A business analyst is curious about their stakeholders. They wonder what they are grappling with, what makes them tick. They’re fascinated by their perspectives and beliefs.
And they have the humility to embrace the lack of time and availability that their stakeholders struggle with everyday.
People aren’t keen to give you their availability. The meeting you scheduled isn’t a blank cheque to buy something that is priceless.
Instead, we can trust that stakeholders will intentionally exchange their availability. Exchange it for something they want or need. Exchange it because they’re highly interested. Exchange it because they trust you to keep your promise.
Not everyone will be intentional. But if you do your job right, enough stakeholders will be.
The is the shoe and the foot. You’re not running around with a shoe trying to find a foot it fits. Instead, you’re finding a problem (the foot), and since you’re curious about their perspective and needs, you will find a solution (the shoe) just for them, one with utility they’ll happily exchange availability for.
A doctor doesn’t have to spend much time convincing the sick person. When you show up promising a remedy, if the sick person understands what’s at stake, you won’t have to drag them to your practice to get a prescription.