Last week, I wrote about the value project managers bring to their interactions with business analysts. This week, I want to highlight what we don’t have.
It’s not so bad, it’s just a matter of perspective!
It’s not always easy to collaborate with project managers who work in different ways than business analysts.
Project managers don’t like working alongside business analysts who insist on the strict application of the Business Analysis Book of Knowledge. Your methodology must be tailored to your project, so you only use the parts that are relevant. We don’t like the slavish use of any methodology, whether it is PMBOK(r), PRINCE2 (r), or any other. Do not complete the methodology process steps just for the sake. Don’t do it if it’s not relevant. It will be a waste and not worth your time. Learn to be selective with your methods and use only what is necessary for your project.
We don’t like detail. This doesn’t mean that BAs shouldn’t do it. After all, someone has got to. BAs care about quality, stakeholder satisfaction, and this is evident in the detail required for functional analyses and swim lane diagrams. We don’t want to hear about it. Let me know what your requirements are, and I will rely on the fact that you have conducted the workshops necessary to meet them. I don’t have to hear every detail of your customer interviews. This is related to my communication point last week: tailoring your communication to the audience that you are addressing.
We don’t like the ‘I just have to …’ attitude. You have probably all worked with someone who would not give up on a task until they were certain that everything was valid, ratified, and signed off in blood. This is not acceptable in a modern, agile business. Sometimes, just being good enough is enough. Do not strive for perfection in tasks that don’t matter. The Pareto principle states that sometimes the final 20% won’t make a significant difference. So drop it. To achieve the OTOBOS principles, it is important to remember that you must start a task at some time. Frustration and missed milestones can be caused by being held back by “I just need …’ people”.
Next week, I will be speaking about improving the working relationships between business analysts and project managers.
Have you missed any previous installments of this series on ‘Working Together’? Read part 1 here: The Triple ConstraintRead part 2: What Project Managers Value
Part 3: BAs and PMs working together
