Have you ever been pulled into a project at the last minute, after the scope has been set, the timeline locked, and critical decisions already made?
It’s a scenario many business analysts face, and it can feel like an uphill battle to add value when so much has already been decided.
I recently sat down with Tracie Edwards, a former client who’s now a Fractional Business Analyst and Consultant for a podcast interview. Here’s a snippet of that interview. Be sure to check out the entire interview on Tracie’s podcast.
Tracie Edwards: One of my challenges is that the Business Analyst is brought in not at the very, very beginning. What might you recommend as far as making sure that we are engaged in the beginning instead of after all the planning has already been done?
Laura Brandenburg: It really depends on where you are in your career. The advice I would give to someone who’s very advanced and experienced in their career is different from somebody that is newer in their career.
Build Credibility First
Laura Brandenburg: Somebody newer does need to prove themselves within the role that they are assigned first. I always like to point this out as a challenge because some business analysts can learn the theory and then go into an organization that does not deploy most of those business analysis practices and then they’re seen as saying “we’re not doing it right”. That doesn’t create the kind of change that you are looking for.
I think you often need to establish yourself and build credibility. As you become known as somebody who does get things done, then it’s about asking for a seat at the table. It’s also about positioning the value of the business analyst being involved earlier in the business analysis process.
Check out the below video for more insight on the end-to-end business analysis process.
Show the Value of Business Analysts
Laura Brandenburg: Tying the business analyst being involved earlier to the pain points that the team is experiencing.
- What are the pain points that are happening in the organization that the executives are aware of?
- What are the organizational objectives that the business analyst can help with by being involved earlier?
Then starting to tell a story about how your work can contribute and solve those problems. It’s not just “I need to be involved earlier” but it’s “I can add value” or “I can make a contribution” if I’m involved earlier.
Be sure to check out the rest of the conversation on Tracie’s podcast.
And for more insights on how business analysts add value, check out this video:
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