Well, I’m not sure when I got to the part where I’m being called a senior. Aside from my, ergh, age, I like to think I have learned some things and gained some experience in my 14-year work journey.
While being in a role of a true business analyst only for the last couple of years, looking back, the work I’ve done in other roles includes analysis in most parts – business (or any) process analysis, system/architecture analysis, bug fix analysis, code analysis, stakeholder or subordinate personality and/or work analysis…
So, apparently, I like to analyse stuff.
While contemplating what would be some good practices in this line of work, although my role is in Business Analysis, I’m not going to write only about good BA techniques and practices (well at least not in this article). I’m going to write more about good-general practices derived from my past work experience as I believe these practices are applicable in all work roles.
So here they are, 15 tips in no particular order.
- Do not stop and wait. If you feel you’ve hit the wall or don’t know what to do or how to do it, just don’t stop. Ask, research, google and ask again. If nothing works, then repeat the cycle until you have something.
- It’s OK to make mistakes.
- Document everything. Don’t rely solely on memorizing. Similar to foreign languages, use it or lose it.
- Be curious. You have to pull the sleeve of those people more knowledgeable than you – proactivity is very rewarding.
- Go for being nerdy instead of a know-it-all. You have to do the reading of available documentation. Ask more questions. Even if you think they are stupid. Even if you think you know your part of a project well. This can broaden the context of what you’re doing and help you understand the bigger picture.
- If a task seems overwhelming or too complex, try to break it into smaller pieces and go piece by piece.
- Do things for others and others will do things for you.
- Be patient. Don’t hurry with ideas and solutions. Sometimes you have to sleep it over more than once and you gain new clarity on the subject. Concentrate on the problem formulation, not the solution. Talk to colleagues about the problem. Hear other perspectives.
- You have to understand the business processes well, so study them until you are confident.
- Go out of your domain. Try looking at the code. Do testing. Chart a system architecture. Check the logic of database inquiry. Ask system admins about servers, application structure, services and installations…
- Finish what you’ve committed yourself to. Actually, go out of your way to do it. Don’t let your unfinished work be delegated to someone else. Bosses and colleagues might resent you for it.
- Nurture relationships with colleagues. Don’t bury yourself in work all day.
- Repeat given tasks in your own words and ask for confirmation from the task-giver whether you understood correctly what you need to do. This will eliminate misunderstanding and ambiguity.
- Share knowledge. Workshops, presentations, documents, how-tos… This is good for you, your social and presentational skills, your colleagues, and your organization.
- And last but not least, be kind to yourself and others.
While these might not be super innovative or revolutionary, in fact, we all know them and they are universal, if you follow these basic rules you will be one step closer to success. It’s always good to remind ourselves of them from time to time. I sure know I have to.
