Today, business analysis is accepted by many organizations as a viable profession, and so the prospect of moving through a career path—from tactical to strategic—has finally become an achievable reality. Through careful competency development, coaching and mentoring, management support and certification, business analysts can play an integral leadership role in an organization’s strategic direction.
As nice as this may sound, achieving this level of prestige isn’t easy—and it certainly doesn’t happen overnight. It requires a finely practiced, structured set of skills that must be carefully nurtured.
For business analysts, the journey toward leadership begins by acquiring a solid base of technical skills and then honing those skills with business skills. Business acumen and skills in critical thinking, problem solving, coaching and mentoring, and organizational change are vital for a business analyst’s natural career progression. The importance of these business skills simply can’t be overstated. In a 2005 report by the Gartner Group, six out of ten IT employees will assume business-facing roles by 2010.
Next, business analysts must validate their skills with certification. Then, based on their particular area of interest or subject matter expertise, business analysts can apply their abilities to a variety of strategically positioned disciplines. These disciplines include but aren’t limited to:
- Enterprise Architecture
- Service-Oriented Architecture
- Organizational Change Architecture
- Application Architecture
- Security Architecture
- Information Architecture
- Information Technology Architecture
- Solution Architecture
Each of these disciplines requires a set of common, fundamental skills and traits that are second nature to a certified business analyst.
This presentation will act as a guide through the key steps necessary to move from a tactical role as a business analyst to a strategic, leadership role within an organization. These steps include:
- Competency Development
- The alignment of the International Institute of Business Analyst’s (IIBA) Business Analysis Body of Knowledge
- The business skills necessary to make the transition
- Career Path Alternatives
- The Business Analysis Center of Excellence
Skill Level: Intermediate/Advanced
|
Glenn Brûlé
Director of Client Solutions, ESI International
Glenn Brûlé, Director of Client Solutions for ESI International, has more than 18 years of experience in many facets of business, including project management, business analysis, software design and facilitation. At ESI, he is responsible for supporting a global team of business consultants working with Fortune 1000 organizations. Glenn's background as an educator, communicator and business consultant has served him well through his many client engagements. These engagements have focused on understanding, diagnosing and providing workable business solutions to complex problems across various industries, including financial services, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, insurance and automotive, as well as government agencies.
In addition to his position at ESI, Glenn is a founding member and serves as a Director at Large for the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). Glenn’s primary responsibility is to form local chapters of the IIBA around the world by working with volunteers from such countries as Italy, India, Singapore, China, Japan, Germany, and the Czech Republic to name a few.
Glenn is a frequent speaker at professional association meetings and conference around the world, including ProjectWorld/World Congress for Business Analysts and IIBA events. Glenn has authored numerous articles on business analysis and was instrumental in the development of two ESI white papers: “Eight Things Your Business Analysts Need to Know—A Practical Approach to Building and Improving Competencies” and “Establishing and Maturing a Business Analysis Centre of Excellence—the Essential Guide.”
|
