The Creative and Innovative Business Analyst

31st July, 2013

Ian Richards

Principal Business Architect Serco Global Technology Delivery

CONTENTS

● Where can Business Analysts “unleash the potential of the mind”, express their creative side and have the opportunity to innovate?

● Does the current trend towards methodologies, templates, frameworks and reference architecture catalogues stifle creativity for Business Analysts?

● Is creativity and innovation key as a method for Business Analysts to demonstrate value to their clients?

● Does it cease to be creative to re-use?

●  Creativity is the generation of ideas while Innovation consists of transforming these ideas into action through a selection and an implementation

“Creativity is seeing what everyone else has seen, and thinking what no one else has thought.” Einstein

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

● Our brains are built for creative problem solving, and it is easy to both uncover and enhance our natural inventiveness.

Technology is the intersection of Science and engineering with liberal arts & humanities: Steve Jobs

CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION

● Our highly evolved brains are always assessing our ever-changing environment, mixing and matching our responses to fit each situation

CREATIVE PEOPLE

NOT SO CREATIVE PEOPLE?

Harry M. Warner, Warner Bros Pictures, 1927

"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?"

Charles H. Duell, Director of US Patent Office 1899

"Everything that can be invented has been invented."

NOT SO CREATIVE PEOPLE?

“you can’t win anything with kids” MOTD 1995

IS INTELLIGENCE A PREREQUISITE OF CREATIVITY?

● Ability to go wrong

● Children are creative because they are inquisitive.

● A child thinks innovatively

● Praise and encouragement

Adults seem to focus more on risk and benefit

CAN CREATIVITY BE LEARNED ?

● Talent

● Tools & Techniques

● Training

Many people think that creativity is a mysterious trait like charisma — you

either have it or you don't

SO WHAT IS STIFLING OUR CREATIVITY ?

● Are we as adults afraid to be creative because of senior management and colleagues?

● Do we tend to go with the tried, tested and trusted?

● The current trend is for the client to get us to take on the risk

● The competitive environment in which we work in isn’t somewhere that encourages us to take risks

IS THE TREND TOWARDS STANDARDISATION SUFFOCATING OUR CREATIVITY?

In an effort to standardise our work, have we lost focus of the importance of Creativity and Innovation?

Do I really have to use this tool?

Do I need to produce a document in this template?

Do I need to use this methodology, or follow this framework?

Do I need to work in accordance to this governance?

Do I have to re-use from the reference catalogue or contribute to it?

SO LETS LOOK AT OUR NEW WAY OF PAYING FOR GROCERIES.....

● Will it mean that anyone can

● follow a set of rules

● pick a selection of capabilities from a reference catalogue

● assemble them into a product

● Why not?

BOUNDARIES OF CREATIVITY WITH OTHER PROFESSIONS - THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

BOUNDARIES OF CREATIVITY WITH OTHER PROFESSIONS - THE BEAUTIFUL GAME

ONE OF THE MOST CREATIVE ARTS

March

Jazz

Harmony

MY JOURNEY HERE TODAY....

DOES THE CURRENT TREND TOWARDS METHODOLOGIES, TEMPLATES, REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE STIFLE CREATIVITY FOR BAS?

DOES THE CURRENT TREND TOWARDS METHODOLOGIES, TEMPLATES, REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE STIFLE CREATIVITY FOR BAS?

● Scenic Route, Direct Route, Avoid Motorways

● How many stops?

● Places of Interest?

● Clean the car?

● Get the car serviced or not?

Creativity

DOES THE CURRENT TREND TOWARDS METHODOLOGIES, TEMPLATES, REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE STIFLE CREATIVITY FOR BAS?

● We need to get the right balance between creativity, uniformity and standardisation within the culture of your workplace?

No they shouldn’t

● There’s is a lot of opportunity left within the boundaries to be creative if the culture is creative.

These tools ensure that

● Everyone is engaged

● There is a standard output

● Nothing is missed

● A roadmap exists

SO WHAT IS OUR 4-4-2 THEN?

● What is the shape of our football team or our orchestra?

● How do we get people buying tickets to come to our concert?

● The reviews say that our tickets are overpriced, the concert goes on forever and that it is hard on the ears

● How are we going to score goals instead of conceding own goals?

SO WHAT DOES THE BABOK SAY ABOUT CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION?

Purpose Business analysts must be effective in generating new ideas for approaches to problem solving and in generating alternative solutions.

Definition Creative thinking involves generating new ideas and concepts, as well as finding new associations between or new applications of existing ideas and concepts. These concepts should be innovative and appropriate to the situation. In addition to identifying and proposing alternatives, the business analyst should be effective in promoting creative thinking in others by asking questions and challenging assumptions.

Effectiveness Measures Measures of successful creative thinking include: The successful generation and productive consideration of new ideas. Application of new ideas to resolve existing problems. Willingness of stakeholders to accept new approaches.

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Design Business Analysis

------

● All teams sometimes look for the most creative and innovative way to form the solution within their disciplines

Client ------

SO WHERE ARE OUR OPPORTUNITIES TO BE CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE?

Business Analysis

● Issues & Problems

● Stakeholders

● Product Design

CREATIVITY WITH ISSUES AND PROBLEMS

● We are in the business of solving issues, and without issues and problems to solve, is there any need for Business Analysis?

● Don’t we have a toolbox full of ideas on how we identify the problem and break it down into smaller problems?

Instead of seeing an issue or a problem, couldn’t we create a culture where we see it as an opportunity to create solutions and innovate?

CREATIVITY WITH STAKEHOLDERS

● How we deal with the emotional interpretation by our clients

● Inspiration, energy, enthusiasm, drive, professionalism, creativity and innovation...

● Be creative in ways to get the best out of everyone you work with from every discipline in every situation

Business Analysis Client ------

CREATIVITY WITH PRODUCT DESIGN

Design Business Analysis

------

HOW INVOLVED DO WE GET IN DESIGN?

CREATIVE WITH PRODUCT DESIGN

● Business Analysts tend to have the relationship with the client

Product Design

● We share the stakeholder’s vision (expectation of the end product, screens, look and feel, and solution)

● BAs tend to deliver the solution to the client

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Design Business Analysis

------ Client ------

● All teams should look for the most creative and innovative way to

form the solution collaboratively

SO WHEN BUSINESS ANALYSTS BUILD ON THEIR CREATIVE POTENTIAL AND INNOVATE, DOES IT CEASE TO BECOME CREATIVE TO RE-USE?

If you shake that pattern about a bit you get something new – otherwise it is the same old pattern and same old result

REFERENCE ARCHITECTURE - CREATIVITY WITH RE-USE

● Creativity is using the same things & seeing the same things as other people but creating something new

● Of course, re-use is a good thing. (it cuts down on re-work, which cuts down on time and effort)

It’s not only you who is looking at this reference architecture, and people have different perspectives

THE BEST EXAMPLE OF RE-USE?

118 elements, building blocks of a whole world

● What is wrong with simply following due process to produce what the customer is asking for?

● Surely discipline done well is the difference between a successful and a struggling project?

So why do we as Business Analysts need to be creative?

Is creativity and innovation key as a method for Business Analysts to demonstrate value to their clients?

● “Your idea of doing it like that was genius !!”

It is more likely that if you find a creative and innovative way to work it will save on time and effort

“That is what you asked for, so that is what you've got?” Where is the added value in

that?

Is this “unleashing the potential of the mind”?

WHAT DO WE GET ALL TOO OFTEN?

Clients pay inflated costs for BAs, but some simply ask the client what they want and write it down

Isn’t the bad perception of IT is as a result of an army of diligent and dedicated IT professionals doing precisely what they were asked to do?

Is creativity and innovation key as a method for Business Analysts to demonstrate value to their clients?

● Lets keep our profession in demand

One thing is for sure, without the drive to come up with breakthrough ideas and the confidence that a creative and innovative solution exists, it is

unlikely that one will be found

● Lets be regarded as those clever IT business people who will come and sort this out for us.

● There are rules and guidelines in every profession and in every walk of life

● We need to promote a culture of creativity and innovation within ourselves and within our organisations

SUMMARY

● Where can Business Analysts “unleash the potential of the mind”, express their creative side and have the opportunity to innovate?

● Does the current trend towards methodologies, templates, frameworks and reference architecture catalogues stifle creativity for Business Analysts?

● Is creativity and innovation key as a method for Business Analysts to demonstrate value to their clients?

● Does it cease to be creative to re-use?

SO WHAT NOW?

Take a moment to reflect on the legacy of creativity and innovation that you have left in your wake personally.

Not only with the products that you have contributed to but with the culture you have developed within your teams

Some of you will identify a need for

a slight amendment in

attitude, approach

The next session is an excellent opportunity to learn some of these skills that will help you

Some of you have the right attitude

and just don't know how to

apply it

QUESTIONS?

Refreshments