This is pure garbage!! Everything that is mentioned in this article can be applied to any job, not just to business analysts! Which decent job does not require planning, performance development, etc.?? In addition, the comparison to triathlon is also lame Using his logic, anything can be compared to business analysis!!
Let's just pick the daily task of deciding what to cook.. First, you need to know what’s the budget and the required experience (enterprise analysis), who needs to eat and what are their preferences (stakeholder analysis),what to cook , when and how to get the ingredients (planning), asking the family members for their opinion (elicitation), collating and prioritizing their responses (analysis) and come up with the suggestion of what you want to cook. Next, re-confirming with the family if they are ok with what you proposed to cook (validation). Finally, get their agreement (sign-off).
There, you go. Perhaps, I should write an article called “What business analysts can learn from anything??”
Ignoring for a moment your complete lack of respect for others, you are correct this can be applied to anything in life. That is in fact one of the main points of this example. Comparing it to an endurance sport merely accentuates the importance of consistency by providing a powerful and exciting example. There is a reason why few complete endurance goals such as marathons and triathlons.
Consistency, while so easy to understand, is rarely given the weight that it deserves. I've managed many analysts for many years and most of them have short bursts of above average performance in an effort to achieve there goals, only to burn out or fail in other areas where they lose focus. The consistent analyst, one who is consistently improving, will achieve far more over their career.
On a final note, perhaps you SHOULD write an article. Then you would have taken a step which sets you apart from 95% of others in your profession. Too few take the time to give back to the community. So when they do, you may want to consider giving positive and constructive feedback.
@astley88...relax. I hope you don't start off requirements reviews with "this is pure garbage!!"!!
I agree with you this article applies to any role, any improvement initiative. But BAs need to hear this message over and over. A common voice I hear from BAs is "we don't get respect, or no one understands what we do". Well, who has control over changing that? The BAs. How do we get more respect? By improving everyday.
haha...Gee..I`m an experience BA..Somehow I still like astley88's comparison of BA with cooking so much better!! :)
Peace,
JohnnyBoy
Greetings:
Back in the day I coached a Golden Gloves boxing team. Lots of would be boxers showed up, however they found out rather quickly that they don't enjoy being hit and I never saw them again.
Moreover, most individuals whether they are boxers, BA's, etc. have limitations. Various individuals may have the desire/will to achieve some goal. Unfortunately, due to physical and or mental limitations some individuals never achieve that goal.
To borrow a concept from mathematics, that of necessary and sufficient conditions. If one does not meet the conditions failure is most likely at hand.
Regards,
Zarfman
I've always thought that aptitude in understanding and using idoims and analogies was a key Business Analyst skill. So guess it is no surprise that we are discussing an article that is one long analogy/metaphor/conceit, and whether others would be better.
Anyone interested in describing how being a good assassin is like being a good BA? Or maybe how being a good bank robber is like being a good BA?
My personal opinion is that effort and diligence do not make a great BA. I do think that one needs to be committed to contributing as much as possible, but improving your contributions follows a non-linear path in requirements engineering. In particular, I think that "repetition" is of much less value in analysis, compared to athletic training.
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