Business Analysis Live!

By International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)Business Non-Profit

Business Analysis Live! episodes

May 30, 2023 Curiosity for Business Analysis
How does curiosity help in your career? Curiosity leads to discovery and it can be fostered or suppressed. Christina (Tina) Lovelock and Adrian Reed join us for a discussion about curiosity and a global initiative they’ve launched called BA School Day.
Curiosity allows us to explore and learn. For business analysis professionals, learning and asking effective questions are an important part of the role. But curiosity has no bounds in terms of job role. For example, storytelling and understanding the mechanics of a story, are a skill that can be used across many disciplines, and this has an element of curiosity and creativity.
Susan says “business analysis professionals are professional learners” in our discussion. Adrian chats with us about how sales roles some similarities to business analysis.
Can curiosity be developed? Tina shares her thoughts on how practicing curiosity can help us get more information to help us be more successful. Sometimes it can be intimidating to ask questions, and organizations can help or hinder this through their culture. By fostering an environment that’s safe to ask questions, organizations can improve their performance.
Tina and Adrian share details about their initiative called the BA School Day. This is to raise awareness of the business analysis career for students in schools, colleges, and universities. It will help inform and inspire BAs of the future. It’s an opportunity for the business analysis community to engage their local community with resources from the website and make a pledge. Go to https://baschool.day/ to learn more.
RESOURCES:
BA School Day - https://baschool.day/
Book – The Accidental Salesperson

Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
Business Analysis Live is hosted by:
- Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA
- Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#businessanalysis #curiosity
33 min
May 02, 2023 How to Hire a Business Analyst
In this discussion we talk about hiring business analysts from the hiring manager perspective. It may also be useful for business analyst applicants to understand what hiring managers are looking for. Our guest on this episode of Business Analysis Live is Yulia Kosarenko, who has a YouTube channel called Why Change.
We start by discussing the importance of the job description. It’s important to articulate details about what the candidate will be doing in the job. We discuss communication skills for BAs, emphasizing the ability to listen actively, ask effective questions, and convey complex information in a clear and concise manner. We also chat about the importance of being able to adapt communication style to different stakeholders, including technical and non-technical team members.
The conversation then moves on to the topic of job interviews and how to prepare for them. Yulia shares some tips on how to research the company and position, as well as how to practice and refine your responses to common interview questions. We also discuss the importance of being authentic and honest during the interview process, and the value of showing enthusiasm and a genuine interest in the company and role.
Later in the conversation, we discuss the importance of professional development and staying up-to-date with industry trends and best practices. We mention the benefits of attending conferences, webinars, and other industry events, as well as participating in local IIBA chapters. Yulia notes that certification is also a useful way to demonstrate knowledge and experience in business analysis, but emphasizes that it is not a guarantee of competence or fit for a particular role.
We wrap up by discussing the importance of the business analysis mindset, which includes traits such as curiosity, problem-solving skills, and a focus on continuous improvement. While technical skills and experience are important, it is often these soft skills and mindset that differentiate top-performing BAs. As always, we answer questions from our viewers during the livestream.
RESOURCES:
20% discount code for the Job Interview Clinic (with BA extras: yulia-spring-20) https://courses.why-change.com/
How to Screen Business Analyst Resumes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtFf3RQ7Z2w&t=0s
Writing a Business Analyst Resume - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4YoyxUviow&t=0s
Business Analysis Live is hosted by:
- Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA
- Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA
Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#businessanalysis #interview #hiring
41 min
April 18, 2023 Why Use Observation?
Observation is a valuable source of information and can be used to gain insights that cannot be obtained through conversations. We discuss the technique of observation in business analysis share stories about our experiences.
As with any technique, there are benefits and challenges. Observation can reveal inefficiencies and help organizations improve their processes. However, observation can also create anxiety among employees, so it is important to communicate the purpose of the observation and ensure that employees understand why it is being done.
RESOURCES:
-IIBA’s KnowledgeHub https://www.iiba.org/knowledgehub/business-analysis-body-of-knowledge-babok-guide/10-techniques/10-31-observation/
- The Business Analysis Body of Knowledge https://www.iiba.org/career-resources/a-business-analysis-professionals-foundation-for-success/babok/
Business Analysis Live is hosted by:
- Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA
- Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA
Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#businessanalysis #observation
40 min
March 31, 2023 ChatGPT and Business Analysis
ChatGPT is a new Artificial Intelligence technology and we discuss how this is useful as a research and productivity tool. Susan and Scott chat with Emal Bariali, the Founder of BA Blocks, who has been researching ChatGPT for use by business analysis professionals. Emal has published several ChatGPT videos on his YouTube channel (see link below).
As a high-level primer, GPT stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer. It is a type of Large Language Model (LLM) artificial intelligence tool. We don’t focus on the technology in this discussion, we focus on the implications and usefulness of this artificial intelligence technology.
During our discussion, we demonstrate a simple example of using OpenAI’s ChatGPT tool. The example is exploring what menu items and policies to include when building a website. The results provide lists of items and a brief description of each.
There are a number of useful functions ChatGPT can perform:
- Knowledge gathering and research to perform discovery work quickly and efficiently
- Summarize the transcript of a meeting
- Building creative output such as a social media calendar and title ideas (even poems and song lyrics!)
- Writing code such as SQL
- Productivity tools: Microsoft and Google are working to include Large Language Models (LLMs) in their productivity suites to perform mundane or repetitive tasks. This will provide the ability to use this functionality to address low-value work and free up more time. Susan describes “shallow work” versus “deep work”, where LLMs can help with the shallow work. Some examples of how the ChatGPT type of functions will work in productivity suites are:
- Draft an email based on available data (meeting transcripts, files, emails, etc.)
- Generate a presentation (including photos it has access to)
- Pull meaning from a spreadsheet of data
Some limitations of ChatGPT are it can’t create new ideas, it could be plagiarising, it can’t read body language, it doesn’t understand organizational culture, etc. There are some risks of using ChatGPT as it can generate results that aren’t accurate. It requires diligence to ensure the results are used appropriately.
Emal suggests making sure you’re clear on the prompts you ask to get more accurate results and look at the results critically to review it well.
RESOURCES:
Emal’s YouTube Channel with ChatGPT demos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DaJVZBXETE&t=0s
Cornell University Study - GPTs are GPTs: An Early Look at the Labor Market Impact Potential of Large Language Models https://arxiv.org/abs/2303.10130
Productivity Tools:
- Microsoft 365 Copilot Info - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7xTBa93TX8&t=0s
- AI and Google Workspace Info - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6DaJVZBXETE&t=0s
Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#chatgpt #AI #businessanalysis
40 min
March 21, 2023Running Effective Meetings
The purpose of most meetings is to make decisions. Are your meetings effective? Have you attended meetings that are a waste of time? Susan and Scott have run meetings for decades. Join them as they discuss effective meetings and take questions from the live audience.
Top 5 Essential Elements of Effective Meeting
State the objective of the meeting so people know what to expect.

Include an agenda so attendees can prepare or possibly reject the meeting if it’s not suitable for them to attend

Only invite relevant attendees

Start and end on time - show respect for people

Take notes to document decisions and action items (including action item, owner of the action item, and due date)
Additional Elements for Effective Meetings
Decide if you need a meeting, or if you can accomplish this via email or chat

Manage the discussion to keep it on track

Send a summary of the meeting to attendees with decisions, action items, and next steps

chat, Slack, Teams, etc.

For virtual meetings, turn your camera on

body language is an important part of communication

Be a hero, and finish the meeting 5 minutes early
Tool Tips:
Use visuals to help facilitate the meeting

Use a Timer to manage to the agenda for larger groups (get a helper)

Use a virtual whiteboard to collaborate
RESOURCES: Podcast for Business Analysis Live https://www.iiba.org/professional-development/knowledge-centre/podcasts/
Business Analysis Live is hosted by:
Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA

Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#meetings #techniques #businessanalysis
41 min
March 07, 2023What is Business Analysis?
Business Analysis is defined as “the practice of enabling change in an organizational context, by defining needs and recommending solutions that deliver value to stakeholders” in the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK© Guide v3). The BABOK guide was developed by a global working group, including our guest, Laura Paton.
We talk with Laura about Business Analysis from different perspectives:
The profession, research, and competencies

Roles and Job Titles

How long it takes to get good at business analysis

Change management

Organizations and business domains

Starting a business analysis career

Problem solving and opportunity seeking

People, process, and technology

Data analytics

Human behaviour and psychology

The art and science of business analysis

The importance of context
RESOURCES:
LinkedIn Learning Course by Laura Paton: What is Business Analysis? https://www.linkedin.com/learning/what-is-business-analysis

Certification in Business Data Analytics https://www.iiba.org/business-analysis-certifications/business-data-analytics-certification/
Business Analysis Live is hosted by: - Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA - Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA We discuss business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience.
Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.
Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#businessanalysis #babok #career
31 min
February 21, 2023Business Analysis Skills for Human Resources
Human Resources is key to running a successful organization. It’s typically a top cost among expenses. How do business analysis skills apply to Human Resources? Kris Tierney joins us from the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), which has partnered with The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) to offer the “Radical HR: Upskilling from Service Provider to Solution Expert” program.
During our chat with Kris, we talk about Human Resources (HR) for business analysts to understand the business domain. To underscore the importance of HR, one of our livestream viewers, Tracy Kincaid-Mielak commented “You can’t have a business without the people so people should be your primary focus”. The certificate program helps HR professionals learn “how to speak the language of the business”. Using the foundations of business analysis, participants elevate their ability to positively impact their organizations by conducting comprehensive needs analysis and creating evidence-based solutions.
For information on the certificate program, visit https://mx.hrpa.ca/pages/hrpa-meeting...
To learn more about the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA), visit https://www.hrpa.ca
Business Analysis Live is hosted by:
Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA

Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA
Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.
Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#businessanalysis #humanresources #hr
Show less
40 min
February 07, 2023Top 9 Business Analysis Skills
What are the most important skills for business analysis professionals? We discuss the top 9 skills identified in the IIBA Global State of Business Analysis report. This is research from business analysis professionals around the world. Can you guess what the top skill is for your career? We count down to the #1 skill and take questions from the livestream audience.
RELATED ARTICLES:
Skills Every Business Analysis Professional Needs https://www.iiba.org/business-analysis-blogs/skills-every-business-analysis-professional-needs/
RELATED PODCASTS:
Leadership Skills for Business Analysis https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/p91btHCHcxb

Communication: How to Ask Better Questions https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/p91btHCHcxb
Business Analysis Live is hosted by: - Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA - Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA We discuss business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience.
Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications.
Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#businessanalysis #skills #career
Show less
39 min
January 24, 2023 Business Analysis Myths
“Business analysis professionals only work in IT”, is that a myth? What about “Business analysts only create requirements documents”? In this episode of Business Analysis Live we talk about common business analysis myths and answer questions from our live audience.
RESOURCES:
- Business Analysis Job Titles - https://youtu.be/c6Ne1J9IlJE
- Top Business Analysis Myths, Analyst Catalyst blog - https://www.iiba.org/business-analysis-blogs/top-business-analysis-myths/
Business Analysis Live is hosted by: - Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA - Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA We discuss business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience.
Do you have questions about this topic or have an idea for a different topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#analysis #businessanalysis #iiba
36 min
January 10, 2023Business Analysis Job Interview Questions
Looking for a business analysis job? We discuss interview questions that you may encounter and how to approach them. Preparation is key and our guest, Yulia Kosarenko, shares tips on how to get ready for a business analysis job interview. She has some great advice. Yulia Kosarenko is the author of “Business analyst: a profession and a mindset” and also publishes videos on her “Why Change” YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@WhyChange
RESOURCES:
IIBA Career Center https://careercenter.iiba.org/

Entry Certificate to Business Analysis (ECBA) https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/MZeeRQGWrwb

Top 7 Soft Skills for Business Analysts Video https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/gprrUNGWrwb
Do you have questions about this topic? Ask us a question at [email protected] or leave us a voice message on our podcast homepage.
Business Analysis Live is hosted by:
Susan Moore, Community Engagement Manager at IIBA

Scott Bennett, Manager, Business Analysis at IIBA
We discuss business analysis topics and answer questions from our live audience. We have a backlog of upcoming topics and we’re happy to take suggestions.
The International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) is a non-profit professional association serving the field of business analysis. As the global thought leader and voice of the business analysis community, IIBA actively supports the recognition of the profession, and works to maintain global standards for the ongoing development of the practice and certifications. Learn more at https://www.iiba.org/
#businessanalysis #job #interview #businessanalyst
41 min

About Business Analysis Live!

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Business analysis is one of the top trending skills today. From problem solvers to change agents to advocates, business analysis professionals perform many roles in organizations and governments all…