Would you like to be perceived as effective? Want to succeed?
Make sure you follow up.
As a BA you are involved in several initiatives at different stages of development. What separates an average professional from an exceptional one is following up on tasks assigned to others on your projects.
I'm too busy, you say? I don't own the tasks, you say?
Well, like it or not the BA has the primary responsibility of making sure requirements are documented, verified, and validated. This involves input from many sources and it's imperative to get the information in a timely manner.
The benefits of following up include:
- Your work will be done on time
- People will not forget the assigned tasks
- You will be perceived as effective
How will I find the time to follow up, you say? Build it into your daily routine.
- When sending an email, flag your email for follow up at some later time. Most email programs have this feature.
- When speaking with someone, send them an email summarizing the conversation and confirming next steps. Flag the outgoing email as a follow up item.
- Most importantly, follow through and follow up when the email reminder comes up.
In Summary, following up will enhance your job by making you effective. Following up is easily done using your email program and having the discipline to act.
Good luck on your assignments!