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New Post 10/21/2010 5:43 PM
User is offline Bruce
4 posts
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'BA Team Lead' vs 'BA Practice Lead' 

All,

I need to decide my new job title. My supervisor and I want to adopt a 'BA practice' model with myself as the lead. It's basically a choice between 'Business Analysis (or Analyst) Team Lead' versus 'Business Analysis Practice Lead'.

Generally speaking, how do you distinguish between 'team' and 'practice' when it comes to business analysis? And do you see any obvious or logical difference in career level between being the lead of a team vs a practice?

Thanks,
Bruce Melendy

 
New Post 10/21/2010 7:02 PM
User is offline Chris Adams
323 posts
5th Level Poster






Re: 'BA Team Lead' vs 'BA Practice Lead' 

 bruce.melendy wrote

All,

I need to decide my new job title. My supervisor and I want to adopt a 'BA practice' model with myself as the lead. It's basically a choice between 'Business Analysis (or Analyst) Team Lead' versus 'Business Analysis Practice Lead'.

Generally speaking, how do you distinguish between 'team' and 'practice' when it comes to business analysis? And do you see any obvious or logical difference in career level between being the lead of a team vs a practice?

Thanks,
Bruce Melendy

Hi Bruce,

Ultimately, your title won't make much of difference outside of your organization.  They will simple ask, "what did you do?".

I'm curious, when you say BA Practice Model, are you referring to something synonymous with descriptions like business analysis center of excellence, business analysis governance. That is, are you creating a practice for the purpose of promoting best practices throughout your organization? (It might help to know how large you organization is).  If this is your aim, I would go with Business Analysis Practice Lead. 

Business Analysis Team Lead sounds like someone who is actively practicing busines analysis as their primary funtion.  They may also be establishing best practices, but this is more of a side function.  If your primary function will be to establish the BA best practices and processes for others, go with BA Practice Lead.

 


Chris Adams
Core Member – ModernAnalyst.com
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New Post 10/22/2010 1:45 AM
User is offline Kimbo
456 posts
5th Level Poster


Re: 'BA Team Lead' vs 'BA Practice Lead' 

Hi Bruce,

I always think that titles are ultimately pretty meaningless. BA Practice Lead sounds far more sexy to me than BA Team Lead. It'll look better on your CV too.

Kimbo 

 
New Post 10/22/2010 3:00 PM
User is offline Diana Williams
1 posts
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Re: 'BA Team Lead' vs 'BA Practice Lead' 

Hi Bruce,

This is something under discussion at my company as well. Personally, I'm far more partial to the "Practice Lead" model. The "Team Lead" model suggests more of a people management focus with direct reports and the like. While "Practice Lead" suggests some responsibility for defining and developing the Business Analyst role within your organization.

My concept of "Practice Lead" comes from my prior background in consulting. We had Practice Leads who were responsible for role development and best practices, while Staff, Engagement, and Project managers combined in various ways to account for direct reports in the org chart sense. The Practice Leads were far more savvy and engaged when it came to their field of expertise, while the other roles tended to take their inhabitants away from their field of practice.

I suppose it depends how you envision your new role as to which seems most appropriate.

Diana Williams

 
New Post 10/31/2010 7:38 AM
User is offline Craig Brown
560 posts
www.betterprojects.net
4th Level Poster




Re: 'BA Team Lead' vs 'BA Practice Lead' 

 The question is really "what will you be doing?"

I've done both and also been a coach and manager. Here's my personal definition;

  • Practice lead: Develops the practice (per Chris' Centre of Excellence model) and is involved in skill and capability development across the org (not just in your local BA team.)
  • Team lead: Manages a team of analysts (usually on projects.  Main role is to direct the work in the context of the project, match tasks to skills available, involved in developing and coordinating project plans
  • BA Manager: Line manager of BAs outside the project context.  Responsible mainly for staff allocation, resource planning, quality standards and training budgets. Hires and fires.
  • BA Coach: No authority, but the goal is to impart skills and ability through peer working, caching from outside the team, mentoring etc

 

Hope this helps

 
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