Feedback from the audience gave you 7.5 out of 10.
How does that feel?
75% isn’t bad. You influenced 3 out of 4 people in the room. That’s the majority.
But 100% is better, if not the best. Perfect score, right?
We’re conditioned to aim for 10/10 and sometimes that’s what’s needed, but perhaps 2.5/10 was a better target.
What if more ends up resulting by influencing that other person in the room?
Sometimes we might want the numbers when we don’t need the numbers.
When you think about the word ‘process’, what comes to mind?
The sequence of accomplishing something? Who does what and when for the why (purpose)?
It is about that, but its also about much more too. If you look closely you’ll see:
When a process doesn’t flow it’s symptomatic to blame the person. When you use a lens that looks deeper you find the root cause.
You may remember that it wasn’t the plan to speak at the BA Summit Southern Africa this year.
Yet…
While putting the conference programme together the IIBA®-SA board asked if I’d perhaps deliver a keynote talk. And of course, I said yes without thinking too much about it.
But I was then, pretty much immediately, asked for a presentation synopsis.
Cue speakers block.
What did I have to talk about? I’d nothing in particular at the front of my mind. And I felt that in many ways I’d already said all that needs to be said.
The block was brief, and after some searching about what the audience would like to hear about I began to find my voice.
This year’s conference theme is ‘Repositioning Business Analysis to Go One Step Beyond’ and that is exactly what the talk will focus on. I’ll be taking an in-depth look at the profession, looking around for clues to our future and sharing ideas for this next shift in business analysis.
It’ll be a mash-up of fact and fun.
So make sure to join me and the other thought leaders at Business Analysis Summit 2019, the official conference of IIBA® South African chapter.
You really don’t want to miss out on this one (that would be just wrong) – http://bit.ly/29goLlQ
So that coffee with Drew resulted in the opportunity to speak at July’s DAMA SA Cape Town User Group Meeting.
Drew: “Would you be interested in presenting something at our next DAMA meeting, Joe?”
Joe: “Sure I’d love to, Drew. What would you like to hear about?”
Drew: “A session on interviewing techniques would be handy.”
Joe: “Good idea. How about we open it up a little and frame it as ‘Elicitation Techniques’, which would be much more valuable for the group I suspect?
Drew: “Great!”
Done. (And all in the context of data, of course.)
Here’s the invite: Requirements Elicitation Techniques for Data Management
Please come along, it’s a free event open to all.
I’ve enjoyed working with many wonderful people during my career, people that I’d love to work with again. I resolve to stay in touch. But soon I’m fully focused on my next engagement and the resolution starts to slide.
Then a few days ago, Drew Kennedy, a past colleague, replied to one of my newsletters, “Hey Joe – it would be great to catch up, and I’m hoping we can grab a coffee.”
There was no specific agenda, just a long overdue ‘hello’ for the first time in many years. During our conversation I asked Drew how he kept consistently finding new assignments, “I stir the pot – I periodically grab coffee with people,” he said.
At the Business Change Academy, we have a similar view that “People don’t come on training when we would like them to come on training.” People go on training when they need to go training, and it’s up to us to be there at that point in their journey.
The same goes for you and your next opportunity.
Who can you grab a coffee with today?