There are lots of traits that are required for being a good manager. However, we have researched hard and found out top nine skills that are recommended for being a business analysis leader:
1. Watching design as a differentiator
All the people can design, but the real question is whether everyone can design perfectly. The annoying and frustrated users will say who cares? Taking design seriously will allow you look unique from the other business analysts who never give it a second thought. Creating interface is good looking and practical things. So, you should see design as a different thing that the others can’t see. It will increase your reputation as the leader for sure.
2. Develop the vision- Be adaptable to the approach
There is a need for building a strong and a consensus vision for getting the adequate result. Sharing the mission of the result for the project can allow you to gain a wonderful understanding within your company. Don’t forget to share it frequently and more often. The vision can be applied in many different ways.
3. Complete understanding of the customers and users
The main user lays at the heart of every vision. These users are the ones who interact with your processes, applications, and systems each day. There is a chance that everything fades away or collapses without them. Determining your main users and then target them for creating meaningful interfaces and processes are pretty important.
Focusing on your marketing and communication strategies will take you to the vision and produce them in a specific manner. Understanding the choice of your main users is very important to your success and make them support your vision. If you become successful in putting the main users on the board, then you will become capable to fall the other types of users too. So, you should build a fan base.
Some of you might be surprised to know that accounting application also has a fan base. These fans generally support you and give you modern ways for building your vision. Treating your fans correctly will make you stronger and better. You should be adaptable. There will be lots of obstacles in the road that will distract you from your vision.
Complete understanding of the planning plays a vital role in elicitation of design and its requirements, but they are changeable and subject to frequent modifications. Developing a planning approach make sure you have knowledge about your path, but still be prepared for the complex and detailed problems.
4. Don’t plan for over 18 months
It is impossible to have long-term planning more than 18 months. Markets and companies change too fast to have it planned well past one and half years. Secondly, the five-year plan that you have planned is obsolete. Brushing up your planning will help you in reaching your vision. You should re-group and re-think about your approach many times till reaching your mission. It is good to be aware that you require modifying your planning and approach on a regular basis than planning out for a long term.
5. Planning, performing, evaluating and adjusting
Now, we have already talked a lot about the planning in the above points. Check out the cycle that actually works efficiently:
Planning it out
Select a path that can take you to your goal. Always make a Requirements Work Plan. Developing the consensus and having complete information about tasks is mandatory for performing well for the project.
Performing as per the plan
Never let yourself Requirement Work Plan become inactive. Work hard for carrying out the tasks that you have outlined and complete the work before the deadline. It will help in creating trust.
Continuous Evaluation
You should be aware of the fact that your best-laid task can change instantly. Keep track all the activities or projects that are distracting you from the actual goal. Don’t forget to track your progress against the plan so that the things that are going off plan can be detected.
Re-planning proactively
It is important that you should stay on track and re-plan on a regular basis. Furthermore, keep your team aware of the re-planning technique and why it is required. It is better to re-plan more frequently than getting distracted and missing the expected deadlines. There are no things like fast and hard tests, no matter what your supervisor tells you.
6. Never rely on a single method of communication
There is no second thought that the email is a wonderful way of communication, but that doesn’t mean it is the only method to communicate about the potential changes, status, and success of the project to the users. All the people remain loaded with the email. Selecting a new channel of communication for keeping the vision of your project and its potential organizational effects will be visible. Some of the great ways to do are personal notes and open houses where can visit during a two hour period for asking questions. Moreover, the hallway meetings can also work perfectly for communication.
7. Targeting opportunities- Destroying Problems
Only targeting problems can make you away from the chances that can bring the real results. You should have an optimistic attitude and select the bright side. They present new opportunities and that’s why you should remain ready to utilize its advantages. Figuring out problems and reaching to the main cause so that it can be destroyed later. Never thought about trimming or cutting the branches of a problem. Instead, you should target the roots and kill them. Don’t give a second chance to problems for growing back.
8. Create your team carefully- build strong relationships
You should stay careful while choosing your team members. You should listen what your gut feeling says and never bring on-board resources that are not trusted by you- even you can’t explain them. It is extremely tough to use words that you don’t trust. Selecting the perfect members for the team will take you to near the vision. In addition, it is equally important to maintain a team. Every week, you should gather the team outside the workloads and spend time with each of them. Moreover, weekly status meetings can also be organized.
Always try to hold meetings outside the office premises. Even going to a different conference hall can help in changing the perspective of the team if they are working in the same room every day. Thanks to your team members for amazing performance and always be grateful. Remember the things that we have mentioned in the communication section where we explained about using different channels.
Never rely only on the email because they lack communication. You can try sending a thank you card or just asking your team members for a day out as an appreciation for their help. If you want to pass through the tough times in a project, then it is very important to build strong relationships.
9. Be aware of your strengths- Outsourcing your weakness
You can never be everything to everyone. Find out your plus points and the things where you are good at. Personality tests can tell you all the important things, but it is better to ask around. Ask your friends, colleagues, and family who can tell you accurately about your strengths. Use these strengths as you are strong in these things for a reason. Also, find your negative points so that you can outsource them to eliminate them. In order to get extra credit, create a project team who understands what your weaknesses and strengths so that the team can remain balanced.
So, that’s it, we have told you the entire truth. These skills are needed daily if you are a leader and contributors in the business analysis field. They are the bottom part that a company holds.