Although I’m a BA today, I used to be very introverted. Going from introvert to confident Business Analyst was a journey I undertook, which I’ll explain in this article.
When I first started my career, I loved computers and loved to sit and tinker with my CPU, motherboard and graphics cards. I was THAT kind of geek.
So how’d I get from that to a confident BA who can engage with versus senior stakeholders in banks and insurance companies?
In fact, this is a common question out there in the market.
I think there are three things that made a difference. I’ll run through each of these in turn, and I hope you benefit from these insights.
1. Choosing To Be A BA
First, I choose a path of a Business Analyst. Yes, the very fact that I chose to be a BA made a world of difference to my communication skills.
As a BA, you’re literally forced to be a better communicator.
You’ll be in workshops. You’ll be standing up and trying get a bunch of users and stakeholders to agree on system requirements.
Now imagine being in that kind of environment, week in and week out.
You’ll literally be forced to communicate well.
And naturally, forced to move from introvert to confident Business Analyst.
2. Growing My Domain Knowledge
Second, I think my domain knowledge grew over time. As I worked more and more with financial institutions, I began to understand how they ticked.
I began to see patterns that would not be obvious to users working for years in a silo-ed department in a bank.
I could quote examples of how other banks implemented complex payment or core banking systems, for example.
When your domain knowledge grows, your confidence grows.
And when you’re confidence grows, your entire demeanor – your body language, the way you talk and carry yourself – changes.
You become a more confident communicator.
3. Getting Great Mentors
Third, I had some wonderful mentors who taught me about communication, especially how I should talk to senior executives.
They got me from introvert to confident Business Analyst real quick.
When talking to C-Level executives, for example, I go with the maxim “Less is More”.
You can’t put too many words and diagrams in front of senior executives. You’ll only end up confusing them.
You also should be crisp and sharp in your messages. And think really hard about exactly what you’re trying to say.
Wrapping Up …
I think those are the elements which really helped me move from a introvert to a confident, straight talking BA.
If you’re in the process of transitioning to BA career, these are some things to think about.
Those of you interested in learning more about the BA career, check out this link.
I’ve also some great tips on picking up domain knowledge over here and here.
