The business analyst “career ladder”

I have answered the question of where the business analyst goes after a successful business analysis career, other than retirement, several times in the past, but the question becomes relevant again over time as the profession evolves.  The "ladder" still leads directly to the executive suites in any number of positions. Considering the business analyst is the corporate problem solver and generally is quite versed in both the business processes and practices and the application of IT to support or drive those business processes and practices, the Business Analyst is in a prime position to help the company move forward, make decisions, and lay out strategies for the future.   Intermediate steps on the ladder include senior positions in an organization's PMO (or equivalent), product manager, and director positions.

Quality business analysis

A writer recently posed a question on one of the blog sites. He asked if there were any quality business analysts around, and by that he meant people doing “quality business analysis”. He specifically referred to business transformation and process improvement as areas where quality business analysis was needed, but was not being provided.  I would say that the issue is not limited to business transformation and process improvement. In general there is not enough quality business analysis done in business period.  Business decisions at all levels are being made without eliciting and analyzing the appropriate information.  And that is business analysis.  Too much "business analysis" is focused solely on defining requirements for software development when the real business analysis is needed for strategic decision making and overall business operations.  Simply put, many of the business failures of the past decade could have been avoided with solid business analysis.

Advancing the career ladder as a business analyst

Since we business analysts are expert communicators, communication central in the organization, we naturally build relationships and those relationships will be valuable to our future career choices.  Some relationships will be mentor-like and others will be networking assists. 

When choosing a path to follow, use the relationships you have built while building solutions.  You will have demonstrated your ability to solve problems and now you can parlay that ability into the career path you wish to follow.

Curiosity

You may not believe the client or some stakeholder when they tell you something. What they are saying might contradict what another stakeholder had to say.  But let curiosity outweigh judgment.  Why is this person saying what they are saying?  Even if it isn’t right there must be a reason for it. As my friend Karl Weigers says, “The customer may not always be right, but he always has a point.”  Do you know what the point is? Be curious, ask questions.  As George Nathan Miller says in what is now called “Miller’s Law”: “If you truly want to understand what another person is saying, first assume that it is true, then find out what it is true of.”  Value curiosity over judgment.