I help project professionals get more done with less stress. Having been a project manager for over 20 years, I share tried-and-tested tips that work in the real world, every Tuesday. Join our community of over 15,000 project professionals (and accidental project managers too!).
Interested in building business analysis skills?
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One way I see people involved in projects in any capacity elevate their careers is by really honing their business analysis skills. As a project manager, I’ve often been in situations where I’ve had to do some business analysis to help get the project through scoping and requirements, even though that’s not my “real” job. I did some BA training earlier in my career, and it’s been hugely useful. Knowing the tools and techniques can help you scope a project and ask the correct questions to gather requirements. If you get involved with projects prior to the formal business case sign-off and full scoping being complete, then you can contribute more and with confidence if you have some understanding of business analysis. My friend and colleague, Laura Brandenburg, has been training business analysts online since 2008 through her work at Bridging the Gap. She now offers her BA course as a self-paced option with monthly live group coaching, so it's easier to fit round your existing commitments. There are loads of templates, swipe files, AI prompts, transcripts, exercises and a forum where you can get feedback on deliverables or just ask questions. And there's career support if you want your first or next job. The training delivers 36 hours of professional development hours as well - useful if you want to get IIBA accreditation or if you are renewing another certification. If you'd like to strengthen your business analysis skills, or explore whether a BA career could be the right next step for you, I recommend taking a look at Laura's training. It's practical, comprehensive and designed to fit around a busy schedule, so you can build skills you can use straight away on your projects. Find out more here -> The Business Analyst Blueprint. Have a great week, Elizabeth P.S. I’ve known Laura for many years – here’s a picture of her and me at a conference in 2019. |
Calling all Rebel Project Managers!
I help project professionals get more done with less stress. Having been a project manager for over 20 years, I share tried-and-tested tips that work in the real world, every Tuesday. Join our community of over 15,000 project professionals (and accidental project managers too!).
Hello Reader, Stuck for ideas? Try this technique for generating a lot of ideas, in a structured way. Lotus Blossom brainstorming works whether you are planning requirements, risk responses, solutions to a problem, and in the video below you can see me work through an example where a team needs to plan out their project communications strategy. A Lotus Blossom template works well for project management because it forces you to expand an idea systematically instead of stopping at the obvious....
Hello Reader, Project communication can look perfectly healthy on the surface. The status reports go out. Meetings happen. Stakeholders get updates. The comms plan exists somewhere. But are people actually getting the information they need, at the right time, in a way that helps them understand, decide and act? I’ve created a Project Communications Health Check to help you find out, and I've tested it on one of my projects! Which made me realise I should write down that comms plan that's in...
Hello Reader, Do you ever find yourself stuck between a rock and hard place, unable to decide what the best course of action is? I have. Whether it’s what desk to put in our new conservatory space, or who to invite to meetings, or managing to order everyone else’s food and then getting so overwhelmed with having made decisions all day for all the people that I couldn’t choose anything for myself. I left the café with nothing for me and ended up with a couple of slices of peanut butter toast...