11 Qualities to be a Great Business Analyst

If you are interested in becoming a great business analyst, there are certain qualities and characteristics you need to develop.

Find below some of the qualities to become a great business analyst:

1. Having strong knowledge of the job

   If you are working towards becoming a great business analyst, your starting point is having a strong knowledge of what business analysts do. You can get such information by viewing various sample business analyst job descriptions online, which highlight the major duties and responsibilities of the job. Having the knowledge will help you develop the right skills and competence for the job.

2. Covering the basics

   Being a great business analyst means the first things get attended to first. You develop a good communication, critical and analytical, and problem-solving skills. Business analysts think on their feet, and this enables the project they are working on stay on track. They always have the confidence to direct members easily and make quick decisions with the information on hand.

3. Getting an orientation

   It is possible that business analysts are expected to literarily jump into a project and begin to perform wonders. However, sometimes, business analysts meet projects already underway, and often do not have all the knowledge about the existence of the project or its purpose. Getting an orientation on the project is the quickest way to ensure that analysts get the most effective results of their efforts and increase their focus towards achieving it. It helps them get the information they need to be successful in the project.

4. Understanding the primary business objectives

   While it is not uncommon to see business analysts jumping into a project to define the scope of the project, knowing the objectives of the project enables you to define appropriately the scope and saving the stress of coming up with a solution that solves the wrong problem.

5. Understanding the scope of any project

   Having a clear and straight forward scope provides your team the enablement to realize its business needs, so much so that every team member can easily envision the outcome of a project they are involved in, and measure the extent of their contribution to its success. Though the scope may not be an implementation plan, it guides the steps of the analyst and the roles of other participants.

6. Making use of the value created by the solution

   A number of things happen when a project is finished; results are discussed, relationships are built, and problems are solved. When these things happen, it is easy for us to lose an understanding of the values they generate to the organization, and if all the efforts deliver the expected value. While it is important to keep record of success, we need to access the values created by the solution. We need to recognize the reasons we passed through the processes to find a solution – the big picture.

7. Being resourceful

   A great business analyst is one who can get the right answers all the time, by finding alternative paths in an organization, or involving the right kind of people at the right time. They cannot get hindered as long as a problem needs to be sorted out until it is dusted.

8. Continue to grow your skills

   A great business analyst cannot be content with doing the same thing all the time. They go the extra mile to add to the already existing knowledge and skill set, becoming more efficient with each success.

9. Giving more than what is expected

   It is not difficult for business analysts to give exactly what they are expected of, but a great analyst does more, he/she makes sure that the solution delivered is what the business can use, and having a firm grasp of the problem and the solution enables him/her to do this. He/she ensures that all requirements are captured, and makes sure that all players involved in the project get what they require at any point for it to be successful.

10. Straight to the point

    Good business analysts do not prefer to showcase large amount of written solution in order to convince their team. They make use of a variety of skills to create clarity. They make use of analytical techniques to properly interpret details and ask relevant questions. They do not waste time beating around the bush, but get into the required details to ensure that clarity emerges.

11. Knowing how to properly manage projects

    A good business analyst knows how to manage themselves and the project by being proactive and aware of the dependency on him/her. He/she understands the role of commitment and deadline and manages both well; he/she knows when to involve stakeholders and the right way and right time to involve them and make sure that everything is moving well.

Conclusion:

Becoming a great business analyst involves looking at the various practices that can work for you and being on the look out to improve your skills, as well as applying any skill that can help you to succeed in a project. It takes the resolve and the effort to be better to achieve such greatness.

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