A Birds Eye View on the Business Analysis Landscape

Will the role of the Business Analyst become even more diverse in future and what can you do to optimise your Business Analysis career today to ensure your continuous success?

There are more and more factors in the workplace and the world of technology and business in general which is influencing the way that the Business Analysis role is applied. In amongst all these factors, situations, methodologies and technologies the Business Analyst is trying to carve out a career.

How can you as a Business Analyst make sure that you are carving out the best path for your future Business Analysis career?

The best way for you as a Business Analyst to take control of where you want your business analysis career to go, is to take a step back and to look at the world you are working in from a birds eye view.

#1 Birds Eye View Perspective: The way we do business is changing on a global scale

Regardless of whether you as an individual are paying much attention to economics or business change globally or not, you will be aware of at least a few of the most prominent recent businesses, which has radically changed the way that people do business! Examples of these types of new businesses referred to here are businesses such as Uber and AirB&B. In both these cases these businesses has dramatically changed the business models for the taxi industry and the hotel industry – globally. As a Business Analyst it is vital for you to take note of these types of major shifts in how business is done at the core of more and more business models.

You should at the very least start to realise that this type of fundamental shift in traditional business models will keep on happening in future. As a Business Analyst you should also therefore begin to think (if you have not started already) innovatively in your day-to-day role regardless of where you are currently working. Even more importantly, you must include these major pattern shifts when thinking about how this applies to you and your Business Analysis career.

These global fundamental business shifts are also changing the way a Business Analyst operates within an organisation and it will continue to mould the role of Business Analysis into a role with a new emphasis that supports the speed of change and thinking patterns of what it will take a business to be successful in future.

Questions for you:

1. Are you noticing the fundamental business changes that are happening on a global scale?
2. Are you preparing yourself to be a Business Analyst that can be effective within this new changing world of business?

So let us leave this aspect and look at the next Birds Eye View Perspective that you should throw in the mix when planning and strategising your Business Analysis career of the future.

#2 Birds Eye View Perspective: The people you surround yourself with.

Take stock for a moment: Who are the people that surround you in your current Business Analysis role? Are they thinking about the future of the company in terms of leading or just keeping up with global change within their industry or are they thinking about what to do next based on what worked in the past…

This is an important Birds Eye View Perspective to consider in terms of what this will mean for your career as a Business Analyst. If you have too many “traditional thinking” people surrounding you when planning and executing solutions to business problems, then you may want to consider what impact this type of environment and thinking will have on the future of your Business Analysis career. Consider whether you should make a change in your Business Analysis career direction and surround yourself with people who are thinking ahead, facilitating and adapting to the continuously and dramatic changing nature of business today.

The fact is that we are or become the people who we surround ourselves with most. If you want to change the way you think and perform as a Business Analyst, it is important to find a group of people who are already the Business Analyst that you would like to become.

#3 Birds Eye View Perspective: Looking at yourself from the outside

It is important to sometimes take a step back and think about what have you done today as a Business Analyst, which will progress your Business Analysis career towards a successful future. Even before taking the step back you need to be clear in your mind about where do you want your Business Analysis career to take you. Visualise the end goal of where you want to be every day and check in with yourself regularly to make sure that you are doing the things that will take you to your end goal… For example, do you want to be a Business Analyst working in a team that is embracing new innovations and technologies in business? If the answer is yes, look at where you are today and start to define steps to take every day that will guide you to become a team member within this type of environment.

In conclusion

Having a Birds Eye View perspective on all three these aspects is essential for you to advance your Business Analysis career in a progressive and proactive way for the future. It is vital for you to become proactive, aware and embrace these important perspectives whilst building your Business Analysis career.

Education is easier than ever to get your hands on in order to understand and learn about these changes in business and more specifically about Business Analysis as a professional. Being educated in the Information Age is as important as putting petrol in your car if you expect to go anywhere.