The Top Ten Skills, your Mother forgot to tell you that you needed to be a Business Analyst,A founding member of the,Who is Kathleen Barret?,1,2,Senior Business Consultant, Requirements Management / Business Analysis Centre of Competency Lead, BMO Financial Group,President, International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA),Who is BMO Financial Group?,Founded in 1817 as Canadas first chartered bank, BMO Financial Group is one the largest financial services providers in North America Assets $256 billion Employees 34,000 Information Technology 3,500 Services include: BMO Bank of Montreal - Personal & Commercial Banking (Canadian) BMO Nesbitt Burns - Investment & Wealth Management (Canadian) Harris Bank Financial Services (Mid-West US) Harris Nesbitt Investment Bank (US),Introduction,So you want to be a Business Analyst,What is a Business Analyst,Business Analysts are responsible for identifying the business needs of their clients and stakeholders to help determine solutions to business problems. The Business Analyst is responsible for requirements development and requirements management. Specifically, the Business Analyst elicits, analyzes, validates and documents business, organizational and/or operational requirements. Solutions are not predetermined by the Business Analyst, but are driven solely by the requirements of the business. Solutions often include a systems development component, but may also consist of process improvement or organizational change. The Business Analyst is a key facilitator within an organization, acting as a bridge between the client, stakeholders and the solution team. Business analysis is distinct from financial analysis, project management, quality assurance, organizational development, testing, training and documentation development. However, depending on an organization, an individual Business Analyst may perform some or all of these related functions.,The 10 “Skills”,Analyst Facilitator Negotiator Artist / Architect Planner Communicator Diplomat Expert / Consultant Strategist Revolutionary,Describe each role Identify the skill or activity required Provide an example of the type of training available to support its development,The Analyst,“Help determine solutions to business problems” The ultimate problem solver,The Analyst,Analytical & Systems Thinking Understand & make judgments about a situation by breaking it apart into smaller pieces or by tracing the implications of a situation in a step-by-step way Organize the problem, opportunity or situation in a systematic way Set priorities Identify causal or If-Then relationships Synthesize the component parts in the context of a whole system,Training,Problem Solving & Decision Making Provide participants with the skills and tools they need to determine root issues and plan for success Identify and find solutions to problems Apply creative thinking skills, resulting in improved solutions Apply decision-making methodology Anticipate & plan for problems before they occur Use a process tool to analyze situations, separate concerns, establish priorities & initiate appropriate action,The Facilitator,“Key facilitator within an organization” “Elicits requirements” Ensures positive, continuous discussion & progress,The Facilitator,Facilitation / Requirements Elicitation Facilitation Create a positive and constructive group environment Maintain the group focus Lead the discussion toward stated goals Elicitation Use questioning techniques and other tools to discover process and data from a group of users or stakeholders,Training,Facilitating Client Requirements Provide the methodology and skills needed to discover client requirements in a meeting environment Elicit business & system requirements from stakeholders using a variety of meeting management techniques bases on the types of meeting (e.g., modeling, kick-off, status, etc.) Use group management methods to ensure an productive requirements gathering session,The Negotiator,“Act as a bridge between the client, stakeholders & solution team” Maintain balance between potentially conflicting needs of various stakeholders,The Negotiator,Consensus & Agreement Building Help others reach agreement around a project or a set of ideas Take on contentious issues or entrenched interests to bring about a beneficial resolution Negotiation: Ensuring win-win solutions when two parties start from different positions Consensus and Agreement Building: Working together, assisting others, to reach a common understanding and commitment Conflict Management: Bringing disagreements into the open to help diffuse them,Training,Power Communications Communicate effectively with team members, manage client expectations to reach consensus & to ensure successful project outcomes Utilize influence and communication skills to manage client and peer relationships Manage difficult conversations & more effectively deal with conflict Practice negotiation skills that result in consensus with your client an