Business Analysis Live!

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 understanding the mechanics of a story, are a skill that can be used across many disciplines, and this has an element of curiosity and creativity. Susan says “business analysis professionals are professional learners” in our discussion. Adrian chats with us about how sales roles some similarities to business analysis. Can curiosity be developed? Tina shares her thoughts on how practicing curiosity can help us get more information to help us be more successful. Sometimes it can be intimidating to ask questions, and organizations can help or hinder this through their culture. By fostering an environment that’s safe to ask questions, organizations can improve their performance. Tina and Adrian share details about their initiative called the BA School Day. This is to raise awareness of the business analysis career for students in schools, colleges, and universities. It will help inform and inspire BAs of the future. It’s an opportunity for the business analysis community to engage their local community with resources from the website and make a pledge. Go to https://baschool.day/ to learn more. RESOURCES: BA School Day - https://baschool.day/ Book – The Accidental Salesperson Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage. Business Analysis Live is hosted by: - Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA - Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis.  As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.  Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/  #businessanalysis #curiosity

Guest Yulia Kosarenko discusses hiring business analysts from the hiring manager perspective. They talk about the importance of job descriptions, communication skills, and adapting communication style. They also cover tips for job interviews, including researching the company and showing enthusiasm. The conversation touches on professional development and staying up-to-date with industry trends. Overall, it provides valuable insights for both hiring managers and business analyst applicants.

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 observation and ensure that employees understand why it is being done. RESOURCES: -IIBA’s KnowledgeHub https://www.iiba.org/knowledgehub/business-analysis-body-of-knowledge-babok-guide/10-techniques/10-31-observation/ - The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge https://www.iiba.org/career-resources/a-business-analysis-professionals-foundation-for-success/babok/ Business Analysis Live is hosted by: - Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA - Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/ #businessanalysis #observation

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 tool. We don’t focus on the technology in this discussion, we focus on the implications and usefulness of this artificial intelligence technology. During our discussion, we demonstrate a simple example of using OpenAI’s ChatGPT tool. The example is exploring what menu items and policies to include when building a website. The results provide lists of items and a brief description of each. There are a number of useful functions ChatGPT can perform: - Knowledge gathering and research to perform discovery work quickly and efficiently - Summarize the transcript of a meeting - Building creative output such as a social media calendar and title ideas (even poems and song lyrics!) - Writing code such as SQL - Productivity tools: Microsoft and Google are working to include Large Language Models (LLMs) in their productivity suites to perform mundane or repetitive tasks. This will provide the ability to use this functionality to address low-value work and free up more time. Susan describes “shallow work” versus “deep work”, where LLMs can help with the shallow work. Some examples of how the ChatGPT type of functions will work in productivity suites are: - Draft an email based on available data (meeting transcripts, files, emails, etc.) - Generate a presentation (including photos it has access to) - Pull meaning from a spreadsheet of data Some limitations of ChatGPT are it can’t create new ideas, it could be plagiarising, it can’t read body language, it doesn’t understand organizational culture, etc. There are some risks of using ChatGPT as it can generate results that aren’t accurate. It requires diligence to ensure the results are used appropriately. Emal suggests making sure you’re clear on the prompts you ask to get more accurate results and look at the results critically to review it well. RESOURCES: Emal’s YouTube Channel with ChatGPT demos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DaJVZBXETE&t=0s Cornell University Study - GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130 Productivity Tools: - Microsoft 365 Copilot Info -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7xTBa93TX8&t=0s - AI and Google Workspace Info -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DaJVZBXETE&t=0s Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage. International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/ #chatgpt #AI #businessanalysis

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 to attend  Only invite relevant attendees  Start and end on time - show respect for people  Take notes to document decisions and action items (including action item, owner of the action item, and due date)   Additional Elements for Effective Meetings   Decide if you need a meeting, or if you can accomplish this via email or chat  Manage the discussion to keep it on track  Send a summary of the meeting to attendees with decisions, action items, and next steps  chat, Slack, Teams, etc.  For virtual meetings, turn your camera on  body language is an important part of communication  Be a hero, and finish the meeting 5 minutes early   Tool Tips:  Use visuals to help facilitate the meeting Use a Timer to manage to the agenda for larger groups (get a helper)  Use a virtual whiteboard to collaborate   RESOURCES: Podcast for Business Analysis Live https://www.iiba.org/professional-development/knowledge-centre/podcasts/ Business Analysis Live is hosted by:  Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA  Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA   The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis.  As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.  Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/  #meetings #techniques #businessanalysis

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 get good at business analysis  Change management  Organizations and business domains  Starting a business analysis career  Problem solving and opportunity seeking People, process, and technology  Data analytics  Human behaviour and psychology  The art and science of business analysis  The importance of context   RESOURCES:  LinkedIn Learning Course by Laura Paton: What is Business Analysis? https://www.linkedin.com/learning/what-is-business-analysis Certification in Business Data Analytics  https://www.iiba.org/business-analysis-certifications/business-data-analytics-certification/ Business Analysis Live is hosted by: - Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA - Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA  We discuss business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience. Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis.  As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/  #businessanalysis #babok #career

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 analysts to understand the business domain.  To underscore the importance of HR, one of our livestream viewers, Tracy Kincaid-Mielak commented “You can’t have a business without the people so people should be your primary focus”.  The certificate program helps HR professionals learn “how to speak the language of the business”.  Using the foundations of business analysis, participants elevate their ability to positively impact their organizations by conducting comprehensive needs analysis and creating evidence-based solutions.   For information on the certificate program, visit https://mx.hrpa.ca/pages/hrpa-meeting...    To learn more about the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), visit https://www.hrpa.ca    Business Analysis Live is hosted by:  Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA  Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA   Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage. The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis.  As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.   Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/  #businessanalysis #humanresources #hr Show less

The podcast discusses the top 9 skills for business analysis professionals based on research from around the world. They cover topics such as leadership, stakeholder understanding, decision making, business knowledge, and communication skills. The hosts also mention the benefits of joining Toastmasters for improving public speaking skills and provide a preview of the next episode.

"Business Analysis Live!" delves into common myths surrounding business analysis. Hosted by Susan Moore and Scott Bennett, they tackle misconceptions like business analysts only working in IT and solely creating requirements documents. They also discuss the importance of the 50 techniques in the Babot Guide, debunk myths about business analyst roles and the necessity of business analysts in agile frameworks. Additionally, they differentiate between the roles of Six Sigma Black Belts and business analysts, and explore the advantages and challenges of being a generalist or specialist in the field.

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 https://careercenter.iiba.org/ Entry Certificate to Business Analysis (ECBA) https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/MZeeRQGWrwb Top 7 Soft Skills for Business Analysts Video https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/gprrUNGWrwb Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question at live@iiba.org or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage. Business Analysis Live is hosted by:  Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA  Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA   We discuss business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience.  We have a backlog of upcoming topics and we’re happy to take suggestions.  The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis.  As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.  Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/  #businessanalysis #job #interview #businessanalyst