Hello all – BobtheBA here and when we last left off we were exploring how innovation can be key to turning requirements trash into stakeholder treasure. The scenario we were exploring was a difficult stakeholder that was not forthcoming with their requirements. Your job (should you choose to accept it) was to improve your 1:1 interview process through innovation by looking at it through different eyes like those of a hostage negotiator. It may yield a different result or help you to be more prepared than what you thought possible.
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For Business Analysts and Project Managers
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Turning Requirements Trash into Stakeholder Treasure – Part 2
Posted: August 23rd, 2011 by Bob Prentiss. Comments »South Africa Journal #5 – IIBA Cape Town – Aug 10, 2011
Posted: August 22nd, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »After a few days of enjoying the scenery of the southern coast, and the fun of whale watching every day, we ventured back to Cape Town. The Southern Right Whales had begun their migration 
up from Antarctica – what a sight!
The local branch of IIBA hosted a presentation on “CBAP/CCBA Application Tips and Tricks.” There were 30 interested, motivated BAs present and asking great questions about their applications and qualifications for the CBAP or in some cases a few CCBAs.
South Africa Journal #4 – Classes End – Aug 5, 2011
Posted: August 19th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »The time has flown by, and class ended today. Both Elizabeth and I noticed we had very little jet lag – that will probably hit us when we return home. Our delegates (notice I adopted some local terms) worked hard and made good progress. 
The CBAP candidates said they were more motivated to complete their applications and dig into their studying so they can take and pass their exams. Several of them had been in study groups in Cape Town and were very ready for a class to give them their final launch towards their exam.
South Africa Journal #3 – IIBA Meeting – Aug 4, 2011
Posted: August 18th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »Our visit coincided with the South African chapter of IIBA’s Annual General Meeting. Steve Erlank, our host, is also the President of the chapter, and he gave a lightning-fast review of the past year. They have found it more beneficial to have one national chapter, with satellite chapters in the major cities of Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, etc. They face the same challenges as IIBA chapters around the world – membership, volunteers, meeting locations, etc. We took a photo opp with some of the current and future board members.
Control Projects or People? It’s All in the Details!
Posted: August 17th, 2011 by Andrea Brockmeier. Comments »
Controlling projects is a good thing. Controlling people is not. What does it mean to control projects, not people, and when have you crossed the threshold from controlling the project to micromanaging the people?
When you start telling people how to do their jobs instead of focusing on the results they create is usually an indication that you have stepped beyond the bounds of project control and into the realm of people control.
Some team members are quite adept at complicating this tidy distinction. What about, for example, the team member who tells you they will get the work done on time but sees no need to share details regarding the steps involved or how they’re going to get it done?
South Africa Journal #2 – Classes Began – Aug 3, 2011
Posted: August 16th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »
I’m posting this late, mainly due to challenges in Internet access, and being super busy on our trip to South Africa. I wrote some entries on the plane ride back home.
Our first classes in South Africa got underway Aug. 3. The students – delegates as they are called here – were very similar to those in the US. It’s refreshing to work with like-minded people from such a distance away. It reminds me that business in general and business analysis in particular around the world are quite similar. The biggest difference I noticed was our various accents. I’m sure mine made me hard to understand at times like I found some of theirs. The more Afrikaans-influenced inflections were harder for me to understand than the British-oriented ones. My hearing isn’t what it used to be, so that didn’t help!
Arrived in South Africa – Aug 1-2, 2011
Posted: August 4th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »Elizabeth and I arrived in Cape Town on Monday, and basically crashed due to the long, 18-hour flight. The trip over the Atlantic seems short compared to the Amsterdam to Cape Town flight.
We were literally at the bottom of Africa, at the point where two oceans meet: Atlantic, meet Indian. We started our trip by flying straight to Johannesburg on Tuesday. After getting settled, we visited the Joburg office of our South African partner, Faculty Training Institute. The head of FTI, Steve Erlank, showed us around and we got to see their preparation. Very impressive with three training rooms, offices, a kitchen, and huge cafeteria for students.
CBAP Can Lead to Job Promotions
Posted: July 21st, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »Rich here again. In working with CBAP (and now CCBA) candidates, 
I run across people with a variety of motivations for getting their credential. Some people get certified for recognition, others want it for the personal satisfaction or increased stature it brings. And, we all would not mind if the CBAP lead to extra income, and the IIBA has released a study showing that CBAPs earn higher salaries.
In a conversation with a CBAP candidate last week I found out AXA Equitable Insurance recognizes the CBAP as an element in deciding on promotions. She said “For me, it is a critical factor to being promoted in my company. It is a critical step needed for me to move from Senior to Lead BA in a mature BA practicing company.”
BABOK Techniques to Know for the CBAP/CCBA Exam: Part 7
Posted: July 18th, 2011 by RichLarson. Comments »Rich here. It’s been a while since I’ve written about BABOK techniques you need to know to pass the CBAP or CCBA exam. If I’m going to try and finish covering all 34 general and 15 task-specific ones by the end of the year, I have to get back to it.
In past blog posts I featured all the task-specific techniques and four of the general techniques: Data Modeling, Observation, Scenarios and Use Cases, and State Diagrams. Next I want to explore Acceptance and Evaluation Criteria Definition with an excerpt from our book CBAP Certification Study Guide.
Turning Requirements Trash into Stakeholder Treasure – Part 1
Posted: July 12th, 2011 by Bob Prentiss. Comments »
Hello all – BobtheBA here. So have you been assigned to a project where you immediately felt like someone handed you a T-shirt that said “I just started a project and all I got was this lousy business case!” You are not alone. Many of us struggle at the beginning of our projects to wrap our brains around what little we have been given. It becomes worse when we end up several weeks into the project and we still feel like we have nothing to go on. What do you do? I turn to age-old proverbs as both a reminder and motivator. Making something from nothing. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Turning trash into treasure. I could go on and on with these much stated proverbs – I really, really could because I love them. They are constant reminders of what I, as a Business Analyst need to be doing on a daily basis to bring order from chaos. The chaos that I was given. So how does one bring this order and turn requirements trash into stakeholder treasure?
