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:[email protected]: www.barocks.com zenagile.worpress.comSlideshare:www.slideshare.com/murphTwitter: @miahorri