From the course: Business Analysis Foundations

Business analyst skill set

From the course: Business Analysis Foundations

Business analyst skill set

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- So what are the skill sets of a business analyst? What does it really take to do this job? Are these skills different depending on the role or position in the organization? Actually, there's a few common skills that are needed regardless of the situation. First, is expert judgment. Because a business analyst is more knowledgeable about the organization, industry, or application area, they can help identify, and analyze alternative solutions for a problem. This is often referred to as business acumen. This includes the ability to provide previous knowledge as well as understanding the organization's culture, and political environment. Another set of key skills are referred to as analytical skills. These help when you're reviewing various types of information. You're breaking it down into smaller parts, which can be individually assessed. It also allows you to look at information from different points of view. You can extract the relevant from the trivial, draw possible conclusions, and help formulate decisions and solutions, or just help solve problems. These skills include creative, and critical thinking, system thinking, learning skills and problem-solving. A third critical skill includes the ability to communicate in multiple ways and to multiple individuals. Communication may consume 80% or more of a business analyst time. As a business analyst, you have to collaborate, and work closely with lots of different individuals. So you need communication skills, such as facilitation. Visual and presentation skills. Active listening. Awareness of your nonverbal behavior. Writing skills. And though it might sound simple, you need to be able to have a meaningful conversation with a person. Finally, a business analyst must have the ability to work with others in a leadership role. As an agent of change, it'll often fall to the business analyst to communicate problems, solutions, and the rationale for both to organizational leaders. While it might seem intimidating, remember that the business analysts have the data on their side. They've already assessed the situation, and recommended a solution. They can and should communicate confidently with leaders at all levels. The skills required of a BA might seem like a tall order, but really they all naturally fit together. The role of the business analyst requires that you can operate between and within departments. You have to be able to turn problems over and over until you find the right approach. A keen investigative eye, and attention to detail, drives the BA, and it's this natural inquisitiveness that leads to solid analysis, and appropriate solutions.

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