We discuss effective problem solving with Khethelo Malinga, who presented at the Building Business Capabilities (BBC) conference on the topic. We talk though challenges of why problem solving can be difficult and how to overcome them in organizations. We also take live questions from viewers on LinkedIn live. RESOURCES: - Book: Bulletproof Problem Solving – free access to the book and audio book for IIBA members here...

Susan and Scott talk with Laura Paton about strategy analysis. They discuss the role of business analysis professionals in strategy analysis and the skills required for this work. They highlight the need for experience and the ability to work with executives, facilitate meetings efficiently, use various techniques for eliciting and analyzing information, and effective communication. They also mention specific techniques like the Business Model Canvas and SWOT analysis used in strategy...

Susan and Scott discuss requirements engineering and business analysis. Our guest is Stan Buehne from the International Requirements Engineering Board (IREB). IREB is a nonprofit organization based in Germany that focuses on promoting and improving the discipline of requirements engineering. Stan discusses the importance of requirements engineering in various industries, such as automotive, aviation, and medical domains. He emphasizes the need for precision and accuracy in documenting...

Our guest, Maria Montgomery, is a business analysis expert from Australia, who has been in the field for over a decade. Maria expresses her passion for coaching and sharing her knowledge through her book on business analysis: The Art of Getting Business Analysis Right Maria shares a graphic representing different career paths in business analysis. She explains that career progressions in business analysis are similar to technical analysis, but with some distinctions. Technical analysts tend...

Whether transitioning from another profession or starting your first professional job, we discuss how certification can help start your business analysis career.  We answer questions from our live audience about making this change.   The Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA) is a professional certification offered by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA).  This is a globally recognized certification designed for people who don’t have experience in the business...

How does curiosity help in your career? Curiosity leads to discovery and it can be fostered or suppressed. Christina (Tina) Lovelock and Adrian Reed join us for a discussion about curiosity and a global initiative they’ve launched called BA School Day. Curiosity allows us to explore and learn. For business analysis professionals, learning and asking effective questions are an important part of the role. But curiosity has no bounds in terms of job role. For example, storytelling and...

In this discussion we talk about hiring business analysts from the hiring manager perspective. It may also be useful for business analyst applicants to understand what hiring managers are looking for. Our guest on this episode of Business Analysis Live is Yulia Kosarenko, who has a YouTube channel called Why Change. We start by discussing the importance of the job description. It’s important to articulate details about what the candidate will be doing in the job. We discuss...

Observation is a valuable source of information and can be used to gain insights that cannot be obtained through conversations. We discuss the technique of observation in business analysis share stories about our experiences. As with any technique, there are benefits and challenges. Observation can reveal inefficiencies and help organizations improve their processes. However, observation can also create anxiety among employees, so it is important to communicate the purpose of the...

ChatGPT is a new Artificial Intelligence technology and we discuss how this is useful as a research and productivity tool. Susan and Scott chat with Emal Bariali, the Founder of BA Blocks, who has been researching ChatGPT for use by business analysis professionals. Emal has published several ChatGPT videos on his YouTube channel (see link below). As a high-level primer, GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer. It is a type of Large Language Model (LLM) artificial intelligence...

The purpose of most meetings is to make decisions.  Are your meetings effective?  Have you attended meetings that are a waste of time?  Susan and Scott have run meetings for decades.  Join them as they discuss effective meetings and take questions from the live audience.   Top 5 Essential Elements of Effective Meeting  State the objective of the meeting so people know what to expect.  Include an agenda so attendees can prepare or possibly reject the meeting if it’s not suitable for them...

Business Analysis is defined as “the practice of enabling change in an organizational context, by defining needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders” in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK© Guide v3).  The BABOK guide was developed by a global working group, including our guest, Laura Paton.   We talk with Laura about Business Analysis from different perspectives:  The profession, research, and competencies  Roles and Job Titles  How long it takes to...

Human Resources is key to running a successful organization.  It’s typically a top cost among expenses.  How do business analysis skills apply to Human Resources?  Kris Tierney joins us from the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), which has partnered with The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) to offer the “Radical HR: Upskilling from Service Provider to Solution Expert” program.   During our chat with Kris, we talk about Human Resources (HR) for business...

What are the most important skills for business analysis professionals?  We discuss the top 9 skills identified in the IIBA Global State of Business Analysis report.  This is research from business analysis professionals around the world.  Can you guess what the top skill is for your career?  We count down to the #1 skill and take questions from the livestream audience.   RELATED ARTICLES:  Skills Every Business Analysis Professional Needs...

“Business analysis professionals only work in IT”, is that a myth?  What about “Business analysts only create requirements documents”?  In this episode of Business Analysis Live we talk about common business analysis myths and answer questions from our live audience.   RESOURCES:  - Business Analysis Job Titles - https://youtu.be/c6Ne1J9IlJE  - Top Business Analysis Myths, Analyst Catalyst blog - https://www.iiba.org/business-analysis-blogs/top-business-analysis-myths/ Business Analysis...

Looking for a business analysis job?  We discuss interview questions that you may encounter and how to approach them.  Preparation is key and our guest, Yulia Kosarenko, shares tips on how to get ready for a business analysis job interview.  She has some great advice.  Yulia Kosarenko is the author of “Business analyst: a profession and a mindset” and also publishes videos on her “Why Change” YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@WhyChange  RESOURCES:  IIBA Career Center...

It's the end of the year and time to think about those professional development goals! Certifications are usually high on that list. International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) has 7 business analysis certifications - 3 core and 4 specialized. All the business analysis certification exams offered by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) are proctored online. We get lots of questions about how online proctoring works. In this episode of Business Analysis Live! Scott...

Even when business analysis professionals don't have a title of leader, they are informal leaders on projects. In this episode, Scott and Susan are joined by Lead Business Analyst, Supervisor and newest #CBAP (Certified Business Analysis Professional) holder, John Reeves who writes and talks about business analysis leadership. We learn from John the leadership skills most in demand for business analysts and how they can lead without authority.  John is a frequent contributor of leadership...

SWOT analysis is a powerful tool to explore ideas and look at the big picture.  The four perspectives captured in this model are: - Strengths (internal) - Weaknesses (internal) - Opportunities (external) - Threats (external). In this podcast Scott and Susan create a SWOT analysis together using live audience feedback to show not only how it works but how a business analysis professional would facilitate the activity.  The key skill in performing a SWOT analysis is facilitation to ensure your...

What is a Product Owner? There's a lot of myth and rumor about this important role in agile organizations.   In this episode, Scott and Susan welcome Emily Midgely, a Product Owner (and President of the IIBA Cleveland [Ohio] Chapter), to talk about what Product Owners do. They get into the skills needed for this work, how Product Owners work with business analysts and other roles in an organization and, as always, they answer questions from the audience about product owners and product...

In IIBA's most recent Global State of Business Analysis survey, the business analysis community told us that there are 7 soft skills critical to the work of BA professionals. Some say "soft skills," well, we say "essential skills!" These skills not only make your work stand out as a business analyst but also differentiate you in the marketplace.  In this episode Scott and Susan identify those 7 skills and dive into what that means. As always, they take audience questions live!  Do you have...

Business Analysis Planning and Monitoring is one of the knowledge areas identified in the BABOK© Guide. If you've never performed business analysis planning on a project, you might think it's another one of those upfront planning processes from waterfall. In this episode, Scott and Susan, along with guest Hans Eckman, demystify what this essential area is all about. We talk about how and when this is done in both #waterfall and #agile projects as well as how planning can ensure you set...

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and that got us thinking - what's the role of a Business Analysis professional working in cybersecurity? It isn't what you might think. In fact, business analysis is even more critical to organizations' strategy and reputation than just blocking intrusions. In this episode Scott and Susan talk with Bindu Channaveerappa, a cybersecurity business analysis expert, about how business analysts are involved in every level of security within an...

What's the difference between a Business Analyst, a Business Systems Analyst and an IT Business Analyst? Well, it depends. Hunting for business analysis jobs can be challenging because job titles can be generic or very specific. The differences in the titles can be found in the details of the job posting. But how do you even get that far in searching for business analysis jobs? In this episode, Scott and Susan talk about tips, hacks and research into business analysis job titles and, as...

In this episode, Scott and Susan have a special guest, Angelo Kalevela. Angelo is user experience design practitioner and business analyst that has a YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/c/AngeloKalevela). He focuses on business analysis professionals who are new to the profession or thinking about becoming a business analyst with short, approachable videos meant to inform and coach. We talk about the parallels between business analysis and user experience work, coaching new business...

The Project Management body of knowledge says that projects fail due to missed requirements. The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK) says requirements are missed because #stakeholders are missed. Missing requirements happen on projects. It's a common issue faced by #businessanalysts. In this episode, Scott and Susan discuss the impacts of missed requirements, how to avoid them and what to do when you discover it's happened.   Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question...