In anticipation of his co-presentation at Building Business Capability in Vegas, Oct 31, – Nov. 4, 2016, we asked Tony Lawrence, Business Analyst at IT elementary school ltd., a few questions about pursuing business excellence. Check out his interview in relation to his BBC co-presentation entitled, Communicate to Collaborate: How to Get Everyone on the Same Page.

Q: In what ways do you see your group helping your organization pursue business excellence?

A: As a Business Analyst by inclination and Business Solutions Manager by title, my primary brief is to maximize the value and performance of [IT] systems that support the operation and change programs. My main tools and skillset are my ability to process information and communicate efficiently and effectively to – and between – all colleagues and stakeholders.

Q: Can you describe the challenges you face or have already overcome in establishing more robust business capabilities for your organization?

A: The challenges are very similar year-on-year; people, process and politics with a small ‘p’. Although cost, technology and new techniques often drive the agenda the basic way that colleagues interact and wider working relationships are the bedrock of success, and sustainable repeatable success.

Q: What are your short-term goals for becoming more agile?

A: We are taking our first baby-steps towards becoming more agile (Agile!) We speak the language but not all parts of the organization are ready and appropriately skilled to fully embrace the new ways of working. Our short- to medium-term goals fall into a number of categories including enabling technology (including Jira, DevOps, Continuous Deployment), training, blended team-working across sites, and resourcing and up-skilling, particularly to address the dearth of Scrum Masters.

Q: What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned in the past year?

A: That the technology we use, and take for granted, to communicate doesn’t get enough attention. We use what we have and maybe what we think we should be using without thinking! For example; what are sender’s and receiver’s preferences? What are we trying to communicate? What are the alternative technologies that might be more effective?

Q: What do you see as the most important goal or trend for business analysts and other professionals to keep in mind?

A: We are transforming our businesses to embrace new markers and digital channels – as most organizations are. However, in the background the real challenge is bringing the whole organization along on the same journey, and that includes the less ‘sexy’ back-office and support functions, the legacy systems, and more subtly the way the skills required and roles are changing. So, not a particular technology or trend, but how we using it, matters most. We Business Analysts are at the heart of this transformation.

Q: What’s the latest method/process/tool you’ve implemented to help your business operate more effectively? Have you seen any results yet?

A: We recently introduced a new prioritization board and more formal process to ‘pre-approve’ change items, a sort of macro backlog grooming. Although this was not meant to reduce demand we did see an early falling-off as business owners and requestors got used to the new way of working. However, we are now seeing a more considered and inclusive analysis of the merits of individual requests as part of the broader change program.

Q: If you could go back 5 years in time and give some professional insight or advice to yourself, what would it be?

A: A good question! I would probably have taken my role as an Agile Product Owner more seriously as it has proved to be a fruitful and natural extension to my skillset. I’m not sure if qualifications were available at the time; if not I would have sought some more formal training opportunities.

Q: What’s one question you wished you were asked in this interview but were not? And how would you answer?

A: I’m surprised that I’m not asked more often about my motivations to do what I do. Maybe recruiters and hiring managers see it as a ‘given’, but I want to talk about my passion for IT and technology and my role in facilitating change. This has been a major reason that I started writing and blogging last year with the IT elementary school.

Q: Sneak preview: Please tell us a take-away that you will provide during your talk at the Building Business Capability (BBC) conference this year?

A: I assume everyone knows the story about the Emperor’s New Clothes – but maybe I shouldn’t assume? It applies a lot in communications in my world, particularly with differences in domain language – and not always IT versus the rest of the world! It plays on deep-rooted natural human fears of being an outsider and being perceived as ignorant amongst peers.

The Communicate to Collaborate presentation at Building Business Capability 2016 will provide some comfort that everyone suffers from these feelings, sometimes called a ‘steep learning curve’, but often avoidable. To extend this metaphor, you will learn tricks and approaches to level the mountain by encouraging better communication and more efficient collaboration.

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Don’t miss Tony’s co-presentation, Communicate to Collaborate: How to Get Everyone on the Same Page, at Building Business Capability on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 from 11:35 am to 12:35 pm. Click here to register for attendance.