December 24, 2019

Yes, Virginia, There Are BAs in Agile

4 minutes

Holiday Episode: In the style of the New York Sun editorial in which an 8 year old Virginia asks if there’s a Santa Clause, grown up Virginia asks if there are Business Analysts in Agile.

DEAR EDITOR: I am 30 years old.
Some of my coworkers say there is no Business Analyst in Agile; especially with Scrum.
My boss says, ‘If you hear it on Mastering Business Analysis, it’s so.’
Please tell me the truth; is there a Business Analyst in Agile?

VIRGINIA O’HANLON.

Virginia,

your coworkers are wrong. They have been affected by things they’ve heard about

Agile and Scrum without understanding the mindset, values, and principles

behind the practices. They do not believe except what they read about Scrum.

They think that nothing can be which is beyond the Scrum Guide. All minds,

Virginia, whether they be men’s, women’s or children’s, are not fixed. In many

organizations our knowledge is a mere speck, a crumb as compared with the

boundless and ever changing world around us as measured by the potential growth

of the growth mindset capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia,

there are Business Analysts in Agile. They exist as certainly as critical thinking

and problem solving and communication exists, and you know that they abound and

give to your solutions its value and quality. Alas, how difficult would it be to

create valuable solutions if there were no Business Analysts? It would be as difficult

as if there were no Product Managers. There would be no clear communication

then, no customer-centric focus, no vision to make exceptional our teams. We

should have no alignment, except in micromanagement. The value with which our

products bring to our customers would be diminished.

No BAs in Agile!

You might as well not believe in collaboration! You might get your manager to draw

up an organizational chart showing Business Analysts an Agile teams, but even

if it does not list the title Business Analyst, what would that show? The power

of Business Analysis is not in the role title, but in the clarity, shared

understanding, and value they bring to teams, organizations, and customers. Most

significant things Business Analysts do are those that we cannot see, yet are

critical. Did you ever see a shared understanding or alignment? Of course not,

but these intangibles are there in great teams. Nobody can conceive or imagine

all the wonders great teams have yet to develop.

You may create

a process diagram or draw a value stream map, but there is a veil covering

today’s volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous world which not the smartest

person, nor even the united intelligence of all the smartest people that ever

lived, could draw. Only vision, innovation, experimentation, and analysis of

outcomes can push aside that curtain and picture the value and quality beyond.

Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else as real

and abiding.

No BAs in Agile! Thank God there are; and they may have different titles. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, the skill of business analysis will continue to help teams and organizations create high quality, valuable solutions.

Yes Virginia, there are Business Analysts in Agile.

Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and happy holidays however you celebrate. I wish you a joyous and prosperous 2020.

Thank you for listening to the program

To get more valuable content to enhance your skills and advance your career, you can subscribe on iTunes and other podcatchers.

Also, reviews on iTunes are highly appreciated! I read each review and it helps keep me motivated to continue to bring you valuable content each week.

The post Yes, Virginia, There Are BAs in Agile appeared first on Mastering Business Analysis.

...more

View all episodes

By Dave Saboe, CBAP, PMP, CSM | Certified Business Analysis Professional | Agile Coach

4.7

8282 ratings