Leadership and performance coach Cillín Hearns helps us explore what it means to be a leader and will show you how to advance your leadership skills regardless of your current role or level. The post MBA036: Psychology of Leadership – Interview with Cillín Hearns appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
What is the single most important skill needed by every business analyst, product owner, and project manager? It's a skill that allows you to build trust and ensure an accurate, shared understanding. That skill is active listening. The post MBA035: Active Listening – The Most Important Skill appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, author Ian Spence introduces us to a different way to utilize Use Cases in agile environments – Use Cases 2.0. After listening to this episode, you will understand: The advantages of using use cases How to use cases can be used in an agile environment Why and how to create thin slices of use cases Show Notes […] The post MBA034: Use Case 2.0 – Interview with Ian Spence appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, consultant and blogger Alex Papworth shares his advice for starting a career as a Business Analyst – how to get and succeed in your first role as a BA. After listening to this episode, you will know: How to find opportunities to advance your BA skills and experience How to target your job search […] The post MBA033: Landing and Succeeding in Your First BA Role – Interview with Alex Papworth appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, consultant and author Paula Bell shares her approach to Systems Thinking – a holistic analysis approach to understanding how the parts of an organizational system interrelate. After listening to this episode, you will understand: What Systems Think is and why it’s important How to begin How you can better understand your customers and build […] The post MBA032: Systems Thinking – Interview with Paula Bell appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, User Experience designer and researcher Neil Turner will share his thoughts on how and when to interact with UX professionals in your company as well as give you some practical tips and tools you can use to create a better experience for your customers. After listening to this episode, you will understand: What […] The post MBA031: UX – Are you Experienced? Interview with Neil Turner appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, author, speaker, and consultant Linda Rising helps us to better understand resistance to change and some of the myths and patterns associated with leading organizational change. After listening to this episode, you will understand: The myths of organizational change that lead us down the wrong path Why simply stating facts doesn’t persuade people How […] The post MBA030: Myths and Patterns of Organizational Change – Interview with Linda Rising appeared first on Mastering Busines...
In this episode, Business Process Consultant Brian Hunt shares with us his approach to starting a business process improvement initiative and some simple tools you can use to get started. After listening to this episode, you will understand: How to start a business improvement initiative The right people to talk to to discover improvement opportunities Simple […] The post MBA029: Business Process Improvement – Keep it Simple – Interview with Brian Hunt appeared first on Mastering Business Analys...
In this episode, Melissa Marshall will help us to understand how to bridge the gap between technical terms and business terms and present information in a meaningful way. After listening to this episode, you will understand: Why it’s critical to be able to communicate complex information to a general audience How to use an audience […] The post MBA028: Talking Techie and Presenting Complex Ideas with Melissa Marshall appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, Ellen Grove speaks with us about how to use Legos (the building blocks for kids) to elicit user requirements. This requirements elicitation technique quickly surfaces areas where there is not a shared understanding and identifies gaps missed by other approaches. The post MBA027: Elicit User Requirements with Legos – Interview with Ellen Grove appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
Scope creep isn’t just the nickname of that weird guy with chronic bad breath down the hall. It also refers to uncontrolled changes or the continuous growth in a project’s scope. Often, this addition to scope comes without corresponding changes to the budget, resources, and schedule. Scope creep is also known as requirements creep and can occur when the project scope is poorly defined and as a result, requirements are added that do not align with the objective of the project. The post MBA026: Gu...
In this episode, Gojko Adzic speaks with us about how to deliver solutions that the business truly needs to achieve their goals and avoid creating shelfware. He’ll also introduce us to a tool that he uses called Impact Mapping. After listening to this episode, you will understand: How to focus on creating an impact for your […] The post MBA025: Don’t Just Make Software, Make an Impact – Interview with Gojko Adzic appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, we’re joined by Heather Mylan-Mains. Heather is going to share with us how to motivate and inspire as a leader based on her presentation entitled “BA Jedi Master Leadership Academy – Learn How to Lead with the BA Force”. After listening to this episode, you will understand: How Business Analysts can lead […] The post MBA024: Lead with the Power of a Jedi – Interview with Heather Mylan-Mains appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, we’re joined by Jeffrey Davidson. Jeffrey will help us to better understand how to get better at user stories and how behavior driven development (BDD) helps create a shared understanding. We also discuss how to create the nirvana state of living requirements. Jeffrey Davidson is the past president of the IIBA Dallas […] The post MBA023: Using Behavior Driven Development for Better User Stories – Interview with Jeffrey Davidson appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, we’re joined by Chris Matts. Chris will introduce us to the Cynefin framework and how he uses it to understand where to focus business analysis activities and where the focus should be more product management driven. Chris also discusses Real Options, which is a decision-making process for managing uncertainty and risk that he developed. […] The post MBA022: How to Know Where to Focus Your Efforts – Interview with Chris Matts appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
“Let’s get rid of Business Analysts and ScrumMasters.” In this episode, we’re joined by John Sextro. John recently gave a provocative lightening talk at a conference about removing Business Analysts and ScrumMasters from agile teams. We’ll discuss what this would mean for the BA role. John Sextro has been in the software industry for 21 years and […] The post MBA021: Is the Business Analyst Role Just Overhead? Interview with John Sextro appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, David Mantica, President of ASPE-SDLC, shares his views on the value of professional certifications – both to the individual and to the organization. David Mantica is president of the American Society of Professional Education Inc. (ASPE-SDLC) and has two decades of experience as a business leader in the training industry. David has participated […] The post MBA020: The Value of Certifications – Interview with David Mantica appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, leadership speaker and Start With Why facilitator Stephen Shedletzky helps us understand how to apply the Start With Why concept to our role to help our organizations work on the right things and deliver value to customers. He’ll also share his thoughts on how to inspire others to take action. After listening […] The post MBA019: Why Start with Why? Interview with Stephen Shedletzky appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
What makes a great leader? In this episode, Scott Stribrny begins to answer this question by presenting a business analyst relevant five-rule framework to apply in real life. Scott will discuss principles that guide effective leaders and will explore the short-term orientation of leadership with examples for day-to-day action as well as the long-term orientation […] The post MBA018: Step Up to Leadership with the Five-Rule Framework – Interview with Scott Stribrny appeared first on Mastering Bus...
In this episode, David Barrett speaks with us about what I feel is the most important skill for a Business analyst . . . communication. David is the National Program Director for the Centers of Excellence in Project Management and Business Analysis at the Schulich School of Business and is one of the founders of […] The post MBA017: Does Your Communications Engine Need a Tune-Up? Interview with David Barrett appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode consultant, author, and agile thought leader Jeff Patton shows us how to use Story Maps to create a shared understanding of a feature and create thin slices that relate to the minimum viable product and additional releases. Jeff also shares his thoughts on the proper way to use User Stories and how to avoid […] The post MBA016: User Story Mapping with Jeff Patton appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, Dr. Mark Burgess, creator of CFEngine, explains how he uses concepts from physics to explain how complex systems work. He uses his Promise Theory to not only develop better computer systems, but also to give us a better framework for individual and team interactions. After listening to this episode, you will understand: How we can use […] The post MBA015: Promise Theory for Team Cooperation – Interview with Mark Burgess appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, David Mantica, President of ASPE, shares his views on the future of the business analyst role and how we can open up new opportunities for career growth and drive valuable change in our organizations. After listening to this episode, you will understand: How different organizations are structured to manage business analysis activities The […] The post MBA014: The Future of Business Analysis – Interview with David Mantica appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, Nan Russell shares with us how to build trust and the effect increased trust (or the lack of trust) can have on your team and the organization. She’ll also help us to understand how the little things we do can hurt the bigger things we want to do and how to use […] The post MBA013: Trust is the New Workplace Currency – Interview with Nan Russell appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, Kent McDonald shares his thoughts on requirements analysis in an agile environment and will give you tips on how to make your agile projects more successful. After listening to this episode, you will understand: The role of the agile analyst and how it differs from analysis on traditional projects The mindset and underlying […] The post MBA012: Beyond Requirements – Interview with Kent McDonald appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, we discuss practices from agile that you can implement in your traditional (waterfall) projects that will allow you to reduce risk, adapt to change, and accelerate project delivery. In this episode, you will understand: How to use some of the values, principles, and practices of agile to adapt to change and speed up […] The post MBA011: Make Your Waterfall Projects More Agile appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, we’re joined by Angela Wick of BA-Squared. Angela shares her tips and techniques for making virtual meetings more effective. You’ll learn the signs that people are multitasking and understand how to use virtual collaboration tools to keep people engaged and run a successful virtual meeting. In this episode, Angela shares with us: The […] The post MBA010: Make Virtual Meetings More Effective – Interview with Angela Wick appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, we’re joined by Mary Gorman, co-author of Discover to Deliver. Mary will take us on a deep dive into a holistic framework to discover product requirements, the 7 Product Dimensions. She will also share with us models to use as you move through the 7 Product Dimensions that will allow you to […] The post MBA009: Exploring the 7 Product Dimensions for Better Requirements Discovery – Interview with Mary Gorman appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
In this episode, Ellen Gottesdiener shares an effective approach to discovering product requirements. You will understand how to break out of being an order taker and become a product co-creator. Ellen’s holistic approach to requirements discovery includes a mindset shift that needs to take place to recast stakeholders as product partners, how to get everyone […] The post MBA008: How to Discover Product Requirements – Interview with Ellen Gottesdiener appeared first on Mastering Business Analysi...
Want to be the go-to person on projects, in high demand and highly regarded? In this episode, you’ll discover how to do exactly that. Bob Prentiss is the Founder and Principal Consultant at Bob the BA, Inc. He’s a trainer, mentor, consultant, major nerd, and all around badass Business Analyst. Become a badass BA and […] The post MBA007: How to be a Badass Business Analyst – Interview with Bob Prentiss appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis ....
