Welcome back to the series of videos about the business analyst mindset.
We’ve talked a lot about analyzing business and its problems,
mapping processes and evaluating solution design.
The topic of this video is different – it’s about dealing with human beings.
While the business analysis profession is closely associated with information technology,
first and foremost we work with people, and a lot of information we receive
is pre-filtered through human perception and interpretation.
So whatever you do, remember this next principle of the BA Mindset:
Expect Human Behaviour from Human Beings.
As a business analyst, you have to work with people
to help solve problems created by people
to build solutions that will be used by people
People are not always predictable.
Dealing with them will have an element of uncertainty:
The same person can give you different information and varying answers
on the same subject at different times or under different circumstances.
Groups of people can have complex dynamics that are hard to measure, manage or predict.
People will not always make rational decisions.
They will have gut feelings, emotions, fears and intuitions.
Human nature, in general, is prone to cognitive biases
that even we analysts may not be aware of ourselves.
Of course, one of the reasons we become business analysts
is because we like working with people.
We enjoy the social aspects of the job – talking, asking questions, discussing and listening.
So let’s remember that we are all human, even when we run into people problems.
What do you do when it seems that someone has a hidden agenda
that does not match the project objectives?
What if a stakeholder is scared to answer all your questions
because they don’t want to take responsibility for the results?
How do you handle a jaded team member that does not believe in the success of the change?
How can you manage a key player that resists everything you do
because they perceive that the solution will be a threat to their position or influence?
And what can you do when a business expert does not give you
enough information and is always too busy to be of any help?
I’m not going to say this is easy – it’s not. Dealing with difficult situations
requires perception, empathy, intuition and the ability to look beyond petty and trivial.
There is, though, a key step that you can start with:
trying to understand each stakeholder.
What do they need? What are they afraid of?
Did they have any negative experience that impacts their judgement?
Are they struggling to understand why you are doing what you are doing?
Without understanding the person’s motivation,
it would be pretty hard for you to find the right approach.
And it is up to you, business analyst, to find this approach.
Find a way to deal with all these diverse characters, their strengths and weaknesses,
their stubbornness, biases, emotions and phobias.
Your discovery will be shaped by the rational and irrational sides of your stakeholders.
The way the stakeholders will present their problems to you,
the way they interact with each other, will never be completely logical.
By the way, neither you will be always completely logical
in processing the information that you receive.
You also have your strengths, weaknesses, biases and phobias,
whether you recognize them or not yet.
So, what can you do to navigate the human aspects of change?
Listen: pay attention to what people say or not say
Suggest options, consider other points of view, and negotiate
Be patient, slow down and make others comfortable
Have frank conversations and ask difficult questions with empathy
Stand your ground if needed and don’t be afraid to disagree, respectfully
Stay calm in dealing with conflicts, disruptions and arguments
And if everything else fails, just lighten up and use humour to relieve tension.
Of course, all these skills come easy to some and not so easy to others.
We all get better with experience and sometimes learn faster after we earn a few scars.
What you have to realize is that diplomacy, tact and a bit of psychology
are part of the job and an important component of your business analyst mindset.
Remember: you work with people to help solve problems created by people,
and to create solutions that will be used by people.
Understanding others, listening to them and recognizing their motivations,
needs and biases are critical to your job as a business analyst.
Expect human behaviour of human beings, and let it help you succeed as a business analyst.
With that, I will wrap up this video.
In the next and final episode, we will talk about learning and professional growth.
I’m Yulia Kosarenko, and you are watching the Why Change channel. Until next time!