Chapter 5

The Business Analyst’s Role in Communications

In This Chapter:

• Communication Building Blocks

• The Sender

• The Receiver

• Active Listening

• Miscommunication

• Best Communication Practices for the Business Analyst

Accurate, usable information is the currency of business analysis because the responsibility for planning and conducting requirements elicitation and validation sessions lies with the business analyst. The goal is to learn to use effective communication techniques that lead to clear, accurate information about the business requirements. While the responsibility for good communication is shared by all participants in the requirements sessions, the business analyst leads the way. The business analyst constantly looks for concerns and areas where confusion rather than clarity reigns.

To understand the critical skill sets that any business leader must have to communicate effectively, the communication process can be broken down to its basic elements. In this chapter, contributing author Kimi Ziemski discusses how important it is for the business analyst to understand and effectively use communication building blocks.

Communication Building Blocks

Communication is a process composed of building blocks used to get information from point A to point B. The basic components for both written and verbal communication are the same:

Sender—the person speaking or writing.

Receiver—the intended target for the message from the sender.

Intent—the internal concept or message the sender is trying to transmit to the receiver.

Message—what the receiver actually gets through sensory input, encrypted within the words used.

Medium—the way the message is verbally communicated—in writing, verbally, or physically (e.g., sign language, a welcoming wave hello).

Encryption/Decryption—the sender’s translation of the intended message to accommodate the medium used to send the message. The receiver then translates it back. Encryption/decryption is simply the ability to understand the language used for the message.

Within each element of the communication process lurks the risk of miscommunication. Conflict resolution experts understand that it is not always a disagreement that causes conflict, but often a misunderstanding or miscommunication. The following sections discuss the communication elements in the context of the requirements elicitation process, focusing on the business analyst’s communication skills.

The Sender

It’s reasonable to assume that senders, business customers, and users who are the source of business requirements typically don’t intend to create misunderstanding. Most of the time the sender has been working to make the message as clear as possible, and this fact usually contributes to the subsequent level of annoyance when the message is clearly not understood or received well by the business analyst.

The Intent

A sender’s intended message—the intent—can be misunderstood, which may result in miscommunication. When the intent is to educate, the first challenge for the business analyst is that there are likely to be multiple levels of knowledge and expertise in the room in requirement elicitation sessions. Some people would suggest that the business analyst strives to bring the lowest levels in the room up to some sort of median before beginning to address the room at large. One strategy that can be used is to separate out the most knowledgeable people and use them as subject matter experts. Another approach is to establish separate times to talk with the different audiences.

If the intent is to elicit information (which is the cornerstone of business analysis), think about why the participants care about contributing information to the discussion. What is in it for them? The requirements elicitation process must take into account the possibility that participants may have very different agendas, perspectives, and priorities. The business analyst’s role as a liaison between the various groups in an organization is to create an environment of collaboration and cooperation that facilitates the communication process. To maximize communication, learn to adopt a communication style that reflects the intended message most accurately.

The Message

How the business analyst frames messages impacts the response. During requirements elicitation workshops and focus groups, the business analyst documents the findings and sends them to all participants to review and provide feedback. When sending the draft outcome of the session for review, the messages you send can have either an expanding effect or a narrowing effect on the requirements under review.

If the team has not reached concrete conclusions about the business problem, or the participants have not yet provided the full input needed to be able to adequately articulate the requirement, craft your written message to stimulate expansion of thought processes, encourage exploration of possible interpretations, and promote a widening of perspectives.

If it is time to narrow the scope to a particular feature, convey the message that the team has completed the preliminary exploration and is now looking at a limited field of information to validate that the requirement under review is accurate, unambiguous, testable, and complete.

The Medium

The intent of communication is often signaled by the choice of the medium used to transmit the message. For the message to be received as intended, the sender must consider the intent, the message, and the medium, as well as the timing, image, and impact of the different mediums available.

Time constraints often dictate these choices. The constrained timeframes of today’s business world have trained senders to use electronic mediums because they are so efficient and easy to use. The problem with the proliferation of email, instant messaging, and small messaging systems is that these methods are informal and highly impersonal. When it is time to validate captured requirements as accurate and complete, a face-to-face meeting is far superior to an email.

Encryption/Decryption

Encryption—selecting the language, tone, level of formality, and vocabulary that will best carry your message—is also an important consideration. The receiver decrypts messages when he or she demonstrates the ability to understand the true message and intent of the sender by rephrasing the message. A number of elements can prevent the receiver from being able to decrypt a message accurately. Because most of the effective communication in a message is based on elements that are not tied directly to the choice of vocabulary, such as tone and non-verbal body language, there is ample opportunity for faulty encryption or decryption.

Tailoring Communication to Individual Preferences and Styles

A key consideration in communicating effectively is the differences in personal and behavioral styles and preferences among the project stakeholders. Some people are get-to-the-point types, while others prefer to understand each nuance of context for the message. Some require little input to begin working their way to a conclusion, while others require more lengthy conversation and a more deliberate case built before coming to judgment or decision.

It is incumbent upon the business analyst to understand and account for these differing cultural and individual style preferences. The impact of cultural diversity on the business analyst’s ability to be an effective liaison between business and technical professionals cannot be overstated. Culture in this context is not limited to ethnic, geographic, or national identity. Culture is also a function of our personal professional choices and of organizations as a whole.

Individual cultural preferences are influenced by the geographic areas we choose to live in as adults, and by how we reflect and interpret the experiences of our youth and childhood. Our cultural inclinations are demonstrated in how we relate to people, issues, and group pressures. Cultural predispositions are revealed when we react to situations and in how we choose to initiate action. The culmination of all cultural influences on our lives can also be seen in how we communicate—and when we don’t. Cultural influences dictate how much context a user or customer representative requires to be comfortable enough to be willing to listen and participate in requirements elicitation sessions. The business analyst considers these cultural differences when planning and facilitating group requirements sessions.

The Receiver

The ability to listen well is of particular importance to the business analyst when discussing business concepts with the technical team members, and when presenting technical concepts to a business audience. It is the business analyst who interprets requirements stated by stakeholders and confirms that the requirements are understood in the same way by both the business and technical teams.

Chief among the receiver’s responsibilities is to respond to the sender by interpreting the message and revealing how clearly the message came across. Validation and confirmation of the message are essential to effective communication. When facilitating sessions, the business analyst listens closely to the message and to the choice of verbiage and tone and then rephrases the message to demonstrate that it has been heard. After transcribing the content of the message on a flip chart or white board, the business analyst once again checks with the sender to confirm that it has been accurately captured and then asks the full group if it needs additional clarification or discussion, or if it concurs.

Active Listening

There are often competing demands on the time and mental energy of project stakeholders. Active listening suggests that the business analyst focus on the message that the user/customer intended, and assume the role of receiver in an interactive way. Active listening consists of intent, action, and confirmation.

Intent

During requirements elicitation and validation sessions, the business analyst often acts as the receiver. In that role, the business analyst focuses closely on the intentions of the person sending the message. The goal is to focus on listening and attempting to really hear what that person is saying.

Action

When it is clear that the sender has completed the message, the business analyst takes action to clarify, question, and confirm to ensure that the thought has been fully heard and understood. Hints of concerns or issues that are contained in the initial transmission are discussed fully until both parties agree to a description or statement of the requirement.

Confirmation

Confirmation is the action taken when the business analyst summarizes or paraphrases the message to confirm that the message has been received and is understood. Once the sender agrees with the confirmation, the business analyst can move on.

The time required for full confirmation—especially during requirements elicitation—is often called into question when first practiced because it seems to take longer than the standard exchange of information. Keep in mind, however, that the use of active listening reduces the amount of time spent managing changes to requirements later in the process.

As with any new skill set, active listening is something that some people can do better than others. The business analyst can improve his or her competency level with practice and focus. When the participants in requirements sessions have been truly listened to, they feel acknowledged and validated. It is a sign of respect to give concrete acknowledgment of having heard someone’s position.

Miscommunication

Several factors can contribute to miscommunication. The effective business analyst understands these factors, and makes appropriate accommodations.

Ineffective verbal or written communication skills. It is entirely possible that the sender (the person attempting to articulate the requirement) lacks the necessary competency level to communicate complex or technical issues to the group. Suggestion: Practice talking with people new to the field or industry to get a fresh perspective on their conversational and business verbal styles. Apply lessons learned when facilitating requirements elicitation and review meetings.

Assumptions of requisite knowledge. The assumption that because something is painfully obvious to us, it is just as clearly obvious to others can cause a deep valley of misunderstanding. Suggestion: As you work with subject matter experts, ask yourself what information you would assume they already know. Examine the possibility that you might not get another opportunity to talk with the experts before finalizing requirements, so be certain to clarify your understanding.

Reluctance to infer that the recipient is not knowledgeable. It is always valid to care about the way your message is being received. It is this very concern that can help you craft your message to make sure it is effectively received. Suggestion: Establish an environment where people can feel comfortable asking questions, clarifying areas of concern, and airing differences of opinion. Facilitate the flow of information as it unfolds by transcribing it on poster paper or a white board. Check periodically to make sure that all parties are operating with the same understanding of the information. Most of all, remember that in your role as a business analyst, it is your responsibility to translate business needs into business requirements and ensure that the communication channels are clear.

Too many communication channels. Communication channels must be maintained for every stakeholder group. The communication complexity increases as more stakeholders are added. Suggestion: When crafting your message, try to articulate the main points in multiple ways. Each recipient has a personal frame of reference, and sometimes hearing the same information presented in multiple ways helps the whole group find a common understanding. It is for this reason that business analysts strive to document requirements in multiple ways, including with text, diagrams, models, lists, matrices, and tables.

Best Communication Practices for the Business Analyst

If the communication that takes place during the requirements elicitation process is improved, the results can potentially provide payback in terms of reduced rework and a higher quality solution that truly meets the needs of the business. Most requirements techniques focus on specification (representation of the requirements). To ensure that quality communication has transpired during requirements elicitation, incorporate these best practices:

Collaborate with the project manager and other core team members to build the requirements elicitation and communication plan; include communication to key requirement stakeholders.

Continually evaluate the effectiveness of the requirements elicitation and communication strategies.

Continually validate the requirements with the customer and other stakeholder groups through evaluation, integration, prioritization, reviews, walk-throughs, and reviews of requirements understanding models.

Execute a simple, straightforward communication plan using forceful and convincing messages sent through many channels.

Visualize and communicate requirements in the right way to the right audience. Create a blueprint (a view or conceptual model; a rich picture) of what the solution will cover. It is the starting point for defining the phasing of critical and non-critical functionality.

Build prototypes and “a day in the life” scenarios.

Use technology to share information, e.g., video recordings of current user operations; webcasts of business vision and rationale for change; and live, interactive usability testing.

Accurate and complete requirements depend on the business analyst’s ability to foster understanding among different perspectives, areas of expertise, and communication styles. This is a tall order, since effective communication demands acquisition of particular knowledge, skills, and experience. Senior business analysts are consummate communicators. Of all of the skills needed to be an effective business analyst, communication is perhaps the most critical. It is of utmost importance that business analysts understand and use effective communication techniques.