3. Information and knowledge Human absorptive capacity Growth Time Cohen & Levinthal 1989 A world of rapidly growing knowledge ….
4. ....that is increasingly connected local networks old colleagues ..and is just a click away colleagues at other offices new friends family local colleagues old friends virtual communities old classmates
5. Modern IT Application Projects People demand to be heard People expect to be involved People’s expectations of how good systems are is based on their experience of modern internet ..that means the Google World - Gmail, Google Search, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube of the “Nintendo” generation
6. What does their expectation mean? Project success hinges on communicating with people: To understand what they want To set expectations about what the project will actually deliver (and what it won’t) To show them how the project will help them in their work To uncover what they need . . .
8. What’s their requirement of you? Knowing how to talk to people & get the info you need to write requirements Effectively negotiating with important stakeholders Getting the right messages to the right people at the right time An understanding of both the ‘big picture’ and the detail Understand the context & the situation
9. Role of Business Analyst is key! The Communicator The Translator The Juggler of technology and people’s needs The one between the rock and a hard place The Connector (bridge)
10. How do we do all this Communications Stuff Effectively? Analysethe stakeholders needs and wants, how they are connected and why Understand how they communicate, their preference and style Learnthe project in the context of people’s work and how this fits into the wider organisational context
12. “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” Me and Bill Gates Me and Brad
13. Analysing “who is who in the zoo” Who to talk to Who has influence Who knows the business needs What drives & motivates people’s work behaviour How to talk to them How to tailor the communication to these different people
14. Multiplicity of networks official vs. unofficial Advice - Who do you go to for advice? Who goes to you for advice? Collaboration - Who do you collaborate with? How do you collaborate (social media) Trust - Who do you trust? Who is your friend? Conflict - Who is a blocker or gatekeeper?
15. Social Networking Analysis Mathematical, graphical, theoretical understanding of the social world Mapping, understanding, analysing and measuring interactions across a network of people, groups, organisations, computers, and websites Uncovers networks and their structures Identifies flows of information & knowledge Fosters knowledge sharing
16. Understanding Social Networks the location of actors in the network the various roles and groupings in a network Gives insight into: who are the connectors, experts, leaders, bridges, isolates, the core or hub? where are the clusters and who is in them? who is on the periphery?
19. Centrality : revealing network structure Very centralized network dominated by one or a few very central nodes, if removed, network fragments & fails Less centralized network resilient in the face of attacks, many nodes can fail yet allow remaining to still reach each other Boundary Spanners connect their group to others, positioned to be innovators as have access to ideas/info in other clusters Periphery of a network may connect to networks not currently mapped, important sources for fresh information
20. Dimensions to effective use of a Network Knowledge - Knowing what someone knows Access - Gaining timely access to that person Engagement - Creating viable knowledge through cognitive engagement Safety - Learning from a safe relationship Cross, Parker and Borgatti, 2002
21. Use of SNA to model users’ network and map the relationships between people, groups, organisations and information. Case Study
22. Context - New System to support assessment of applications for funding Started with waterfall analysis (2 years of gathering requirements) No idea what the end solution would be like (very political, high profile project) Processes not well documented Large organisational change project External industry pressure for it to happen
23. Problem to be solved Multiple stakeholders across silos Information flows between individuals and groups not well known Limited documentation of information and processes (in people’s heads) Terminology and Language issues
24. What we did Design team adopted an agile approach Partnered BAs with IA to lead three streams of activities SNA of key players (needed to know the information needs of these key users) Needed “skinny” documentation to quickly convey understanding to stakeholders of the key features of the system and its processes and the flow of information
25. Project Case Study http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_network_analysis_software
26. Degree of Centrality in Network Hub has most connections – authority gained It not the “more connections the better”, but where they lead to… ..and how they connect the otherwise unconnected
27. Centrality and Betweenness Great influence over what flows (and does not) “location location location” Broker role between Business and IT
28. Centrality and Closeness Shortest path to all others – gives quick access Excellent position to monitor info flows Best visibility of what is happening in the network
29. Project Case Study Supporter Key User Gatekeeper Influencer Boundary Spanner Project Champion Key decision maker Facilitator Potential blocker Trusted advisor Periphery Key User
30. Access to more Knowledge and Info … but of course these are just a subsection of the networked organisation Map shows 1st & 2nd degree relationships Someone on the periphery of your network may have access to many other networks within the organisation
31. What did I learn Getting the right people involved can be the difference between success & failure Take the time to do upfront stakeholder analysis & plan the stakeholder activities Build the team based on JIT assessment of what’s needed for the project – works well when you know who is who Involve users in validation will increase adoption of and buy-in to the final solution
32. Need to know the Team Capability & Tailor Communication to meet their needs What competencies do they bring to the team What is the role of the BA? Who else in the wider network could help contribute to the solution?
34. Project Six Degrees of Separation You may only be one or two degrees away from some who know the info you need Project teams can be connected and lessons learnt and reuse made possible
35. Leveraging Centrality Leverage project champions Understand who might be “blockers” or “gatekeepers” Find the “go to people” to elicit info Don’t reinvent the wheel Communicate - understand their lessons learnt to improve likelihood of success Know who to communicate key messages
36. Now we know who, we need to know how….. How they communicate, their preference for style & communication channels Understanding stakeholders
37. Understanding ‘how’ to Communicate Style preference Person’s orientation towards process vs. results Need for recognition vs. need for security Communication Channels preference Visual, Auditory, Kinaesthetic What type of medium for the message How best to document and display the information
52. Communication Channels People learn different ways V= Visual (Something ‘seen’ or visual stimulation) Need a graphic representation A= Auditory (A ‘sound’ memory or related to a sound Need to hear the explanation of how things work K= Kinaesthetic (Has a ‘doing’ memory, feeling the emotion or activity of the memory Need to use the system to understand
53. Activity Write 5 words or phrases that relate to the words: Beach and Ocean Place a V, an A, or a K against each: V=visual (Something ‘seen’ or had visual stimulation) e.g. See the blue sky, see children playing in the water A=Auditory (A ‘sound’ memory or related to a sound e.g. Hear the waves against the shore K=Kinaesthetic (Has a ‘doing’ memory & you thought of yourself feeling the emotion) e.g. Feel the sun and the sand, the taste of salt
62. storyboards use case reference user experience business process personas system objects/ page types required requirements lists Agile - Requirements “On a Page” Caters to most styles & channel preferences
72. Business Context of the Project Critical to understand business needs Look at the project within context of the organisation and the business unit Enterprise Analysis vs. Business Analysis It’s not about You! It’s about Users Always ask if what you are doing is adding value and how does it link back to the strategy
73. Understanding the Business is Good Communication IT is now part of the business - every program, every initiative, will have some touch point with technology Success depends on anticipation of future trends , ability to sense upcoming developments and to design appropriate systems and processes Resolving misunderstandings about requirements Uncovering needs vs. wants
74. What needs to be considered Not just about the technology
77. Take Home messages Projects can be more successful if: You take the time to analyse the people, relationships, connections between them You understand communication preferences will vary amongst stakeholders Are flexible and adapt your style and channel to you audience Communicate as have a key role as translator to bridge the gap between technology and the work people need to do Get the right people working on the solution
78. Applying SNA and Communications Choose the right channel based on users style and preferences Makes sure you have the right team with the right skills Makes sure your deliverables match these preferences
79. ”No one knows everything, everyone knows something, all knowledge resides in humanity ” Networks Lévy 1997
80. Fin.Maria Horrigan Principal ConsultantEmail:Maria.horrigan@oakton.com.auBlog: www.barocks.com zenagile.worpress.comSlideshare:www.slideshare.com/murphTwitter: @miahorri
