Communication And Connectnedness B A World V2

Communication and Connectedness in Business Analysis

Maria Horrigan Principal Consultant BA World July 2009

“We’re living in a networked world”

Modern IT 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 applications of the Google World - Gmail, Google Search, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube

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 . . .

Because sometimes they don’t know what they need

What’s their requirement of you?

• Knowing how to talk to people and get the information 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

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 and ability to sense upcoming developments and to design appropriate systems and processes

• Resolving misunderstandings about requirements

• Uncovering needs vs wants

Project DNA

Project DNA

Things to produce

Patterns to apply

Things to do

Competencies to perform

Zen Agile – Project DNA 2009 Hodgson & Horrigan

Sourcing Project DNA

Project DNA

Things to produce

Patterns to apply

Things to do


PlanningPlanning

FacilitationFacilitation

Change management

Change management

User-experience engineering

User-experience engineering

Business knowledgeBusiness

knowledge

AnalysisAnalysisProcess

ImprovementProcess

Improvement

Information managementInformation

management


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

Team

Develper

Business Analyst

Business Analyst

Info offcier

DesignArchitect

Graphic designer

What competencies do they bring to the team

What competencies do they bring to the team

What is the role of the BA?What is the role of the BA?

Role of Business Analyst is the 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 Brad

Me and Bill GatesMe and

Bill Gates

Me and SITC GalsMe and

SITC Gals

Analysing “who is who in the zoo”

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

behaviour • How to talk to them given this (above)

context • How to tailor the communications

channels to elicit information from 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?

• Friendship• Who is your friend?

• Conflict• Who is a blocker or gatekeeper?

Social Networking Analysis

• Mathematical, graphical, theoretical understanding of the social world

• Networks and their structures • Map and measure relationships between

people, groups, organisations, computers, and websites

• Flows of information and knowledge (focus on people not systems)

• Know what the relationships are to better communicate, elicit requirements

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?• where are the clusters and who is in

them?• who is in the core or hub?• who is on the periphery?

Social Networks – Key Terms

Nodes People and groups

Links Show relationships or flows between the nodes

Attribute Name and value

Relationship properties

Types (eg friend, advice) Direction (directed vs undirected) Strength (binary vs weighted)

Network properties

Centralisation Density or Concentration Size

Centrality – revealing the network structure • Very centralized network dominated by one or a

few very central nodes. If removed , the network quickly fragments single point of failure

• Less centralized network is resilient in the face of attacks. Many nodes or links can fail yet allow remaining nodes to still reach each other

• Boundary Spanners connect their group to others. Well positioned to be innovators and have access to ideas and information flowing in other clusters.

• Periphery of a network may connect to networks that are not currently mapped. Important resources for fresh information not otherwise available

Project Case Study

Degree of Centrality in the Network

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

lead to…

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

lead to…

Hub has most connections – authority

gained

Hub has most connections – authority

gained

..and how they connect the otherwise unconnected

..and how they connect the otherwise unconnected

Centrality and Betweenness

Great influence over what flows (and does

not)

Great influence over what flows (and does

not)

Broker role between Business and IT

Broker role between Business and IT

“location location location”

“location location location”

Centrality and Closeness

Shortest path to all others – gives quick

access

Shortest path to all others – gives quick

access

Best visibility of what is happening in the

network

Best visibility of what is happening in the

network

Excellent position to monitor info flows

Excellent position to monitor info flows

Project Case Study

Project ChampionProject ChampionBoundary SpannerBoundary Spanner

PeripheryPeriphery

Potential blocker

Potential blocker

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper

Key decision maker

Key decision maker

Influencer

Key UserKey User Trusted advisorTrusted advisor

FacilitatorFacilitator

Key UserKey UserSupporte

rSupporte

r

Six degrees of separation

26

Leveraging Centrality

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

“gatekeepers” (tertiary segmentation)• Find people to go to in order to elicit information –

more efficient requirements gathering • Don’t reinvent the wheel• Quickly identify who might know the answer,

communicate with them, understand their lessons learned, improve likely success of the project

• Know who to communicate key messages to in order for them to disseminate throughout the network

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

Lessons learned

UNDERSTAND STAKEHOLDERS

How they communicate, their preference for style & channels

Understanding ‘how’ to Communicate

Communication preferences:• Style

• Person’s orientation towards process vs results

• Need for recognition vs need for security

• Channel • Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic • What type of medium for the message

(eg traditional media v. social media)

DDrivers

SSupporters

TTalkers

CControllers

task

peop

le

Drivers – Doers, Directors

• Do it now, can do attitude• Goal oriented & a self starter• Assertive & Competitive• Results oriented• Task & information focused• Decisive & want control• Fast paced often impatient• Prepared to take risks• Problem solvers

Get to the point – limit social “chit

chat”

Get to the point – limit social “chit

chat”

Concentrate on providing info on

outcomes

Concentrate on providing info on

outcomes

Don’t waste time in

meetings

Don’t waste time in

meetings

Talkers – Influencers, Extrovert

• Want to be noticed• People oriented• Direct & open• Animated & emotional• Creative, enthusiastic leaders• Lots of ideas, bubbly, outgoing• Fast paced & spontaneous• Prefer working with others• Excellent persuasive skills

Allow time for discussion in meetings

Allow time for discussion in meetings

Allow for flexibility as ideas may change

agenda

Allow for flexibility as ideas may change

agenda

Supporters – Stable, Helpful

• Want to get along• People oriented team players• Help others & solve conflicts• Relaxed & friendly• Slower paced• Cautious, risk averse• Enjoy harmony & trust• Patient & cooperative• Dependable & predictable• Avoid conflict & good listeners

May need to encourage their participation to

ensure you capture their needs

May need to encourage their participation to

ensure you capture their needs

Allow time to absorb and digest info before decision

is made

Controllers - Checkers, Tickers

• Want to get it right• Accurate & meticulous• Logical task & information focused• Detail oriented & precise• Slower paced, quality not quantity• Cautious & risk averse• Problem solvers• Structured and orderly• Dependable & predictable• Set high standards

Make sure you have all the facts and supporting

info

Make sure you have all the facts and supporting

info

Don’t push them for a quick decision

Don’t push them for a quick decision

Don’t take away their control or be seen to “go

over their head”

Don’t take away their control or be seen to “go

over their head”

Know your own style and preference

• Stakeholders have a very different style to me • “Driver” and a “Controller” - analytical and

results focused so need to be mindful to bring people along rather than trying to push too hard. (esp with largely “Supporter” risk adverse audience)

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

• No particular style that is better than the other• Style to adopt will be contextual and situational

so be flexible and think about your audience

Project DNA

Project DNA

Things to produce

Patterns to apply

Things to do


PrototypePrototype

Logical data Model

Logical data Model

BenchmarkBenchmark

ProcessProcess

PersonasPersonasSitemapSitemap

Context DiagramContext Diagram

User segmentation

User segmentation


People learn different ways• V= Visual (Something ‘seen’ or had visual

stimulation)• Need a graphic representation of the material

• 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 & you thought of yourself feeling the emotion or activity of the memory• Need to use the system to understand

Communication Channels

We use all of our senses; we simply have a preference for one or more

• Write as many words or phrases as you can think of that relate to the words:• Beach and Ocean

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

• See the blue sky, see children playing in the water• A=Auditory (A ‘sound’ memory or related to a sound

• Hear the waves against the shore• K=Kinaesthetic (Has a ‘doing’ memory & you thought of yourself

feeling the emotion or activity of the memory• Feel the cold of the ocean on my skin, feel the sun and the

sand, the taste of salt

Activity

V, A or K ? – Context Diagram

Visual

Australian Government brandingSite identification

Site tagline

Photographs

Popular topics Search Go

More search options

Need to know where to start? Need help staying at home? Need an aged care home? Need support for carers? Need help with dementia?

Copyright © Commonwealth of AustraliaABN XX YYY ZZZ BBB

Other languages | Accessibility | About this site | Disclaimer | Copyright | Privacy | Contact us

Go

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 Pharmcy 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>1. Community Pharmacy is not currently eligible 2. 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

Visual Learners

• Visual Learners learn by seeing• Have strong spelling & writing skills• Find spelling mistakes distracting• Not talk much & dislike listening for too long• Be distracted by untidiness and movement

• Support Visual Learners by using:• Posters, charts & graphs• Visual Displays• Booklets, brochures, & handouts• Variety of colour & shape• Clear layouts with headings & plenty of white space• Context Diagrams, Process maps

Auditory Learners

• Auditory Learners learn by listening• Love to talk• Appear to daydream whilst ‘talking’ inside their heads• Read in a talking style • Love the telephone and music

• Support Auditory Learners by using:• Question & Answer• Lectures & Stories• Discussion Pairs/Groups• Variety in tone, pitch, rate and volume• Music or slogans• User scenarios, Presentations, Podcasts

Kinaesthetic Learners

• Kinaesthetic Learners learn by doing• Move around a lot, tap pens and shift in their seat• Want lots of breaks• Enjoy games• Not like reading, but doodle and take notes

• Support Kinaesthetic Learners by using:• Team activities• Hands-on Experience• Role-plays• Note taking• Emotional discussion• Prototypes, Workshops and UAT

New Channels for Communication • New ways of communicating and reaching out to

others• Access to body of knowledge (in people’s

heads, not in documents) and Communities of practice

• Networking - leveraging: the power of many• ½ billion engaged in use of social computing

tools because it connects them• Save time and energy - easiest way (anytime,

anywhere) to make contact, communicate, share, collaborate with “friends”

LEARN THE CONTEXT

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

Context of the Project

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

organisation and the business unit• Enterprise Analysis vs Business Analysis

• IT strategic Plan• Standards and protocols• IT Capabilities (insource vs outsource)

• Contextual Inquiry – see how they work• 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

Sourcing the ‘right’ DNA for your Project

Project DNA

ContextContext Balancing human & business

requirements

Balancing human & business

requirements

Solution design

Solution design

Validation

Validation


Project DNA

Project DNA

Things to produce

Patterns to apply

Things to do


Test/validateTest/validateSpecify requirements

Specify requirements

Ethnographicresearch

Ethnographicresearch

Contextual inquiry

Contextual inquiry

Facilitate workshopFacilitate workshop

Communicate lessons learnedCommunicate

lessons learned

Communicate to Steering Committee

Communicate to Steering Committee


Project DNA

Storyboarding

Prototype

Analysis

Team

Contextual inquiry

Iterative

Applying Project DNA


Planning with Forrester’s POST

People: Understand how they think and behave in the work environments and their social communities

Objectives: Know what relationships are and those you want to establish, and why and how you will measure it so you know when the project is successful

Strategy: Understand the strategy and what needs to be delivered

Technology: Identify tools to use to help achieve objectives

What needs to be considered

Applying Forrester’s POST method

People: • Who is who?• Connections and Authority?• Channel and style preferences?

Objectives: • What problem is the project trying to solve?• What are the business requirements?

Strategy: • How does this project fit into the business strategy, the vision for the organisation?

Technology: • What are the SOE, infrastructure and capability of the organisation/business?• What is the right tech solution to meet business requirements?

Project DNA

Project DNA

Things to produce

Patterns to apply

Things to do


Risk mitigation

Risk mitigation

Iterative design Iterative design

Waterfall or Agile

Waterfall or Agile

Governance model

Governance model

Quality Assurance

Quality Assurance

Standards eg ISO13407

Standards eg ISO13407

Elements of User

Experience

Elements of User

Experience


Projects need Good Governance

Steering Committee

Project Leader

IT Group

Project Assurance

Project Team

Solution Iteration Team 1

Solution Iteration Team 2

Solution Iteration Team N

Project Support

Sign off on milestones and

deliverables

Can be the BA or a designated

PM

Get SMEs involved to

validate solution

Understanding context, people & relationships

Enables you to ensure the right people are:• Put into your governance framework• Making the decisions – risk, financial impacts of scope

change• Contributing to requirements

Network analysis enables you to

put the Actors in Governance

CONCLUSIONS

Take Home messages

Projects 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 so be flexible and adapt your style and channel to you audience

• As a BA, embrace your role as communicator and translator to bridge the gap between the technology and the work people need to do

Fin

Maria Horrigan

Oakton Principal Consultant

Email: [email protected]: www.barocks.com

Slideshare: www.slideshare.com/murphTwitter: @miahorri

Questions?

Communication And Connectnedness B A World V2

Technology

Transcript of Communication And Connectnedness B A World V2