Alex Noel shares the traits of a bulletproof business analyst with Joe Newbert, behaviours to maintain a spirit of constant agility, flexibility, and innovation.
Alex Noel is certified as principal lecturer at Faculty Training Institute (FTI) where, for the last 10 years, she has been helping business analysts build their knowledge, skill and confidence in the profession.
Alex works as a consulting business analyst across multiple industry sectors and on business improvement projects of any nature. In her role as a business improvement architect, Alex strives to add positive, measurable value to companies by accurately identifying business needs and designing solutions to solve business problems. As many past delegates and clients will attest, she is on a mission to improve the quality of project delivery and ongoing business operations everywhere.
Alex Noel shares the bulletproof business analyst traits with Joe Newbert, behaviours to maintain a spirit of constant agility, flexibility, and innovation.
Congratulations on your recent talk at the Business Analysis Summit Southern Africa, it was well-received by many. For those who weren’t fortunate to attend, could you give us a synopsis of what your presentation was about?
Thank you very much. In summary, I really wanted to highlight the importance of the role of business analysis in helping organisations go beyond coping and get to excellence. Future success will be defined by individuals and organisations that not only learn how to cope but to excel, while everything is changing around them. The “bulletproof” business analyst is about how to prepare for what comes next. Understanding where you fit in, what to do to equip yourself for success in an ever-changing reality and upgrading of your B.A. D.N.A. to enable you to be at the top of your game.
The topic is clearly an area that you are personally passionate about. Why do you feel this subject is relevant and important for the business analysis profession?
We live in an age of particle logic. Constant change is a daily reality often forced upon us by new technologies, new competition, or global pressures. It is not about one big organisational push to reach a specific goal. It is about how business analysts, as individual contributors, maintain a spirit of constant agility, flexibility, and innovation without losing site of strategic and performance goals.
Business Analysis, no longer considered a supporting role but, a driving force in the industry. The role is evolving to represent more strategic value, and we must evolve with it.
Having shared your ideas with the business analysis community. What key points would you like people to take-away, reflect and act upon?
The message for the bulletproof business analyst is:
- Business analysis is a problem-solving process … life is a problem-solving process.
- Do the best you can with the tools that you have, in the circumstances in which you find yourselves.
- Build credibility through co-created value delivered consistently (Adrian Reed).
- Just because we can, doesn’t mean we must.
- Activity does not equal productivity.
- Understanding first, solutions later!
IF we assign a numerical value to each letter of the alphabet:
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTYUVWXYZ = 1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526
Then:
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E = 1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
Business analysis summit spoiled in terms of the learning and networking opportunities. What was your greatest personal insight taken from the business analysis conference?
For me, there were a few elements that stood out:
- The energy surrounding the progression of the profession – Business Analysis Rising was right on point as a conference theme
- The calibre of people in the industry – what a pleasure to be associated with such great, capable, inspirational people
- (Re)Confirmation that we are doing work of equitable quality in terms of the global stage
- The shared expression of potential to raise the bar even higher
Having been a regular speaker at local business analysis events. What words of encouragement do you have for people who may be considering presenting in future?
Feel the fear and do it anyway. You never know when you might share something (skills, experience, stories) that resonates with an audience.
Even if you just reach one person, and they take away just one insight of value, right there you have made a positive contribution.
This quote from J W van Goethe inspires me to get involved: “Treat people as though they are what they ought to be and you will help them become what they are capable of becoming.”
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Every day we are faced with choices. Make sure that you make the positive, conscious choice each day to get out of bed and make things better!
Download Alex Noel‘s slide-deck from Business Analysis Summit SA 2016 to find out what it takes to be The Bulletproof Business Analyst, and take a shot at a conversation with @BulletProof_BA and @Newbert.
