Keep your job

by David Atkinson

Use your business analysis skills to secure your job

In the current uncertain economic climate where many projects are deemed to be discretionary spend and organisations are reducing the number of employees, will you be kept on whilst your colleagues are ‘let go’?

It’s that crude in a shrinking job market but you don’t have to be a victim of the economic downturn. You can do something about it. You can take charge of the situation by using your business analysis skills and improve your odds. You can do this in an ethical way and in the worst case scenario, should you lose your job, you will have improved your chances of getting another business analyst role by making yourself more marketable.

Consider the two most important factors that will shape your job prospects:

• Performance—how well you perform your job.

• Perception—how well others think you perform your job.

In the ideal world there should be no difference between the two, that is others accurately perceive your performance. However the old cliché ‘Perception is Reality’ is, unfortunately, often true. Perception is all about what people believe to be true and not necessarily what is true.

So how do you go about securing your job as a business analyst? You need to undertake the following five activities:

• Find out what people think of you.

• Assess whether it is accurate.

• Plan to improve your perceived or actual performance.

• Act on your plan.

• Measure the results.

Note that these activities may be performed in parallel and you will probably need to perform each of them multiple times.

Find out what people think of you

To determine this you will need to perform:

• Stakeholder Analysis

• Requirements Elicitation.

Identify who the opinion leaders are when it comes to assessing you. These will probably be your line manager, project manager, peers and customers. Pick these carefully. Don’t pick too many. Three to seven should be sufficient as you still need to to do your day job!

What requirements are you eliciting? Well think about your job as consisting of a set of requirements. Some requirements may relate to knowledge you must demonstrate, some to activities or functions you need to perform, and others to outcomes you need to achieve. You need to determine which ones you are currently meeting and those you aren’t. That is the ‘as is’ for the current requirements and the ‘to be’ for new requirements.

Find out, if you don’t already know, what your stakeholders think of your performance in your job. That is what requirements you are or are not meeting. This is probably best done on neutral territory, for example in a coffee shop. Use your interviewing technique and communication skills to ensure that the time is used productively. Its’ up to you how formal you make this but don’t argue, ask for specific examples and be prepared to offer your own specific examples.

Formal job descriptions and performance reviews can be useful input if they accurately reflect your role and responsibilities.

Make sure you keep records. It’s a good idea to baseline the results so that you can review progress later when you repeat these activities.

Assess whether it is accurate

Now you know what is expected of you it’s time to do some requirements analysis. You will need to do the following:

• Requirements prioritisation.

• Identify assumptions, constraints and risks.

• Requirements validation.

If we are honest this can be uncomfortable but remember nobody is perfect. What you should aim to do is improve in a series of small steps rather than aim for perfection all in one go! This improvement may be in your performance or the perception of your performance.

The more requirements you want to address the more important prioritising them becomes as there is a limit to how many you can do at the same time. Even picking just one is fine as making a start is all important.

For your top priority requirements identify any associated assumptions and constraints. Assumptions are factors that need to be true, but may not be, for these requirements to be valid and achievable. Constraints in this context are known limiting factors. Consider what may be constraining you from meeting the requirements. Is it knowledge, experience or attitude? Remember these may be real or perceived.

Next identify risks associated with the requirements. At the least you would expect to identify risks that relate to the assumptions you have identified.

Finally you need to validate each requirement to ensure it contributes to your goal of securing your position. Review each requirement in light of its assumptions, constraints and risks. Determine whether it is a performance or perception issue. Consider how you will measure how the requirement has been met. If it isn’t measurable it probably isn’t worth pursuing. You may also want to touch base with your stakeholders to review the requirements’ assumptions, constraints and risks to ensure that they still consider them worth pursuing.

Plan to improve

So now you know where your priorities lie, you need a plan. Plan the tasks directly related to meeting requirements, measuring that the requirements have been met and communicating the meeting of the requirements. Communication is fundamental to managing perception. You may also need to include tasks to test assumptions and manage risks.

Remember to take into account dependencies between requirements when planning. The collection of tasks in your plan will be unique to you and your circumstances.

Behaviours or actions that can improve your performance include:

• Training.

• Selecting a mentor and receiving mentoring.

• Self directed learning (e.g. research) and application of learning.

• Seeking and acting on feedback, on your deliverables, from customers.

Behaviours or actions that can improve perception include:

• Being a team player. Team players typically get a better press report than individuals who look out just for themselves.

• Supporting your boss. They are probably feeling the strain too and will appreciate it.

• Raising your profile. For example attending optional meetings.

• Obtaining an industry accreditation or certification.

• Joining an industry or professional body.

• Always being on time for meetings.

• Meeting your deadlines.

• Being positive.

Opportunities to communicate your achievements include:

• Taking advantage of ‘chance’ meetings at the water cooler.

• Going for coffee with your stakeholders.

• Speaking up in meetings.

• Chatting with your peers.

Act on your plan

Following a plan takes discipline. Make sure you ruthlessly monitor progress. If the planned commitment proves too onerous then re-plan to lighten your load.

Actively communicate. Don’t hide your light under a bushel. Make sure you get the due recognition for your work. Don’t tolerate the office shark but be assertive not aggressive. Being first with the news and communicating widely is a good way to avoid others stealing your thunder.

Measure the results

As you are executing your plan you should monitor the results. You will then be able to determine whether the plan is working or not, and if not take corrective action.

If assumptions prove to be false or risks are realised you will need to revisit some of the activities you have already performed. For instance re-prioritisation and re-planning. This will also be the case when you meet the requirements of your job. In the latter case you may want to address other lower priority requirements. Of course once you have met or are meeting all of the requirements for your job then there are the requirements to be met for that promotion!

As a business analyst you have the skills and knowledge to secure your job or ensure that you are better placed to get another.

Remember recessions are not forever

They pass. With your business analysis skills and knowledge you can turn a struggle for survival into the realisation of excellence.

About the Author

David has over 25 years business analysis experience in a wide range of capacities, enterprise through tactical to operational, business and technical, in both the private and public sectors.