realms. Dealing with people
is not always easy if you don’t have the tolerance and knack for it. Working
on challenges is not always easy if you don’t have experience to handle
them systematically. And getting to solve problems at work that are people-
related, process-related, or related to business analysis is something
business analysts love to deal with using different BA tools and techniques.
The best part is that there is no prescribed way to solve a problem; being a
business analyst could almost be called an art form.

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These four responses I’ve shared with you are just a sample of many
responses that I heard while interviewing business analysts throughout
the world. This should provide you a good sense of the reasons why
business analysts are passionate about their profession. Each of these
interview podcasts are published on the blog and you can also find them on:
TheBACoach.com
A craving and desire

Along with all the great reasons that I elicited from them for loving their
job, each of the business analysts also have an intrinsic craving and desire
for:
● intellectual stimulation
● social interactions
● recognition of work
● connecting the dots, decoding people and solving puzzles.
● solving the pain points for people and organizations.
● being exposed to solving a wide variety of problems.
When talent fuels passion

I recently read an inspiring book titled Strengths Finder 2.0, by Tim Rath,
that opened my eyes and resonated with my ideas and aspirations. It had
brought to light a topic that was so basic and essential, yet missed by most
people while pursuing their career. That ideal is that it is important to have
an opportunity to do what you do best every day. It’s the notion of fueling
your passion for work with what you are naturally good at. At first it may
seem clichéd and sound like an oversimplified philosophy of loving what
you do, but it transcends that.
In essence, the book talks about how society’s primary focus on people’s
weaknesses rather than their strengths is causing a deep internal decay in
their chosen professions and in the edifices of corporate culture. It is having
a bigger impact on how fulfilled people feel about their jobs and also to a
large extent, about life. If someone chooses a profession based on their
natural flair, they are more likely to be emotionally engaged along with
being competent, which is a given.

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Without emotional engagement, employees will lack the energy and talent-
fueled passion that will cause great things to happen, when there is a room
for it. Without this ingredient, the spark for innovation and enthusiasm will
be difficult to draw out. This will also affect people’s life in the long run and
affect their attitude of how they feel about their quality of life in general.
They were made for this

A great business analyst has a natural flair in business analysis activities.
This simply means that great business analysts have discovered their talent
that makes them do their job with greater ease. Some key strengths that are
needed to be a business analyst include people skills, problem solving skills,
systems thinking, public speaking, organizational skills, conceptual ability,
quick learning, communication skills, and leadership skills. Although these
skills are essential in other roles, the form and shape of utilization can vary
greatly for a BA role.
Some BAs are naturally good at these skills, although the levels may vary for
each skill for every BA. Great business analysts are usually aware of their
strengths and limitations and constantly strive to take these skills to the
next level. A lot of times just knowing BA tools, techniques, and templates
is not enough. Having an adequate level of each of the aforementioned
skills is crucial to take your career and craft to the next level, and applying
the knowledge of tools and techniques effectively and efficiently.
How I discovered the passion and talent

Throughout my career I have experienced a series of epiphanies that have
contributed collectively to my loving the role of a business analyst. The one
below was probably the starting point for this:
“I vividly recall the day during a C++ lab when I had created a
program to generate a pop-up menu for a text editor that we were
building. After nearly a week of studying various functions and
figuring out the logic, I was all set to try it. It was about 3 a.m. and I
had just discovered how to change the hover color for the first menu-
item, File -> New. The computer science lab was dark and quiet, with
all monitors on Windows screen saver, except mine. Pressing that
F9 key to launch the program for the first time was undoubtedly the
starting point for me to embark on a serious journey in software
engineering.

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The rush I got from seeing the fruits of my knowledge take shape was
extraordinary. It aroused within me a curiosity to build and create
software that began as just a vision.”
At that point in my life I saw how small pieces of code, put together, could
make big changes in the way a program works and change the way people
react toward it. By this time I knew that pursuing my Bachelors degree in
Computer Science was an apt choice.
Seeing the world of software development for the past decade, I have
realized the definition of a solution is the most crucial component for
building it effectively. I have played the roles of a Systems Analyst, was
part of the world’s largest C++ project, did validation and testing as a QA
Analyst, worked as a Team Lead and, managed an offshore team of 40.
Gradually I started leaning towards requirements definition and wound up
as a Business System Analyst, which I have since been doing for a long time.
I loved learning new subject matter, and was pretty decent at it, and this
made me get excited about new projects. I loved dealing with people all
through my career, and loved solving problems, organizing, and creating all
business analysis artifacts. As a former dramatic actor in school, I brought
good public speaking skills to my work. I was able to map my strengths and
use them in the many different aspects of being a business analyst.
The essence of passion pillar

The crux of this pillar is to help you discover (or rediscover) your
enthusiasm about business analysis and to challenge you to use your
strengths every day at work. If you enjoy bringing about a positive
change to the organization you work for, surpassing all the hurdles and
impediments, then you are in the right place and doing the right thing and
well on your way from being a Good BA to a Great BA.
Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.
- Oprah Winfrey

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Your passion pillar to-do list

1. Think about when you were the happiest in your job, what were you doing?
Make a list of activities that made you be feel this way.
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2. Spend some time listing out your key strengths (people skills, writing,
puzzle solving, organizing, etc) and evaluate which ones are key to being a
great business analyst. Also identify which ones you need to improve upon.
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3. Do a mental walk through of your typical workday, and evaluate if you get
the opportunity to use your key strengths every day at work.
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4. Imagine scenarios, where you used your key strengths to solve a problem
exceptionally well. How many can you think of?
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5. Draw out your own story and identify epiphanies that help your recognize
your strengths and passion.
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(Please don’t forget to give your feedback for this pillar: www.FreeBAGift.com/feedback )

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Pillar 2
Adaptive Social Skills...
connect, engage, inspire and lead

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“The most important single ingredient in the formula of success is knowing how to get
along with people” - Theodore Roosevelt
If you are consistently building strong relationships with people you

work with, you are getting closer and closer to being a great business
analyst.
A project team is a veritable melting pot of personalities and situations.
As a result, it is becoming increasingly important for a business analyst to
recognize this reality and to be able to work with the different situations
that bubble up in that pot. There is a strong need for adaptive social skills
in a business analyst, to effectively navigate and integrate the ecosystem of
people, processes, and technologies under different social contexts.
Adaptive social skills for a business analyst can be defined as “ability to

recognize the utilization of a suitable skill or response to a given social
situation to effectively solve the problem at hand”. The situation could
involve solving a business analysis problem or an interpersonal interaction
related scenario. In this pillar, I want to walk through some key elements of
this class of social skills, and at the end provide some ways in which you can
improve and master these skills.
The need for adaptive social skills

Business analysts connect the dots across an organization in a given
process-related or technological endeavor. They are perhaps the most
social of all the roles in a project team. By social, I don’t mean being solely
extroverted. They have to know how to understand, communicate and
engage effectively with their stakeholders in fruitful interactions. Business
analysts must empathize, sympathize, and make connections to effectuate
change.
A BA often takes the role of a facilitator in a variety of scenarios. They

coach, train and mentor the project team to utilize new tools, understand
a new domain, or adopt a new technology. It is imperative that a business
analyst possesses the intelligence to understand human emotions and make
connections with people. This high emotional intelligence allows them to
effectively perceive, assess and positively influence one’s own and other
people’s emotions.

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They recognize that, in order to interact effectively with others, one has to
be able to monitor and control one’s own emotional state. This serves as a
strong basis for building adaptive social skills.
Adapting to different personalities

In his interview for TheBACoach.com when Doug Goldberg said “I start
with an understanding that I work with human beings, before I work with
co-workers or associates…” he was alluding to the very essence of working
with people. It is important to recognize this, and also understand that
different people have different personalities, and their dispositions can vary
depending on the situation they are in.
If you visualize the team you work with currently, and start focusing on
each team member, you will realize that each person’s perspective is built
into who they are. It is what defines their personality or temperament.
Just like how some of your friends and even family are very different from
you, your team members can also be different. There are extensive models
that have been formulated to define and understand different personality
types: Carl Jung’s psychological types, William Moulton Marston’s DISC
personality theory, and Myers Briggs® personality types to name a few.
If you are not familiar with these, I urge you to learn more about them
as these can help you a great deal in understanding people and how to
motivate them
Example of adapting to different personalities

The misunderstood driver
David thrives on the thrill of challenges and the internal motivation to
succeed. He is very practical and highly focused on getting results. In
a typical workday, he does a lot in a very short period of time. He is
known to be result-oriented, competitive, assertive, demanding, and
action oriented by his team members. He has the habit of talking fast,
his speech is direct and to the point; as a result he is often viewed as
decisive, direct and pragmatic. His personality type fits with the profile
of a typical “Driver”.

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Samantha is a BA working with David, and sometimes gets

intimidated by the way David interacts. Specifically David’s no-
nonsense approach to dealing with project tasks, and his assertive
questioning makes Samantha think that he doesn’t trust her work and
feels bullied at times.
Ideally: Samantha should have carefully observed the patterns of

behaviors exhibited by David over time, and understood his personality
type. Rather than get intimidated by his approach, she should work
with David with a sense of understanding where he comes from.
When you apply this principle, always remembers one of the Seven
Habits of Highly Effective People:
“Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

~ Stephen R. Covey.
Adaptive engagement with stakeholders

Throughout your career as a business analyst you will begin to discern
a preferred mode of engagement with stakeholders, in terms of
communication, and also using of different business analysis tools and
techniques. Great business analysts sense the need to adapt a given
approach to better suit the stakeholder needs and preference.
One of the BA Podcast Interviewees, Joe De Silva pointed out in his

interview “...different people have different styles and preferences. Try
and consider that, rather than retreating into a mindset of ‘they need to
go through this process’... ”. It is important to take this advice to heart as
business analysts as an engagement with a stakeholder is not always about
having them fit into the way you have always done something.

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Example of adaptive engagement with stakeholders

Please fit into my use case template: (adapt to role play)
Adam has created a use case that has about 52 steps. While doing
a walkthrough with his stakeholders, he realizes that users do not
understand how different components of a use case fit together (pre-
conditions, post conditions, alternate flows, etc).
He quickly recognizes this and switches his walk-through into a role-

playing session where he walks through the use case flow using roles,
and scenarios. He uses the white board to identify with users the key
events and steps involved in what a user does and helps them to relate
various facets of the discussion to the use case and its components.
This adaptive engagement with the users helps Adam to not “lose” the
users because they could not understand his initial approach. He quickly
recognized this situational issue and engaged in another technique to
complete the walkthrough with the users.
The importance of active listening

Communication is the most important skill in life. We spend most of
our waking hours communicating. But consider this: You’ve spent
years learning how to read and write, years learning how to speak.
But what about listening? What training or education have you had
that enables you to listen so that you really, deeply understand another
human being from that individual’s own frame of reference?
~ Stephen R. Covey
Another key element for connecting with your project team is to engage in
active listening. This implies that you understand what they are saying in
the right context, interpreting their words mentally, and evaluating your
response.

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Active listening helps a business analyst to:
• critically evaluate what is being said.

• formulate the right questions to ask at the right time.
• foster understanding, making the stakeholders more comfortable in
giving out information.
• create more open communication.
• build positive working relationships.
• alleviate conflicts within the team.
• strengthen cooperation.
• facilitate a positive synergy.
• reveal what analysis needs to be performed.
Adaptive social skills – A key differentiator for business

analysts
Getting along with other team members requires finesse and can go a long
way toward mutual understanding. In fact, in a wide variety of situations,
people would rather work with someone who is less competent, yet likable
over someone who is skilled, yet obnoxious. The perception of competence
is often influenced, to a great extent, by likability. These skills differentiate
different analysts distinctly in terms of how they are perceived by their
team, and management.
A corollary of this would mean that people who lack social competence
end up looking like they lack other competencies too.
Great business analysts recognize that there is a constant need to refine

and utilize social skills for different situations and with different people. In
order to start developing adaptive social skills a business analyst should:
• take criticism with an open heart and mind, never react, and always
introduce a strategic pause between the perception and reaction.
• listen more than talk, and always understand the other person’s
perspective, before laying out his or her own.
• focus on developing relationships with stakeholders by building
informal rapport and finding a hook that connects.

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The emerging need

In knowledge based working environments, the increasing emphasis on
team-centric collaboration is making social skills critical for success in the
workplace.
For business analysts to move from being good to great, they would require
the following social skills:
• attentive listening skills.

• sensitivity, empathy and perception.
• confidence to communicate and bring forth new ideas that will
stimulate group discussions.
• inquisitive questioning skills to ask the right questions from key
stakeholders.
• collaborative and intermingling skills.
• influence - to persuade those who oppose your suggestions to
reconsider their standing.
• respectfulness - to demonstrate that you are flexible enough to explore
the possibilities that others are trying to share.
• generosity - to help others see that you are capable of lending your
support to buoy their tasks and career undertakings.
• ability to build informal rapport with key stakeholders.
The essence of “Adaptive Social Skills” pillar

The second pillar underscores the importance of adaptive social skills in
changing social contexts to handle people and business analysis related
scenarios. If you are already implementing key elements of adaptive social
skills in your practice of business analysis you are well on your way from
being Good BA to a Great BA.
“The more people you know, and who know you in a positive way, the more successful
you will be at anything you attempt”
- Brian Tracy

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Your adaptive social skills pillar to-do list

1. Join a club or a committee within your company to expose yourself to
new social situations. List three that come to your mind below:
1. ________________________________________________
2. ________________________________________________
3. ________________________________________________
2. Join a local IIBA chapter to network with other BAs in your city. List out
the date and time of the next local IIBA chapter’s event, and plan to attend
as guest.
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
3. Connect with other Business Analysts over popular social networking

sites: Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. You can start by connecting with
TheBACoach.com on these networks. List out five business analysts you
connected with below:
1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________
4. _____________________________
5. _____________________________
4. Being good at talking to people requires that you figure out what
interests them, so the next time you are talking to a stakeholder find a hook,
something that is a common interest or hobby, and talk about it at length.
List out five hobbies or interests of your stakeholders below:
1. _____________________________
2. _____________________________
3. _____________________________
4. _____________________________
5. _____________________________

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Your adaptive social skills pillar to-do list (contd.)

5. A good place to practice your social, public speaking and listening skills
actively is at a “Toastmasters” club. Go to toastmasters.org and select a
suitable club, then plan to visit as a guest before joining. I recommend visiting
at least 5 clubs (if there are many clubs near where you live / work) before
joining the club of your choice. List the details out below to drive action:
Nr. Club Name and location Date and time Rating (Fill
of the next after visiting)
meeting
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Recognize situations for adaptive engagement with stakeholders. List

out alternatives that you would use if a stakeholder is having difficulty
understanding the following:
BA Technique / Tool Alternative approach that you

would adapt to
System context diagram
Process flows
Data flow diagrams
7. Study various personality models and try to categorize your team and
certain stakeholders in a given category of personality type. List out five
below:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

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Pillar 3
Recursive Systems
Thinking…
to decipher the ecosystem.

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“I think and think for months and years. Ninety-nine times, the conclusion is false. The
hundredth time I am right.” - Albert Einstein
You are not just a technical writer, a meeting scribe, or an order

taker. You will always think before you ink. Thinking in the right
light and at the right level is the key to success as a BA.
Thinking is the key part of conducting analysis. Unfortunately, often
business analysts are labeled as being simply writers of the requirements
specifications, meeting scribes, or just listeners to what the business
says and putting it into a format that fits the template at hand. All these
activities are just a way to communicate the analysis, not the analysis
itself.
A great business analyst has a natural flair and an unquenchable thirst to

discover the truth, to uncover a missing piece in the puzzle, and to follow
their quest to solve the riddle using an appropriate approach. This often
entails a systematic thinking process that leads to the uncovering of facts
and details. However, there are times when the thinking process goes
beyond what is visible – it involves the perceptive gathering and connecting
of various hidden ambiguities to form a concrete, correct and complete
picture.
The most important trait

One of the most important traits a business analyst needs to have is the
ability to see the big picture view of the system and its relationship to the
business. It is important that even while analyzing and fitting the smaller
pieces of the puzzle, the BA steps back periodically and views the big
picture. Timely and appropriate employment of systems thinking is often
the key to conducting effective business analysis for a given domain.
In this pillar I want to elaborate on what “systems thinking” really

means, and provide an example of how a business analyst can effectively
apply the programming concept of recursion to it.

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Defining Systems Thinking

Systems thinking is the process of understanding how things influence
one another within a whole. In nature, systems include ecosystems in which
various elements such as air, water, movement, plants, and animals work
together to survive or perish. In organizations, systems consist of people,
structures, and processes that work together to either help or hinder to
make an organization to achieve its objectives.
According to BABOK®:
“Business analysts must be effective at understanding how the

people, processes and technology within an organization interact in
relationships and patterns to create a system as a whole.
Systems theory and systems thinking suggest that the system as a

whole will have properties, behaviors and characteristics that emerge
from the interaction of the components of the system, and which are
not predictable from an understanding of the components alone. In
the context of systems theory, the term “system” is much broader than
an IT system—it also includes the people involved, the interactions
between them, the external forces affecting their behavior, and all
other relevant elements and factors.”
Example of systems thinking from the Insurance Domain

John, a consumer, receives a quote for his brand new Honda Civic
from Susan a producer (sales representative) working for new business
department. His premium rates are influenced by rate tables developed
by actuaries from the Risk Department, a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR)
pulled in from the Motor Vehicles Department, and a credit report
coming in from one of the credit agencies. Once his policy is active, the
mail department is notified to dispatch his policy documents via mail
since the default delivery is via postal service.
A renewal cycle will kick in with multiple pre-renewal steps occurring

automatically. This involves re-pulling of an MVR report, and rate
calculations for any policy changes made. The claims department needs
to additionally pull a CLUE (providing claims data) report to factor in
any rate changes as well, since John has some history as a policyholder.

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John had a claim after 2 months of policy issue due to an at-fault

accident, which made his rates go up by 5%. The renewed policy now
reflects the new rates.
While all this is happening, a data warehouse captures data about all
policyholders, which gets supplied to Insurance regulatory bodies as
monthly reports. These reports facilitate financial reporting, forecasting,
and helps Susan’s boss Tamer to advise her to remind John about
e-billing options, since most of her policies were not opted-in for
paperless option.
If you put your systems thinking hat on to understand this, you will
begin to appreciate how different people (John, Susan, Tamer), External
entities (MVR, CLUE, regulatory bodies), processes (Quote, Issue,
Claims, Renewal, Reporting, Analytics) and Systems (process specific
IT and non-IT systems) are working together to keep this insurance
business running and profitable.
Understanding recursion
When performing analysis for a given problem domain, it can be beneficial
to apply the principles of recursion to elicit, analyze, and synthesize various
work products that pertain to business analysis. Often just one level of
investigation and thinking may not be sufficient to solidify any analysis
artifact (a use case, a system context diagram, a process flow diagram, etc.).
It is worthwhile, in most instances, to repeat analysis and investigation
from different angles in order to build a more complete picture of the
problem space or to uncover any missing pieces.
In simplest terms recursion is doing something repeatedly and logically

until a desired result is accomplished. In effect recursive systems thinking
is about applying the principles of recursion to systems thinking in order to
perform effective business analysis for a given domain.
Example of recursion
Recursion is the process a procedure goes through when one of the steps
of the procedure involves rerunning the procedure.

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To understand recursion, one must recognize the distinction between

a procedure and the running of a procedure. A procedure is a set of
steps that are to be taken based on a set of rules. The running of a
procedure involves actually following the rules and performing the
steps. A very simple analogy would be emptying a buckle of water with a
tumbler:
Tumbler-Out = procedure to remove water once from the bucket (with

various steps)
Empty-Bucket = the end result
A recursive procedure that will empty the bucket can be represented as

below:
Perform -> Tumbler-Out until Empty-Bucket.
Recursive Systems Thinking for analysts

If systems thinking is about having a big picture view of your analysis in the
context of the domain, recursive systems thinking is having multiple big
picture snapshots, zooming out each time until you see how it all ties in to
the overall business.
The following three steps drive the thought process associated with
recursive systems thinking:
1. Conduct Analysis: Analyze the functioning of the system within an

apparent boundary.
2. Repeat Analysis: Zoom out beyond the current boundary and analyze
again. It is important at this step to also connect how the previous picture
ties in with the current one.
3. Terminate Analysis: Terminate when all the pieces are identified that
help you understand a given portion of a business and how it ties to the
business overall.
As you go through the analysis of a piece of problem domain, think of what

people are involved, what processes have an impact on in their work/
work-flows, and what systems they use including IT and Non-IT.

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Pattern Recognition during analysis

While conducting analysis it can be very useful to employ your knowledge
and experience of a similar process and arrive at a pattern to see if
something is missing or needs elaboration. With some experience across
different projects you will see a set of patterns emerge. It is quite interesting
to observe the patterns, which repeat across different domains in a business
or ecosystem. Once you can begin to spot the similarities for each project,
it becomes much easier for a BA to understand each part of the analysis
itself, along with the big picture. For example, when you understand the
importance of roles, and profiles in the context of security requirements,
you immediately think of data access requirements.
Recursive Systems Thinking In Action

Let us extend the scenario stated earlier to illustrate systems thinking,
using an Insurance business. Imagine that the Insurance regulatory
agencies now require additional notifications be sent to the members about
any type of rate changes, and include details of such changes as part of
the monthly regulatory reports. The illustration below shows the thought
process in detail:
1. Conduct Analysis: Analyze the functioning of the system within an

apparent boundary.
As a BA associated with this particular project, you would probably

be involved with defining what needs to be done to send additional
notifications to the members and report changes to the regulatory bodies.
You will start to identify the apparent boundaries to be the reporting
area (reporting and analytics dept.), and the notifications area (website
team, and documents team). You conduct your initial analysis using various
BA tools and techniques.
2. Repeat Analysis: Zoom out one logical level beyond the current
boundary and analyze again, connecting how the previous picture ties in
with the current one.

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One level up: For the notifications area you start to recognize how the
documents team is a sub-set of the policy administration system’s area that
manages policies. The website area is a separate area that links to the policy
administration system, collecting key pieces of data to notify John about
his policy or claims. The website area also connects with the documents
area to pass on any updates made by John on the website (personal details
changes, setting of paperless options, etc.). And for reporting area you
notice that they get their data from a central data warehouse that gets
regular feeds of data from the policy administration system.
Two levels up: Now you can see how the documents and website areas
are like their own hubs for all the systems and processes across the
enterprise. The reporting area has different reports for various areas in the
organization. All sourcing from the central data warehouse gets fed with
data regularly by various other systems within the company.
Three levels up: Now you can see how John gets one mail from the
Insurance Company that collates all the documents for his products from
the Insurance Company. He can logon to the website to see one integrated
view of all the information related to his products with the company. If he
has selected paperless options on the website, he no longer gets printed
matter from the Insurance company.
Four levels up: You begin to appreciate how this company has the
most advanced integrated view of all the products their customers own.
Insurance regulatory agencies rate this company A+ due to their on-time
compliance in financial and regulatory reporting.

This is just an example of zooming out to view the big picture. There is no
set number of levels to zoom out; it’s entirely up to your preference and
judgment. These four levels just indicate a “problem at hand” view to the
“big picture” view.
Benefits of recursive systems thinking

Employing effective recursive systems thinking can help a business analyst
understand the problem and solution domain better. It can help the team
design intelligent and enduring solutions after the analysis is complete.

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In essence, recursive system thinking helps a business analyst to:
● break down a big analysis problem into divisible smaller sub-problems,

decipher them and then combine each of these partial analyses to get the
holistic analysis of the problem domain.
● step back and see the whole picture, rather than focusing on just its
parts. It is an attempt to see the “forest” as well as the “trees” because you
can see the interrelationships among the elements of the system.
● explore the interdependencies among the elements of a system, looking

for patterns rather than memorizing isolated facts (such as document
analysis, system overviews, etc.).
● get a more accurate picture of the problem context and help understand
a system’s natural forces to achieve effective results.
● think about problems and solutions with an eye toward the long view.
For instance, how might a particular requirement play out over the long
run? And what unintended consequences it may have?
● recognize that systems thinking is founded on universal principles that

can be detected in all projects.
● enter the system, complete with its functional and dysfunctional

dynamics, and help the team become more effective without becoming
influenced by the system and its various forces.
How to enhance your systems thinking as a business analyst?

There are multiple ways to enhance systems thinking when working as
a business analyst. The single most important factor that enhances your
systems thinking is experience. Conducting analysis for multiple analysis
realms over time helps you develops your thinking habits, approach to
analysis, and recognition of patterns. Since it’s not always possible to have
all the experience necessary to have the perfect level of systems thinking,
this can be acquired gradually as one learns and progresses.

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There are several ways to take your systems thinking to the next level.
I would like to offer you these three activities for you to use:
1. Make maps of the organizational hierarchies
Organizational charts are an easy method of connecting the various

project stakeholders. An effective way to do this is to use the “Organization
Modeling” technique described in BABOK®:
An organizational model defines how an organization or

organizational unit is structured. Organizational units bring together
a group of people to fulfill a common purpose or goal. This purpose
may be functional, meaning that the people in question share a
common set of skills and knowledge, or to serve a particular market.
An organizational model will define the scope of the organizational
unit, the formal relationships between the people who are members of
that unit, the roles those people fill, and the interfaces between that unit
and other units or stakeholders.
Once you have done adequate level of organization modeling, look for how
different processes, people, and workflows function together as one unit.
2. Always perceive the big picture
Having the ability to zoom out of the current process view into the big
picture view is a key element of systems thinking. Ask yourself the following
questions to validate your big picture view:
● Who is the ultimate benefactor of this?

● Where does this piece fit in the larger context of the organization?
● Who is immediately impacted? (directly and indirectly)
● How does this add value to the organization?
● What is the value that is being added?
● What would be the effect of this process not being implemented?
If you can visualize or be able to describe answers to most of the above

questions, you are able to zoom out of the micro level change to the macro
level impact.

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3. Break out of the fringes
Going beyond the boundary of the current change often yields a greater
understanding of the system. This can be as simple as knowing what
happens next in a fair bit of detail. Having an understanding of this can
sometimes expose the gaps in your own realm of change.
Adopt one of the following approaches to break out of the fringes:
● Talk to the interfacing components process SME and understand what

happens after you finish the hand-off from your process to theirs.
● If that person is short of time, ask for any literature or process assets that
will help you understand the end-to-end flow.
● Always ask open-ended questions to learn about the process and its
implications.
● If possible talk to more than one point of contact and get different
perspectives on the same process. This can sometimes bring out a different
angle or twist.
The essence of the Recursive Systems Thinking Pillar

In summary, the third pillar emphasizes the importance of thinking as an
essential component of analysis. Having the ability to see the big picture
at various levels through recursive systems thinking can be crucial to
conducting effective analysis. Conscious application of recursive systems
thinking will help you transform from being a Good BA to a Great BA!
“When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking what they
want to hear and one third thinking about what I want to say.”
- Abraham Lincoln

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Your Recursive Systems Thinking Pillar To-Do list

1. Create a collection of all the process flow diagrams that you would have
created for all your projects, and understand how people, processes, and
technology interacted to create the ecosystem that you analyzed as a BA.
Project Process(es) People/Role Technology/

Applications
2. Constantly look for patterns in your analysis work, and identify any gaps
that may make a current instance incomplete. Use the examples given below
as a cue, along with your own.
Area Pattern / Best Signs of gap

practice
Login and Access Defined security roles - No roles defined
allow a streamlined - Access levels not
access defined
Audit and tracking Maintained audit trail - No way to
changes info allows for tracking identify who made
specific changes changes
- Errors go
unchecked
3. Select one artifact from your project (a use case, a system context
diagram, a process flow diagram, etc.) and apply all the steps of recursive
systems thinking, and see if you can make it better.

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Pillar 4
Going the extra mile...
to achieve results

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“No one ever attains very eminent success by simply doing what is required of him; it is
the amount and excellence of what is over and above the required that determines the
greatness of ultimate distinction.” - Charles Francis Adams
When you don’t feel the urge to go the extra mile it means that you
are not passionate about what you are doing.
Going the extra mile is a mindset that helps a business analyst see things
with a slant to deliver better results, to meet and exceed expectations, and
to constantly seek to deliver more business value. Great business analysts
find a way to contribute at crucial points in a project timeline to propel
things forward, and to bring to light a contribution that eases pain.
As part of this pillar I want to elaborate on what “going the extra mile”
really means for a business analyst, along with a few examples. I also want
to help you identify and highlight certain themes and facets of going the
extra mile that you could use tomorrow in your business analysis work.
Use these facets as cues to embark on a venture that will make you go the
extra mile in your journey of creating business value and solving business
problems.
Going the extra mile to achieve results is a crucial element that makes
a Business Analyst stand out in a team. It is important to realize that a
Business Analyst plays a bridging role, not between teams, but also within
his or her own team. Being able to facilitate understanding and make
the team excel by creating a highly helpful and collaborative working
environment is an important function of a Business Analyst.
What it really means

At its core, “going that extra mile” is a continuous quest and aspiration for
greater heights. It’s an attitude of gratitude that will make you contribute
more than what you are getting paid for. It’s a mindset to be helpful, and
say “here is something more that will help you”. It’s a vision to see a better
tomorrow, and step-up when you need to. And for teams that have great
business analysts, it’s a breath of fresh air. It’s doing what it takes, when
you need to. It’s asking the question, “How do I make this understood
better?” , “How can I create better alignment?” , “How can I move this
further?”

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Facets and themes of going the extra mile

There are multiple avenues that you can embark on, in order to go the
extra mile. In this section I want to present a few themes that will help you
identify scenarios, situations and mindsets of going the extra mile.
1. Overcome the “that’s not my job” attitude
Should a BA tread into the realm of other team members work? Or should
they adopt an intransigent position? That question would depend upon
the particular situation. Adopting an aloof position brings no value to the
project. Stepping in to smoothen out bottlenecks, cover gaps and resolve
delays, most certainly does.
If an additional artifact needs to be produced that can be of help to

someone to move his or her task further, then a business analyst should
recognize that and act. These artifacts are specifically pertinent to creating
alignment with the requirements, and business objectives. A BA does not
necessarily have to physically perform the action, but be perceptive to the
need and trigger/facilitate the action. It is the act of impasse-recognition
that helps to identify what is stopping someone from accomplishing a
certain task. If you can, in someway, help them navigate beyond that
impasse, either by providing a helping hand or facilitating an action, you
have helped.
When he didn’t seek clarification to provide more input

Puja is a business analyst for an application migration project. Nikhil,
who is the developer on the project, reads the requirements/data matrix
and maps them to his design. Philips is the database administrator
(DBA) and is responsible for creating detailed schemas for the design
created by Nikhil. Puja overhears a rant by Nikhil about how Philips
doesn’t understand the audit requirements, and is unable to add the
required fields to the schema.
Recognizing this as a potential gap in understanding, Puja approaches

Nikhil to talk through his frustration. She quickly arranges a meeting
between Nikhil and Philips to walkthrough the audit requirements and
explain how these fit into the overall context of the project. This session
helps Nikhil and Philips clarify their concerns and come to a better
understanding of the audit requirements.

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An obvious implication is that Nikhil should have approached Puja, and

sought any necessary clarifications to provide a detailed list of fields to
Philips. In this instance, Puja went the extra mile, proactively stepped in
and defused the confusion.
So, the next time someone is stuck, ask yourself, what can you do to
help move things forward for him or her?
2. Learn to teach, not just to understand or absorb
Ongoing learning to absorb new concepts, domains, and technologies is

a key requisite of the business analyst role. While we’re learning, we are
usually disposed to be able to perform a given task to its completion, and
to conform to the expectations of others. Going the extra mile during
learning would be to do so with the goal of becoming a SME who becomes
confident enough to teach and train others. The ability to impart knowledge
and training is an essential BA skill – be it helping a new person up to
speed, ensuring the team understands the business and its requirements or
guiding the user community on using the new system.
Teaching is something a business analyst often gets involved in during a

project. It could be teaching someone new to the team to get on board,
or to get the development team up to speed with what the project or
requirements are about. Giving training to the user community is
something that a lot of business analysts do as well.
“What about my job security then?” In many scenarios this may seem like
you are replacing yourself with someone by giving out all the knowledge,
and information you know about the subject matter. This may seem like a
counterintuitive approach to increase job security. Well, there is no such
thing as job security really. If someone needs to be let go, they will be.
Doing your best to impart knowledge as and when needed, can be a great
way to build excellent rapport within the team.
So, the next time you approach any learning, do it with the intention of
mastering it to the point of being able to teach it.

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3. Be the project whisperer
There is a TV series called “The Ghost Whisperer” where the protagonist,

Melinda Gordon, has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. While
living a normal, happy married life, she helps earthbound spirits resolve
their issues. Often her tasks are difficult and challenging when addressing
these problems. She gets pushed away by people in a few instances, due to
their disbelief in her ability and talent.
The ghosts are mysterious and sometimes menacing at first and Melinda
must use the clues available to her to understand the spirit’s needs in order
to help them.
A project whisperer would be someone like Melinda, but instead of being

involved with ghosts, he/she is involved with the project team and the
issues faced by the team. Business Analysts regularly face daunting
project challenges, especially at the beginning. This phenomenon becomes
more apparent when working in new teams, or with new stakeholders.
A BA should recognize this, and work to resolve the issues using his/her
prior knowledge and experience. Being a project whisperer is also about
understanding that tools and methodologies used in projects are just
one side of the equation. The other, more important, side is people and
their needs. Having the ability to read the available clues to help people is
paramount, and an important part of being the project whisperer. This can
add a lot value to your BA toolkit.
Amir project whispering

Amir is a business analyst for a project that created a new application for
member service representatives. While conducting the training session
for the new application, he notices that Sophia is struggling to complete
the exercises provided for a few lessons. He also senses that Sophia
is not very open to asking questions due to her shy nature, preferring
instead to privately converse with her neighbor for any clarifications.
Amir talks to Sophia at the end of the training, and asks her what
she found was the most difficult lesson in the training. He offers to
do a separate one-on-one training over a screen sharing application.
The following day he follows through and helps Sophia understand
that lesson better, which makes her more confident about the new
application.

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In this instance, Amir read clues from Sophia to recognize there is a

knowledge gap. He then went the extra mile to conduct an additional
one-on-one session.
4. Be the process whisperer
If being a project whisperer is about understanding people and their needs,

and working through their disbeliefs, challenges, and threats; a process
whisperer is looking at processes as if they have a life of their own. They
can “speak” in ways that a great business analyst can listen to. This helps
in identifying how processes can be simplified, optimized and improved to
have maximum impact.
Being a process whisperer is the foundation for continuous improvement,

helping the business solve problems, and attain a greater fulfillment in your
job. These improvements do not have to be necessarily conducted against
existing processes; it could also be for creating a new process when iterated
through its creation.
A process whisperer is not a person with paranormal abilities who can talk
to and listen to the inanimate processes, but rather someone who is willing
to go the extra mile by:
• listening carefully to identify any pain points that may exist. This can
happen during requirements elicitation, analysis or validation.
• thinking – using patterns from best practices in previous projects, and
situations.
• empathizing with the users and bringing a point of view that will improve
the process
• sympathizing – by understanding the key challenges, and issues faced by
the end-users.
• suggesting changes to any related item that can contribute to alleviating
pain and improving processes.
Denise process whispering

Denise is conducting observation of an AS-IS process for setting up a
customer’s product. She notices that a user opens two windows, one
with an existing setup, and another one for the new setup.

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Similar fields for the new setup are copied from the existing setup by
visually looking at an existing one, and copy-pasting the corresponding
fields into the new setup. She sits with the user, and observes as the user
expounds upon the procedure.
At this point Denise asks the user “So you do this for every new setup?”
The user responds, “Yeah, pretty much. Since most of the new setups are
similar to the existing ones.”
Denise, being a process whisperer starts to think, “What if there could

be a ‘Clone’ button to copy setups?” When Denise begins to map out
requirements for the TO-BE process, she discusses this pain-point with
the team, and drafts requirements to provide a setup-cloning feature.
5. Network
Most of the business analysts deem themselves to be lifelong learners,

but continue to do so within the four corners of their cubicle and their
organization. It is important to have the mindset to try different tools,
techniques, and approaches for different efforts and projects. Going
beyond your current organizational methodologies can be a great
learning experience. Having a good understanding of the BABOK®, and
its structure is a great starting point. From that point forward acquiring
good perspectives on best practices and standards from your peers in other
companies can act be very educational.
So why is learning and networking a facet of going the extra mile? You
could continue to do your job without them. You could continue to use
the same toolkit for all your projects, and never tread the path of learning
something new, outside your comfort zone. However, networking ties
in closely with that because it takes extra effort to build a network.
Having a good network is not about having a LinkedIn profile with
500+ connections; it’s about how strong your relationship is with your
connections. Can you count on your network to help you with a new BA tool
or technique? Are you in touch with them on a regular basis? What have
you learned from your connections in the past one-year? These are just a
few questions to reflect upon.

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Brenda Networks to discover best practices

Brenda goes through the BABOK® and is particularly fascinated by the
BA planning and monitoring knowledge area. Even though this happens
to be the most complex knowledge area, she is intrigued to learn more
on how she could apply this to her approach to requirements. She posts
this as her network status on LinkedIn and Twitter.
Susan, who is one of Brenda’s connections, sees her status and responds
to her by asking her to join a business analysis LinkedIn group, where
many business analysts posts their questions, and find answers and
perspectives from others that are part of that group. When Brenda posts
her question, Susan responds with how she approaches BA planning and
monitoring and so do 15 other business analysts.
Benefits of going the extra mile

Consciously developing the habit of going the extra mile and understanding
the facets that I explained above can have enormous positive outcomes for a
business analyst. Some of these include:
● Creating a favorable perception of the BA by the team and management,

which can provide opportunities for self-advancement.
● Fostering a definite and positive sign that you will be an indispensable
team member.
● Discovering new ways of helping your team, and add to your overall
experience as a Business Analyst.
● Developing leadership traits in you, which can translate into promotions
towards more Senior BA positions or advancement towards Consultant
positions.
● Becoming a project whisperer, which help you build strong relationships
with your team members, and stakeholders.
● Being a process whisperer can help you design better processes, and thus
increase your job fulfillment.
● Advancing your BA skills - which is often a more satisfying form of
compensation than your salary. In the long term this prepares you to take
on bigger projects and greater responsibility.
● Transforming your work into art as defined by Seth Godin.

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“ My definition of art contains three elements:

1. Art is made by a human being.
2. Art is created to have an impact, to change someone else.
3. Art is a gift. You can sell the souvenir, the canvas, the recording...
but the idea itself is free, and the generosity is a critical part of making
art.
Art is what we’re doing when we do our best work.”
~ Seth Godin in Lynchpin
Andrew Carnegie’s Going the Extra mile, A true story:

It is a well-known fact that Andrew Carnegie developed more successful
leaders of industry than any other great American industrialist has.
Most of these leaders came up from the ranks of ordinary laborers and
many of them accumulated personal fortunes of vast amounts, more
than they could acquire without the guidance of Mr. Carnegie. The
first test that Mr. Carnegie applied to any worker whom he desired to
promote was that of determining to what extent the worker was willing
to go the extra mile. It was this test that led to the discovery of Charles
M Schwab.
Mr. Schwab first came to Mr. Carnegie’s attention when he was working
as a laborer in one of the steel master’s plants. Close observation
revealed that Mr. Schwab always performed more and better service
than that for which he was paid. Moreover, he performed it with a
pleasing mental attitude, which made him popular among his fellow
workers. He was promoted from one job to another until at long
last in 1901 he was made president of the great United States Steel
Corporation.
The essence of “Going the extra mile” pillar

In essence, the fourth pillar underscores the importance of going beyond
what your tasks are on the Gantt chart, or the Work Breakdown Structure
(WBS). You can do this by helping a team member in their task, or
facilitating an action that can take things forward for somebody. Going the
extra mile can also mean knowing the pulse of the people and project, and
offering to be a project and process whisperer when required. In addition,
this inspires others and creates an atmosphere of positive synergy that can
help a team immensely.

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Your “Going the Extra Mile” to-do list:

1. Conduct knowledge sharing sessions with your colleagues. This doesn’t
need to be an elaborate learning session. Use some ideas below and jot down
your own:
Sl.Nr Ideas for knowledge sharing session
1. Conduct a lunch-and-learn session to discuss how the
current project impacts the business
2.
3.
4.
2. Create one page / slide summary of the project you are working on that
can help a new person understand the project better. Some examples and
cues below:
Sl.Nr Tool Application
1. Mind map • E.g. Mind map to elucidate the
impacted areas by this application.
•
2. Cheat sheets •
•
3. Single-slide chart •
•
4. Expanded process flow •
•
5. ... •
•
3. Ask your teammates about how their work is going. If anything is stopping
them from moving forward, offer to help.
4. Recognize gaps in communication. When a bottleneck exists or comes to

light, try to discern if this is due to a communication gap. When it is possible,
facilitate a session to close this gap.
5. Listen to the special podcast episode “How business analysts can be

project whisperer” with Pam Stanton.

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Pillar 5
Peak productivity …
to make things happen

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“Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence,

intelligent planning, and focused effort.”
- Paul J. Meyer
You either control the external elements that impact your work, or
they control you.
Don’t Panic
As a business analyst, you manage multiple stakeholder expectations,
elicit requirements, conduct analysis activities, create multiple diagrams,
describe document requirements, conduct reviews, incorporate review
comments, document minutes, conduct user training, participate in
scoping, create measurement reports, lead or coordinate with the QA team,
learn new material, keep up with emails, and keep the status of all your
tasks at the tip of your fingers. And that’s just one project. Imagine juggling
multiple projects at once. Are you feeling overwhelmed? Don’t panic!
Managing workload and distractions effectively is a key attribute of great

business analysts. In this pillar, you will learn how to deal with distractions,
prioritize your work flow, and be more efficient in your process. In this
pillar I want to define what peak productivity is, and provide real tools with
examples so that you can be more productive right away.
Defining peak productivity

Peak productivity is the ability of a business analyst to employ the right
tools, techniques, and productivity processes to produce more quality
output per unit of time spent. This could be applicable to core business
analysis or administrative tasks.
Being productive is one of the biggest challenges for a BA. “How do you
remain productive?” and “What are some of your productivity tips for
our BAs, something that they could use tomorrow?” These are a couple of
questions that I have asked in every BA Interview podcast episode. Why?
Because I want to find out what BAs throughout the world are doing to
boost their productivity and get things done. If you listen to my podcasts at
The BA Coach you will find a wealth of information.

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The “making things happen” process flow

Being a business analyst myself, I want to use a simple process flow to
illustrate how work gets done, and where we could intervene to maximize
our productivity. If you notice the “swim lane” process flow diagram below,
there are three key areas that are involved in “making things happen.”
1. External World – Everyone outside your locus of control that is

sending you emails, assigning tasks, and ‘dispatching’ interruptions.
2. Toolkit – The tools and processes that you use to handle the external
world.
3. Internal processing – How the combination of the external world
and use of the toolkit impacts you and your productivity.

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The path of least resistance

Increasing productivity is really focusing on finding the path of least
resistance to process emails effectively, finish tasks with no dangling follow-
ups, and squashing interruptions. Since this pillar is about making things
happen, I want to focus on the swim lane that really matters to achieve our
purpose, the ‘Productivity Toolkit’. The toolkit is similar to your fortress to
handle the external elements.
As you notice, there are three predefined processes that contribute to

effective email organization, getting your tasks organized, and to handle
interruptions effectively. In the following sections I want to elaborate on
each of these, and provide some tips and pointers.
1. Email efficiency process
Email handling is something that shouldn’t be underplayed or seen as

unessential, especially since it takes up a lot of your time, energy, and focus.
To be efficient in email handling, you need to be able to process your emails
in such a way that will maximize the intent of every email message and use
the least amount of time. One dictum to keep in mind is: “Email processing
is not real work, but just a medium for communication.”
Email efficiency tips

Following are six tips that will help you increase your email processing
efficiency.
i. Same time for the chime: Allocating a set time during the day when
you will address emails is a great way to process them. This removes
the anxiety of constantly looking at your inbox and will make you more
mentally prepared to respond to your emails. I suggest you check and
respond to your emails 2-3 times a day ONLY.
ii. Craft of the draft: If you send regular emails of a certain kind with
mostly the same content, it is not a bad idea to create DRAFTS. Create
a folder in your Outlook (or Lotus notes) to create draft messages for
frequently used content. If you setup regular similar meetings, create drafts
for those too. To setup meetings, you just need to drag and drop the draft
into the calendar section of outlook and it will create a populated meeting
invite. If you are using Gmail, there is a way to do this using the “Canned
responses” add-on. Learning the craft of drafting will help you save time.

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iii. Folder for the beholder: Organizing emails in folders is very useful
to create buckets of information and look-up items. If you are working on
multiple projects, folders can come in handy too. Sub-folders could be used
to further categorize your emails.
iv. Tool of the rule: Rules help immensely to route your emails to set
folders. You could setup rules on a number of parameters in Outlook.
Always have a few rules in place, redefine them as necessary.
v. One-and-done: When dealing with an email, immediate action is a

great way to increase your efficiency. Doing a first round to read the email,
a second round to review it, and a third to finally address it is not the best
approach. Minimizing the tendency to delay acting on the email can waste
your time and energy and will only lead to an increased backlog.
vi. From chime to the time: While you process your emails, you may
come across one that requires an action at a later date (e.g. a request for
meeting, a follow-up, etc.). In these instances always schedule a time
window in your calendar.
2. Getting Things Done (GTD®) Process
Having a system in place to get things done (GTD®) at work is an

important facet of increased productivity. This can include clearly defining
what needs to be done, and if there are any dependencies, getting them
aligned appropriately. One of the most comprehensive books written in this
field is Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-free Productivity by David
Allen. This book will help you understand the fundamentals of productivity,
and the process of making things happen.
Without having a solid system to get things done it can be challenging to

think, to focus, and to pay attention to the important things to move your
work forward. The system could be as simple as a whiteboard with a list of
things or as complex as a spreadsheet having various mini-projects to track
various activities, along with detailed next steps. In my experience, I have
found great success by keeping things as simple as possible.

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A few productivity tips:
i. Plan and prioritize your tasks: This is an obvious but a missed

component from working through tasks as Business Analysts. All of us
(myself included) are guilty of focusing on something that is urgent but not
important. It is essential to plan for all the tasks, and prioritize them in the
order of how they need to be done. Here are some quick pointers:
a. Plan your tasks at the beginning of the week, and before you start
your day.
b. Set aside 15 minutes, at least, to consciously plan your tasks at the
beginning of your workday.
c. Keep the Business Analysis plan handy (in case your project has one)
and try to assign priorities based on this, and also according to what
needs your attention most.
d. If someone is waiting on you to move forward, assign that a higher
priority than something that you can do on your own.
ii. Have a system to track your tasks and progress: A system could
be as simple as a whiteboard which has outstanding tasks that you tick
off as and when your work through your tasks or a spreadsheet tracking
various activities and their current statuses. Tackle the tasks that you
are most comfortable with and take the least time first. Some examples
include: a mini whiteboard to list tasks, a spreadsheet with projects and
activities, and also a recurring outlook appointment - to block time off and
also list out tasks for that day.
iii. The power of lists: Creating a list that shows a sequence of tasks,
and any stopping points in between, is a great way to hash out the task flow,
and also increase your productivity.
iv. Single task with focus: Try to single-task on important tasks. This
gives you clarity and focus in your work. It will be difficult at first, but
start off by single tasking for just a few minutes (10-15 minutes). As you
become more comfortable doing this, increase your time window (up to
45 minutes). After you have completed your time working on a single task,
reward yourself with a break to do anything you like for 5-10 minutes. Just
remember to come back to your work afterwards!

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v. Schedule important tasks in advance: This may seem obvious

however there are two distinct aspects to this. For tasks that you can
complete alone, schedule time in the future, particularly if you are waiting
to follow-up on someone finishing a dependent task.
The second aspect of this is using stakeholder time effectively by scheduling

tasks and activities according their availability. This is a crucial aspect of
working with stakeholders that have acute shortage of quality time to spend
on your project.
3. Interruption handling process
Handling interruptions effectively is key to increasing productivity, and

getting things done. Allocating time for interruptions can be useful in
training your mind to separate them from important work, rather than
dealing with them randomly.
i. Eliminate distractions: In an age of iPhone notifications, Facebook

and Twitter phenomenon, it is getting increasingly difficult to focus and
keep attention on tasks. Add to this the constant email arrival Outlook pop-
ups notifications, and one can become totally devoid of concentration. Close
all applications such as Outlook and put away mobile devices temporarily
to enable you to focus and complete your tasks. By setting up a pre-defined
time window for social media, you can still stay connected with your friends
and focus on your work.
ii. Find your peak productivity window: Find out what time of
day works best for you. If you are a morning person, try to get the most
important tasks done during that time. It is sometimes a good idea to block
time off on your calendar during your peak productivity window to focus on
the most important tasks.
The essence of the peak productivity pillar

In essence, the fifth pillar underscores the importance of having pre-defined
processes to handle the elements such as emails, tasks and interruptions.
Using the right productivity tool that fits the context of a project can be
powerful and can help you transition from a Good BA to a Great BA

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Your Peak Productivity Pillar To-Do List

1. Fill out the assessment table below to help you get the AS-IS state of how
you are processing emails, tasks, and handling interruptions
Sl.Nr Activity AS-IS State
1. Email processing (E.g. How many times you check
your email, do you have Outlook
open always, etc.)

2. Task processing (E.g. Do you have a system in place?
etc.)
3. Interruption handling (E.g. what are your social media

handling patterns – Twitter,
Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
2. Use the worksheet below to jot-down some ideas on how you will use the
email efficiency tips:
Sl.Nr Tip How will I apply
1. Same time for the
chime
2. Craft of the draft
3. Folder for the beholder
4. Tool of the rule
5. One-and-done
6. From chime to the time
3. Read David Allen’s Getting Things Done – The art of stress-free

productivity book, and identify what areas from the book you can
incorporate in your daily work schedule.
4. Try a productivity technique that you haven’t tried before from the ones
suggested in this pillar.

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Epilogue
I wrote this book not because I am the model for a great business analyst,
but because I consistently aspire to be one. I wanted to learn what it
entailed to be something other than a business analyst that my team would
ridicule or consider superfluous. Being a great business analyst is not a
state of being actually, it is a journey. It’s a journey that will change you
and make you change things around you in the process. These five pillars
that I have offered are your guideposts to be better practitioners, listeners,
and employees, and to find the fulfillment you are looking for in your job.
I believe that business analysts are the artists of the knowledge-related

workforce. All the BA tools, techniques, and standards are our brushes and
each project that we do is our canvas to paint. What makes our work an art
is the expending of emotional labor by realizing the essence of these five
pillars by:
1. being passionate about it, even when you are in pain, similar to a
musician who plays the guitar despite the pain from pressing those sharp
steel strings.
2. making meaningful connections with your stakeholders, as a novelist

does connecting all the characters in the plot throughout the novel.
3. employing recursive systems thinking in your work, like a painter who

zooms in close then far away to create that perfect perspective for their
masterpiece.
4. going the extra mile when you need to, like a sculptor perfecting an
inconspicuous, but essential element of their model.
5. focusing on peak productivity, similar to an architect synergizing time

and resources to build the best building for its purpose.

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You Are Invited on the Journey

I now invite you to start living these five pillars. You can focus on one pillar
and one To-Do item at a time. If this book has made you re-think what we
do as business analysts, made you incorporate one change to the way you
do things, or helped you tread the path to be a great business analyst, I have
achieved my purpose. This will be my fulfillment.
I know that you, as many business analysts, may not remain a business
analyst forever. As a business analyst, I understand that you will move to
other value creating roles in your organization, depending on your career
choices. No matter which direction you are heading in your career, try to
build a strong foundation around these five pillars. You will never regret
this.
Whatever you do and where ever you go, remember this one thought from
Mahatma Gandhi:
“Be the change you want to see in the world.”
I have done all that I can at this time to write this. I mused and wrote on
a train, and on a bus. I sat in coffee shops, and doctor’s offices as I tapped
away to make this book a reality. I’ve created a channel and medium to
distribute this easily and to share it with you.
Now it’s your turn. Do yourself a favor, and start walking in the direction of
being a great business analyst. The world needs many more. Let you be the
one that makes a difference!
~ Yaaqub Mohamed (Yamo)
I would love to hear from you

I would really appreciate if you can provide feedback and a testimonial for
this book. Please use this link -> www.FreeBAGift.com/feedback

www.TheBACoach.com
About Yamo
Yaaqub Mohamed (Yamo) is a passionate and practicing business analysis
Consultant based in Toronto, Canada. He has over a decade’s experience in
software development and has worked on diverse domains such as Retail,
Auto, Property, and Life Insurance, Mutual Funds, Banking, Sales and
Marketing, CRM, Cloud Computing, and Non-profit sector.
He holds a major in Computer Science(B. Eng) and enjoys working on

projects that involve strategy, process improvement, legacy migrations,
and new app development. He enjoys mentoring BA professionals,
teaching business analysis topics and prepping BAs for CBAP and CCBA
exams.
When not working or teaching he loves to read, play guitar, blog, podcast,
and spend time with his family. He also volunteers with IIBA Toronto
chapter, and enjoys conducting Toastmaster’s Youth Leadership Program
(YLP) for school kids.
He is the co-founder of “Movement for Students Welfare Trust”; a Non-

profit organization based in Bengaluru and has helped thousands of
under-privileged students in India through his “Motivation and study skills
workshops”. Being a firm believer of having a solid purpose in life and
“giving back” as a living philosophy, he actively follows what he preaches.
He is currently working as a Lead Business Analyst in the Capital Markets

domain for a top-tier financial group in Canada. He loves to work on
challenging and mission critical projects. He also heads the Professional
Development for Business Analysts advocacy group in his current
organization, and is an innovation advocate for his group.
You can:
Email him at yamo@thebacoach.com,
Follow him on twitter: @yaaqub or @thebacoach
Connect on LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/yaaqub

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Join the community

I now encourage you to join a vibrant and growing community of business
analysis professionals from around the world
Subcribe to our eNewsletter

Be the first to know the latest developments about TheBACoach.com and
get a digest of blogs, podcasts and offerings. Your email id will never be
sold to any third-party. Please subscribe here -> www.FreeBAGift.com
Ask questions on LinkedIn

Stuck in a situation or impasse and don’t know where to look for an
answer? Try posting it on our LinkedIn group and get help from the
TheBACoach LinkedIn community -> www.linkd.in/TheBACoach
Like us on Facebook
If you want to listen to podcasts on your Facebook feed, like and comment
on the latest updates, like us on -> www.Facebook.com/TheBACoach
Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and have the latest episode
downloaded the moment it goes live -> www.bit.ly/TheBACoachPodcast
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TheBACoach.

The copyright in this work belongs to Yaaqub Mohamed(Yamo) who is

Project whispering is inspired by the book The Project Whisperer by Pam

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Acknowledgement and Thanks

Special thanks to the following people:

Laura Brandenburg, Adrian Reed, Sabiha Shaikh, Katie Metcalfe, Anam

My mom Asmathunnisa who taught me how to connect with people,

#baot and #pmot twitter community for being supportive and

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Business analysts are at the heart of improvement and change in an

The position of a business analyst in a team has gone through a gradual

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Do you recognize this reality?

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The context for this book

In this book I want to focus on the role of a business analyst in a high

It is a great time to be a business analyst, and also timely to define

A great BA is someone who aligns well with the tenets as described

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A Great Business Analyst ...

1. is passionate about being a business analyst, and goes beyond all

2. connects with stakeholders at a level that facilitates easier

5. uses the appropriate context-specific productivity tools and

Happy reading, and I wish you ultimate success in your

Yaaqub Mohamed (Yamo).

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The breed of passionate business analysts

At this point, if you are wondering, I am not attempting to paint a rosy

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When I created the structure for doing BA Interview podcasts on

Adrian Reed from Portsmouth, UK likes being a BA because:

Doug Goldberg from Dallas, Texas, USA likes it because:

Working with myriad personality types under different situations is

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Margaret Marco from Toronto, Canada likes it because:

Problem solving and navigating a confusing ecosystem of a project is often

Jayesh Jain from Auckland, New Zealand likes it because:

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A craving and desire

When talent fuels passion

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They were made for this

How I discovered the passion and talent

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The essence of passion pillar

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Your passion pillar to-do list

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If you are consistently building strong relationships with people you

Adaptive social skills for a business analyst can be defined as “ability to

The need for adaptive social skills

A BA often takes the role of a facilitator in a variety of scenarios. They

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Adapting to different personalities