Communication and Connectedness in Business Analysis

Maria Horrigan Principal Consultant BA World Sept 2009

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Gro

wth

Time

Information and knowledge

Human absorptive capacity

Cohen & Levinthal 1989

A world of rapidly growing knowledge ….

....that is increasingly connected

new friends

familylocalcolleaguesold

friends

oldcolleagues

colleaguesat other offices

virtualcommunities

localnetworks

old classmates

..and is just a click away

Modern IT Application Projects

• People demand to be heard• People expect to be involved• People’s expectations of how good

systems are is based on their experience of modern internet

• ..that means the Google World - Gmail, Google Search, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube of the “Nintendo” generation

What does their expectation mean?

Project success hinges on communicating with people:

• To understand what they want• To set expectations about what the

project will actually deliver (and what it won’t)

• To show them how the project will help them in their work

• To uncover what they need . . .

…sometimes they don’t know what they need

What’s their requirement of you?

• Knowing how to talk to people & get the info you need to write requirements

• Effectively negotiating with important stakeholders

• Getting the right messages to the right people at the right time

• An understanding of both the ‘big picture’ and the detail

• Understand the context & the situation

Role of Business Analyst is key!

• The Communicator • The Translator• The Juggler of technology and

people’s needs• The one between the rock and a

hard place• The Connector (bridge)

How do we do all this Communications Stuff Effectively?

• Analyse the stakeholders needs and wants, how they are connected and why

• Understand how they communicate, their preference and style

• Learn the project in the context of people’s work and how this fits into the wider organisational context

ANALYSE STAKEHOLDERSTheir needs and wants, their connections to others

“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know”

Me and Brad

Me and Bill Gates

Analysing “who is who in the zoo”

• Who to talk to• Who has influence• Who knows the business needs • What drives & motivates people’s work

behaviour • How to talk to them • How to tailor the communication to

these different people

Multiplicity of networks official vs. unofficial

Advice - Who do you go to for advice? • Who goes to you for advice?

Collaboration - Who do you collaborate with?• How do you collaborate (social media)

Trust - Who do you trust?• Who is your friend?

Conflict - Who is a blocker or gatekeeper?

Social Networking Analysis

• Mathematical, graphical, theoretical understanding of the social world

• Mapping, understanding, analysing and measuring interactions across a network of people, groups, organisations, computers, and websites

• Uncovers networks and their structures • Identifies flows of information & knowledge• Fosters knowledge sharing

Understanding Social Networks

• the location of actors in the network • the various roles and groupings in a

network

Gives insight into:• who are the connectors, experts, leaders,

bridges, isolates, the core or hub?• where are the clusters and who is in

them?• who is on the periphery?

Six Degrees of Separation

Uncovering networks in organisations

Formal organization Informal organization

Teigland et al. 2005

Centrality : revealing network structure • Very centralized network dominated by

one or a few very central nodes, if removed, network fragments & fails

• Less centralized network resilient in the face of attacks, many nodes can fail yet allow remaining to still reach each other

• Boundary Spanners connect their group to others, positioned to be innovators as have access to ideas/info in other clusters

• Periphery of a network may connect to networks not currently mapped, important sources for fresh information

Dimensions to effective use of a Network

• Knowledge - Knowing what someone knows

• Access - Gaining timely access to that person

• Engagement - Creating viable knowledge through cognitive engagement

• Safety - Learning from a safe relationship

Cross, Parker and Borgatti, 2002

CASE STUDY

Use of SNA to model users’ network and map the relationships between people, groups, organisations and information.

Context - New System to support assessment of applications for funding

• Started with waterfall analysis (2 years of gathering requirements)

• No idea what the end solution would be like (very political, high profile project)

• Processes not well documented• Large organisational change project• External industry pressure for it to happen

Problem to be solved

• Multiple stakeholders across silos• Information flows between individuals and

groups not well known• Limited documentation of information and

processes (in people’s heads)• Terminology and Language issues

What we did

• Design team adopted an agile approach• Partnered BAs with IA to lead three

streams of activities • SNA of key players (needed to know the

information needs of these key users)• Needed “skinny” documentation to quickly

convey understanding to stakeholders of the key features of the system and its processes and the flow of information

Project Case Study

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_analysis_software

Degree of Centrality in Network

It not the “more connections the better”, but where they lead to…

Hub has most connections – authority gained

..and how they connect the otherwise unconnected

Centrality and Betweenness

Great influence over what flows (and does not)

Broker role between Business and IT

“location location location”

Centrality and Closeness

Shortest path to all others – gives quick

access

Best visibility of what is happening in the

network

Excellent position to monitor info flows

Project Case Study

Project ChampionBoundary Spanner

Periphery

Potential blocker

Gatekeeper

Key decision maker

Influencer

Key User

Trusted advisor

Facilitator

Key User Supporter

Access to more Knowledge and Info

Someone on the periphery of your network may have access to many other networks within the organisation

Map shows 1st & 2nd degree relationships

… but of course these are just a subsection of the networked organisation

What did I learn

• Getting the right people involved can be the difference between success & failure

• Take the time to do upfront stakeholder analysis & plan the stakeholder activities

• Build the team based on JIT assessment of what’s needed for the project – works well when you know who is who

• Involve users in validation will increase adoption of and buy-in to the final solution

Need to know the Team Capability & Tailor Communication to meet their needs

Team

Develper

Business Analyst

Business Analyst

Info officer

DesignArchitect

Graphic designer

What competencies do they bring to the team

What is the role of the BA?

Who else in the wider network could help contribute to the solution?

Communicate Lesson Learned

Team

Develper

Business Analyst

Business Analyst

Info offcier

DesignArchitect

Graphic designer

Team

Business analyst

DesignArchitect

Media

Comms

Project Sponsor

ChangeManager

Lessons learned

Project Six Degrees of SeparationYou may only be one or two degrees away from some who know the info you need

Project teams can be connected and lessons learnt and reuse made possible

Leveraging Centrality

• Leverage project champions • Understand who might be “blockers” or

“gatekeepers” • Find the “go to people” to elicit info• Don’t reinvent the wheel• Communicate - understand their lessons

learnt to improve likelihood of success • Know who to communicate key messages

UNDERSTANDING STAKEHOLDERS

Now we know who, we need to know how…..

How they communicate, their preference for style & communication channels

Understanding ‘how’ to Communicate

Style preference• Person’s orientation towards process

vs. results • Need for recognition vs. need for

security

Communication Channels preference• Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic • What type of medium for the message • How best to document and display the

information

DDrivers

SSupporters

TTalkers

CControllers

task

peop

le

• Goal oriented• Assertive• Task &

information focused

• People oriented

• Animated• Creative• Outgoing

• Logical • Information

& task focus• Detail • Cautious &

risk averse

• People oriented

• Team players

• Dependable

• Stable

Style

Know your own style & preference

• Stakeholders may have a very different style to me

• “Driver”/“Controller” – analytical & results focused, need to bring people along rather than trying to push too hard

• Use the strengths of your style & adapt to the different stakeholders on a project

• No particular style is better than another• Contextual and situational so be flexible

People learn different ways

V= Visual (Something ‘seen’ or visual stimulation)• Need a graphic representation

A= Auditory (A ‘sound’ memory or related to a sound• Need to hear the explanation of how

things work

K= Kinaesthetic (Has a ‘doing’ memory, feeling the emotion or activity of the memory• Need to use the system to understand

Communication Channels

Write 5 words or phrases that relate to the words: Beach and Ocean

Place a V, an A, or a K against each:• V=visual (Something ‘seen’ or had visual

stimulation) e.g. See the blue sky, see children playing in the water

• A=Auditory (A ‘sound’ memory or related to a sound e.g. Hear the waves against the shore

• K=Kinaesthetic (Has a ‘doing’ memory & you thought of yourself feeling the emotion) e.g. Feel the sun and the sand, the taste of salt

Activity

How to support learning in users

V, A or K ? – Context Diagram

Visual

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V, A or ?- Prototypes

Visual

Exploring prototype in workshop is Kinaesthetic

V, A or K? – Business Process Map

Visual

V, A or K? – Presentation

Auditory

Can be Visual and Kinaesthetic

V, A or K? – Storyboarding

Kinaesthetic Visual

V, A or K ? - Workshop

Kinaesthetic

V, A or K ? - Use CasesUC01 Register Pharmacy

Description Users are able to register a pharmacy for the program.

Volume/Timing/Frequency Up to 5000 Pharmacies

Preconditions User has accessed website

Postconditions Community Pharmacy has been registered for the program

Trigger Community Pharmacy selects to register for program

Basic Flow1. Community Pharmacy selects to register2. System displays blank Pharmacy Registration screen (see Appendix A)3. Community Pharmacy enters “Pharmacy.Section90”4. System validates “Pharmacy.Section90”5. Community Pharmacy enters “Pharmacy.ABN”6. System validates ABN against Australian Business Register (ABR)7. System populates “Pharmacy.Pharmacy Trading Name”, “Pharmacy.Postcode”, “Pharmacy.State” and

“Pharmacy.GST Registered”Alternate Flow <A1>8. Community Pharmacy is not currently eligible 9. System displays Pharmacy Registration screen

Error Messages generated from this Use Case

Option to display help (display the online help for the current screen)

Basic Flow Step 4 – “Section 90 number is not an Approved Section 90 number. A valid Approved Section 90 number is required to register for programs. Please ensure you have entered it correctly.”

Visual

storyboards

user experience

requirements listspersonas

use case reference

business process

system objects/page types required

Agile - Requirements “On a Page”

Caters to most styles & channel preferences

How they LearnVisual Auditory KinaestheticLearn by seeing

• Have strong spelling & writing skills

• Find spelling mistakes distracting

• Not talk much & dislike listening for too long

• Will be distracted by untidiness and movement

Learn by listening

• Love to talk• Appear to daydream

whilst ‘talking’ inside their heads

• Read in a talking style• Love the telephone and

music

Learn by doing

Move around a lot, tap pens and shift in their seat

Want lots of breaks

Enjoy games Don’t like

reading, but doodle and take notes

Best BA Tools:• Context

Diagrams• Process maps• Presentations

(animation and diagrams)

• Prototypes• Storyboards

Best BA Tools:• Discuss User

scenarios (their story)

• Presentations• Podcasts

Best BA Tools:• Prototypes• Workshops• UAT (User

Acceptance Testing)

LEARN THE CONTEXT

Know the project in the context of people’s work and how this fits into the wider organisational context

Business Context of the Project

• Critical to understand business needs• Look at the project within context of

the organisation and the business unit• Enterprise Analysis vs. Business

Analysis• It’s not about You! It’s about Users• Always ask if what you are doing is

adding value and how does it link back to the strategy

Understanding the Business is Good Communication

• IT is now part of the business - every program, every initiative, will have some touch point with technology

• Success depends on anticipation of future trends , ability to sense upcoming developments and to design appropriate systems and processes

• Resolving misunderstandings about requirements

• Uncovering needs vs. wants

What needs to be considered

Not just about the technology

CONCLUSIONSTake home messages

Conclusions

Take Home messagesProjects can be more successful if:• You take the time to analyse the people,

relationships, connections between them• You understand communication preferences

will vary amongst stakeholders• Are flexible and adapt your style and channel

to you audience• Communicate as have a key role as translator

to bridge the gap between technology and the work people need to do

• Get the right people working on the solution

Project Elements

Storyboarding

Prototype

Analysis

Team

Process Maps

Iterative Design

Applying SNA and Communications

Makes sure you have the right team with the right skills

Choose the right channel based on users style and preferences

Makes sure your deliverables match these preferences

”No one knows everything,

everyone knows something,

all knowledge resides in humanity ”Networks

Lévy 1997

Fin.

Maria Horrigan Principal Consultant

Email:Maria.horrigan@oakton.com.auBlog: www.barocks.com zenagile.worpress.comSlideshare:www.slideshare.com/murphTwitter: @miahorri