BA Mindset Principle #1: Focus on Business

Calibrate Solutions to Business Goals

The role of a business analyst is a classic example of a leader without authority. A lot depends on you, but many people higher in the chain of authority want you to report back to them.

Among all those stakeholders who expect updates and ask you “when are you going to be done with requirements”, who is really your client?

Let’s be upfront about who is not your client.

A project manager is not your client.

You have to collaborate with them, provide them with updates, alert them to any risks or constraints you discovered, and work together on managing stakeholder expectations. But the requirements you analyze are not the project manager’s requirements.

Your functional manager is not your client either.

They will expect you to act professionally and do your job diligently, follow established practices and report on your assignments. But they may not have the time or capacity to deeply understand and get involved in the business problems you are analyzing.

The architect is not your client.

They may provide the overall architecture guidelines and help you understand the impacts of the problem across the…