Why Business Analysis Training by itself is simply not enough!
Of course I believe that Business Analysis Training is an important aspect of any Business Analyst’s career but if I take stock of where and how I have learned my Business Analysis skills and practical knowledge, then it is certainly not in a 3 day classroom training doing ‘role play’!
Business Analysis Training provides good background knowledge and it gives the Business Analyst more techniques to apply in their daily jobs but for any of this to be effective and useful it has to be combined with an integrated Professional Development culture ideally within a Business Analysis team where new ideas, processes and methodologies are welcomed.
Nothing beats real life work experience, or is there something you are missing?
It is true that working within a company, as a Business Analyst will expose the individual to real-life business problems and challenges to solve. The Business Analyst will solve these problems or challenges with whatever makes sense at the time and they will use whatever knowledge and experience is available to them. If the Business Analyst is open to learning new skills and behavior they will progress as a Business Analyst within a practical environment without necessarily being sat down in a classroom for Business Analysis training…however, they will not know what they don’t know and this will limit the solutions they can offer the business within their capacity as a Business Analyst.
So, does this mean you must do Business Analysis Training to be successful?
No, it actually doesn’t mean that if you don’t do the formal Business Analysis Training that you won’t progress or be successful. It only means that if you don’t do any formal Business Analysis Training that you may take a slightly longer path to get to the end point of your Business Analysis Career goals. This is simply because you may have to spend more time learning tools, concepts and techniques on the job before you can produce them seamlessly and effortlessly as part of your role as a Business Analyst. Without any formal Business Analysis Training your resume might not shine quite as brightly as it could when it comes time to look for another Business Analysis role. Having said all of this, Business Analysis training is always of benefit to the Business Analyst but it is not the be all and end all to achieve success…
The secret sauce to Business Analysis career success is…
You should place yourself in a Business Analysis environment or team where Professional Development is a key focus. Professional Development doesn’t mean being sent or subscribed to a long list of Business Analysis Training courses necessarily (although it can be part of it), it means that there are people, resources and a friendly culture around you where your Business Analysis career aspirations are welcomed and encouraged.
You might wonder, where do I find a company like this? Well, if you feel like you are not supported to actively develop and learn in your Business Analysis career within your current team you can either move to another company or better still create the Professional Development environment and culture that you would like yourself right where you are!
Professional Development is about defining your Business Analysis career goals and then implementing different strategies to achieve each of your goals. This can involve developing a Business Analysis methodology for your team, or setting up a Business Analysis mentoring program within your team or simply developing some templates to improve your current Business Analysis Practices and sharing it with others. You can volunteer to be part of a specific project or initiative where you can gain skills you haven’t got yet or you could simply enroll for some online Business Analysis training courses if this was available for you to do.
There are many different resources and ideas available for any Business Analyst within any work situation to embrace, initiate and implement without you being dependent on anyone but your own creativity and goal-oriented focus. Once you realize and embrace the fact that the secret sauce to Business Analysis career success is within you and therefore under your control, you will experience success around every corner of your career.
In conclusion
Although being able to do Business Analysis Training courses is always a benefit and opportunity for learning, it is not the only way for you to develop as a Business Analyst. You are in complete control of your Business Analysis career success and outcomes, the sooner you realize this, the sooner you will experience great success as a Business Analyst.
Share your ideas for how you could Professional Develop your career without necessarily just doing more Business Analysis Training….