ANSWER

Management By Walking Around (MBWA) is a popular management technique used by top-level managers in traditional brick and mortar businesses where managers walk around and observe the work, culture, atmosphere, and problems that may exist.  It has several powerful benefits.

1. Tension between top-level management and front-line workers is reduced through informal and frequent exposure
2. Management better understands what is really happening in the organization
3. Workers see managers as being truly interested in their needs, ideas, and inputs
4. Workers see managers as “in-touch” with what is really happening
5. Workers see a manager’s genuine concern for the well being of the organization and develop respect and appreciation for management

And the list continues.  But how does this management technique relate to Business Analysis?

Believe it or not, there are many similarities between the role of a business analyst and a top-level manager.  These similarities also result in similar challenges that need to be overcome.  Because business analysts often move from project to project, they may find themselves face to face with front-line workers who don’t really understand or appreciate their role.   They may be at first mistrusted.  Even front-line workers who understand the role that the business analyst SHOULD play on their project may lack confidence in their abilities.

MBWA is, in many ways, just a modified form of requirements gathering through observation.  By extending the concept of MBWA to business analysis, many of these challenges are overcome.

1. Frequent and informal observation sessions increases the amount of exposure workers have to the business analyst reducing tension
2. The business analyst gains a first-hand understanding of the project and process versus a theoretical understanding from requirement gathering sessions or one-on-one interviews
3. Workers see the business analyst as truly interested in their needs, ideas, and inputs which increases the chance of buy-in  on the project (remember, workers have probably seen their fair share of promises of a better process or system from past projects that never delivered)
4. The business analyst is seen as “in touch” with the workers, process, and project
5. Workers develop respect and appreciation for the business analyst