According to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge, BABOK, a business analyst is anyone who performs business analysis tasks, no matter their job title or organisational role.
I used to feel so uncomfortable every time I would remember the second part of that definition “…no matter their job title or organisational role” 🤨🤨. It used to bother me how we would spend so much time and effort learning and practicing the art and science of elicitation, stakeholder management, information management, process modelling, only for someone else to also be considered “a business analyst”. For me, it was like saying that a lawyer was anyone who carried out legal activities and drafted legal documents regardless of their job title or organisational role. (Don’t judge🤫).
But I later realised that the skills and mindset we bring to the table go far beyond just requirements and process maps, beyond business cases and use case diagrams. The BA mindset is a powerful tool that can transform not only how we work as business analysts, but also how we navigate challenges, solve problems and grow professionally and personally.
Here are five things the business analysis mindset can do for you:
It will give you clarity:
Business analysts are natural connectors. When you have worked on many projects, you tend to bridge gaps between stakeholders, teams and goals. Over time, you learn to zoom out and see how different pieces fit together into a large puzzle or how ideas connect together. This skill also helps in documentation. When you have spent months or years breaking down ideas that will be consumed by stakeholders at different levels, you begin to think granularly and often in terms of first principles.
It will help you instil thoroughness into activities:
I know one thing BAs fear more than grumpy stakeholders is analysis paralysis, but if we are able to balance it properly, the BA mindset helps us become detailed in our approach towards delivering excellent work; so much so that some BAs often have a reputation of being too meticulous or pedantic. Nevertheless, being thorough is a trait that sets you apart as someone who delivers consistent, high quality results.
It helps you build unshakable confidence:
Almost every BA I know has had to defend their results or approach in front of a group, and from experience, this is hard. For some people, it never gets easier, but naturally, you learn to become more confident in your decisions; not because the results are always on point, but because the BA mindset equips us with the framework and methodologies to weigh options critically and propose solutions that are grounded in data and user needs.
It fuels your enthusiasm:
One thing I really enjoy about BA work is how no two days are the same, and for most creatives like me, that is sometimes a good thing, because we are often always tasked with drawing from a pool of resources, tools and methodologies to solve problems. More often than not, it is followed by this incredible feeling of accomplishment 😉, especially when we see tangible impact our work contributes. Whether it is mastering a new tool or learning about a new domain, the enthusiasm is often contagious.
It Unlocks financial reward:
A lot of people find the BA profession quite lucrative. I often attribute it to the amount of work that it requires, and I hope I am right by all standards. Organisations place a lot of value on the role because of its ability to build bridges between stakeholders, operations, tools and domains. In 2024, the Oxford University Careers Service compiled a list of 8 key employability skills that will be in demand; these findings were obtained from the World Economic Forum (WEF) Future of Jobs report of 2023. The skills include: Business Awareness, Communication, Creativity, Initiative, Leadership, Planning, Self-Management, Teamwork.
Surprise, surprise 😛. All these are skills within the BA’s toolkit.
This realisation has, over the years, helped me understand that the BA mindset, like the Design Thinking Process, is not just confined to those with Business Analysis in their job title. It is a skillset anyone can cultivate. If you are looking to boost your clarity, thoroughness, confidence, enthusiasm, earning potential, start by embracing this mindset. Talk to a BA near you today!
