Why Do Business Analysts Say These Dumb Things?

Here is just a sampling of some of the things I have heard recently from some Business Analysts.

• "The business doesn't know what they want".
• "User 'A' says one thing, while user 'B', doing the same job, and says the exact opposite. Users completely contradict themselves".
• "The users don't have a clue; they have no idea of what they want".

If you overhear a BA say any of the garbage above, challenge them.

Motivate the BA to get around the excuses. If that doesn't work, then fire the BA, but share with them why this was necessary.

Below is what I read between the lines when a Business Analyst spews out any of the crazy 3 items above.

Inexperience

• Cannot see that two requirements which contradict each other may be from two different views of the process or system.
• Unable to distinguish between the different Requirements types

Misguided

• Believe that they just need to document what the business tells them to, and that they are not responsible for the content (what are they smoking, snorting etc.).
• There are two separate requirements. Leave it up to the technical people to figure it out; that's their job (all I can say is errrrrrrr).

Lack of Motivation

• They are simply lazy and don't want to bother to ask more probing questions to get the answers needed, which would clarify the contradiction (you can probably hear my blood pressure rising).

Arrogance

• The BA thinks they alone know the requirements, and that the business has no clue, or everyone is stupid but the BA (does any know where you can buy a Nerf gun, or better yet an oversize water balloon?).

Controlling

• This is a way for the analyst to gain more political power over the business and IT (this in my opinion is the biggest threat to the occupation of Business Analysts everywhere).

Pressured

• The IT group already solved a problem, and wants the BA to change the real problem to the one they just solved.
• The business refuses to participate in the requirements gathering process.
• The Project Manager allocated little or no time for the BA tasks.

Do you have more? Let us know, post a comment.

I believe it is the job of the Business Analyst to help the business to discover (notice I said help, not dictate, demand, push, convince, or manipulate) what their needs and wants are, without expecting the business to come to the table with everything already done. If the business does come to the table with everything done, well you have a bigger issue.

Author: James Shoemaker