goob's world

My wife got a new toy last night, a brand new, shiny, and not so loud vacuum cleaner. We brought it home and it was like Christmas morning. Linda tore into the box and quickly assembled the beast. Then, as she always does, she read the directions. That's good, because I certainly will not. 

Let's back up a little bit and examine why today is a good day (even if not that rare). I have tried to count the number of vacuum cleaners my wife has brought into our home over the 20 some odd years we have been together. I can't do it. The formula for calculating such astronomical numbers is way beyond my comprehension. She has a thing for them. I discovered this early on in our relationship. If I were a man of reason I would be jealous of these sucky little machines. But, since reason flew out the window many years ago in my life, I can't feel jealous for such a thing. I, however, am extremely jealous over the attention a bag of any shape, size or color garners. But that is another story entirely.

Linda has owned and cherished machines of various sizes and degrees of power such as mini-vacs with specific purposes that only a mini-vac can accomplish. She has also had vacuums that will suck the gravel from the driveway if you unleash them. I have to say the latter is one I purchased for her that was made of space age material, sounded like a 747 at take-off and cost more than a vacuum should, but it was the most manly sucker we've ever had. They all have been her favorite for at least a short amount of time and her plans for their use have been grand, to say the least.

For each one she would carefully map out a plan of how each would be used and then experiment and pare down the uses to those that are possible if not practical. She would try every attachment in every possible way and proudly report the success of each. Like a few minutes ago when she came in and gleefully said, "Look how much dirt came from just the bathroom and kitchen!" I really don't know how she could be proud of such a thing.

Today she awoke and waited until it was an hour that she thought was a reasonable time to fire up her new device and start her menacing attack on the pet hair, dust and dirt that lie in every crevice of our home while driving our little dogs to distraction. I believe the new toy is now in its third configuration and she's cleaning like a mad woman having a ball all the way. There are many more configurations to come and the fun will continue.  

I read a quote the other day made by Donald Rumsfeld in one of his daily press conferences during the Iraqi war. 

"There are known unknowns. That is to say, we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns, the ones we don't know we don't know."

After I read it I remembered the news conference and he was "answering" a question about what the U.S. knew about the Iraqi WMD capability. The more I thought about it the more I realized that we all live in that world of unknowns but as a Business Analyst, it is more prevalent.

It seems with every project it is a vast unknown unknown and the first thing we set off to do is learn about the known unknowns. That is to say, we find out as much as possible about what we do know (we being the team) and with the knowledge of what we know and where we want to go we find out what the known unknowns are.

In other words, we start swimming in the unknown unknowns to a shore of known unknowns and along the way we find more and more of the unknown unknowns and work to gain the knowledge needed to make them a known unknown and guide our way to a solution of new knowns. (yes, it's OK to go back and read that sentence again)  Then we document it all. And begin all over.

A good business analyst (herein known as a BA) is someone who can facilitate a meeting; are IT fluent; understands testing; is able to deliver understandable and complete documentation; is end-user supportive and learns and can grasp various ideas.  But what makes a great BA? I have gathered what I believe most of the traits that turn a good business analyst into a great one. Keep in mind the following list is in no particular order. Natural Born Sense of Curiosity A BA always wants to know the what, why, how and when of something.  They are that two-year-old in the “Why?” stage. Left Brain Smart – Right Brain Driven A BA understands numbers, trends and analytics but is creative in solutions and how to find them. Good Listener A BA knows how to listen to others and understand or ask questions until they understand the value of what is being said. Interpreter A BA can translate corporate speak into geek speak and vice-versa.  They can demonstrate through words, illustrations or actions to deliver meaning to the listener. Colombo “I’m sorry, if I ask a question over and over in a different way, but sometimes it takes me hearing things coming from another angle to help me understand.”  It’s what made Colombo a great detective, digging sometimes in the same spot until he uncovered reality.  A BA keeps digging until they find out the ‘what’ of a problem. (A ‘what’ is defined as the true requirement) People Person (Trusted) A BA is someone who instills trust.  By their actions, attitude and demeanor they make others open up. They give credit where credit is due.  They don’t blame others for their mistakes. They iron out differences in private and they verify assumptions (if an assumption is not true then they document it as an invalid assumption and move on without wasting effort).  They are a straight shooter.  If they are honest at all times with everyone, the people around them will tend to be honest with them. Positive The glass is half full. (Don’t you hate that cliché?) Sometimes it IS half empty but you have to portray the fact in a confident and constructive manner. Prepared A BA is prepared.  Every meeting has a purpose and the BA is ready and leads.  A BA is prepared for surprises and can regroup when necessary. A BA is not afraid to say, can I get back to you in an hour, or can make a decision and own it. Practical Experience My grandmother was a school teacher in a one room school in the 1920’s.  It was there she learned that, “Book learnin’ is useless without gettin’ your hands dirty.”  Unless a BA has been involved in business decisions and business mistakes they can’t see when a solution reveals itself. It’s the practical experience that enables a BA to see the difference in the ‘what’ and the ‘how’.  (the ‘what’ being the requirement and the ‘how’ being the design) A Student Things change. Learn about them. The natural curiosity of a BA drives them to constantly seek knowledge and then understand how to put it to good use.  They are aware they are not the smartest person in the room and don’t try and act like it. Know They Are Wrong

The Mayans ran out of time on December 21, 2012. That means time is short before we find out if they held the knowledge some believe.

This year will be a journey to see if I can find the man within.  Many things through the years have not gone as planned. Many things did. As I go forward into the Mayan conclusion I will live as if we will be a part of the finale.

I will gather my life’s mistakes and use them as markers.  I will gather life’s victories and use them as beacons. Each day will bring new paths and these signs will guide my way.

I will do what I want to do. The things I love doing. I will let others do the things they love and we all will be better for it.

To be the person people like and enjoy being around is my daily goal. The father, husband, friend and businessman … the man looking at his past to draw a map to the future is the man I want to be in the Mayan Year of Conclusion.

As long as I can remember I have lived in a right brain reality with left brain functionality. The fracas within only moved in one direction – forward while never looking back.  I have been a Creative Director and my greatest creative achievements rode in on the backs of the talent around me.  The lesson learned is you are better as part of a collective.

I moved from radio to newspaper to web in what seemed like a natural progression gaining valuable business awareness while dipping my toes into various sectors. My natural curiosity directed the questions when I met someone new. I love asking questions. I plan on doing a lot of asking in the near future. Asking for others to help me and asking to help others.