Or will they?

The employees you know for their passion and motivation are at risk for burnout. Due to their drive to do an exceptional job, they'll push themselves to the limit. And that could cause them to break ties with the organization.

As a project manager, you can help. Here's how.

What Is Burnout?

Knowing your enemy can help you defeat it. And chances are, you already know a little about burnout. Of senior managers interviewed by Robert Half, 96 percent said their employees are experiencing some level of burnout.

Burnout has often been associated with caring professions (such as nurses) and first responders (such as firefighters), says Marcela Slepica, clinical services director at employee assistance program AccessEAP. But it certainly isn't restricted to jobs that involve saving lives.

Any environment can become a burnout incubator. And often, managers play a role in creating the perfect setting for employee stress.

Managers create burnout conditions by pushing their employees to the limit. They tie long shifts to professional advancement, and ask employees to come to work no matter what, even if they feel sick, writes Jennifer Moss, author of “Unlocking Happiness at Work.”

As a project manager, it's your job to push your employees. But if you're creating an environment of intense competition and grueling expectations, expect signs of employee burnout to appear. They may seem irritable, frazzled or just checked out. Meetings can get contentious. You may sense that something is wrong with even your top performers. The problem is that those signs can be easy to overlook at first.

"Burnout is a gradual process. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it can creep up on you. The signs and symptoms are subtle at first, but become worse as time goes on," according to HelpGuide.org, a nonprofit mental health and wellness website.

The slow process actually gives you an opportunity. If you take action quickly, you could prevent those employees from disengaging completely or leaving the company for a less stressful opportunity.

Start a Constructive Conversation

While you may notice your employees changing by the minute, you won't know what's wrong—or have an idea about how to fix it—until you start collaborating.

If you sense a team-wide problem, hold a meeting and open up the floor for comments. Are deadlines unrealistic? Does the team need more control in daily decisions? Are days too cluttered with meetings? How is the noise level? Ask questions to get the conversation started, but let your team do the majority of the talking.

"Employees may not have a silver-bullet solution, but they can most certainly tell you what isn’t working, and that is often very helpful data," says Moss.

Don't be afraid to talk about workload. "Typically, if you or someone on your team has a full to-do list, then someone can step in to assist. By openly communicating needs and availability, the team can keep a pulse on its overall wellness," Suzanne Zuppello writes at visual collaboration platform Trello.

If you're not accustomed to using a participatory management or flat management style, these meetings can make you a little uncomfortable. By using this technique, however, you're giving your employees at least some influence over how work progresses at your company, says data scientist Jeffrey M. Stanton, Ph.D. That sense of power could be enough to lower stress levels. 

Limit Off-Work Hours

Our wired world makes constant connection possible. When your team can't disengage from work, they tend to arrive to work in the morning just as tired as they were when they went home.

Start with a review of your company's communication policies. If employees are expected to answer work-related emails and respond to texts and phone calls after they’ve left the office, you’re courting burnout.

"Even though our constant connectivity technically allows people to do work at 11 PM after a long day in the office, that doesn’t mean they should. It’s important to create a culture with boundaries that allow people to unplug at the end of the day and get some sleep," writes strategy and management consultant Ryan Ayers.

If you're not empowered to change policy, talk up the benefits with senior management. Your advocacy could help others see why unplugging is critical for your team—and for the company as a whole.

"When your employees go on vacation and truly unplug, they come back with fresh ideas and even more enthusiasm. If you are always keeping in touch via email, Slack, or text, you are infringing on their well-earned vacation time and contributing to the burnout crisis," says Angela Roberts, CEO of U.S. Money Reserve.

Chances are, you'll need to do a little retraining to reassure your team that you don't expect around-the-clock attention to email. Plus, you may need to reinforce those messages when your staff heads out on vacation.

When a team member is away, look for others that can fill the gap. If that approach doesn’t work for your organization, consider a more radical option. Some teams close up shop entirely, allowing everyone to have one break at the same time, Kathryn Casna writes at Salesforce. You'll need to give your staff plenty of notice so they can plan ahead, but you won't have to function without key employees while they’re on vacation.

Consider Alt Workspaces

The days of offices packed tight with cubicles are fading. Some teams function best with flexible, offsite workspaces. If your team can collaborate without physical proximity, the freedom you dispense could pay off.

The benefit is most immediate for workers who spend a lot of time commuting, says entrepreneur Cristian Rennella. By allowing your team to work at least part-time from home, you're giving back the hours they would normally spend in transit.

It's tempting to fill that more work, but you should think of it as an efficiency boost. With a relatively distraction-free space, your team could do focused work that pushes your project forward. And if you don't schedule meetings on work-from-home days, your team could do yet more.

If possible, let team members decide when to take at-home work days. Ideally, you'll even allow your team members to set their own work hours.

"Autonomy gives your employees the ability to create and manage themselves in a way that allows them to cater to their personality and concentration style. Organizations may provide general guidelines or prioritization while still giving employees autonomy to perform their work in a manner best for them," writes the team at employee recognition solutions provider MTM Recognition.

Monitor Progress

After you unveil burnout-prevention strategies, measure their effectiveness. You can do so informally, by simply watching staff interactions. But a formal measurement program can help you really understand how your team is changing.

You can craft a formal measurement program by implementing the following procedures:

• Have employees add self-care strategies during their annual evaluation.

• Discuss progress on those resolutions in one-on-one meetings.

• Offer support to ensure those goals are met. This might be providing a day off for an important event. 

• Reward staff for meeting their self-care goals, both privately and publicly.

Jay Miller, Ph.D., dean of the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky, follows an approach like this. His staff outlines steps that could boost morale (such as setting a fitness goal or devoting evenings to conversations with friends). In meetings, they discuss how they've been able to keep those commitments.

While he “believes that self-care must become a ‘professional practice skill’ that every employee develops,” Miller doesn't use these evaluations to determine whether someone gets a raise or promotion. You shouldn't either. Instead, think of these talks as a way to reinforce the importance of burnout prevention.

Practice What You Preach

Planning for burnout prevention is a lot of work, and that can leave you feeling a little stressed too. By prioritizing your own work-life balance, you can set a good example for your team.

"Manage your time effectively so your employees see that you take your commitment to work-life balance seriously. Don’t encourage your direct reports to leave at 5:30 p.m. only to stay late yourself," writes the team at Robert Half.

Be your own work barometer, and look for symptoms of overwork in your own life. Are you checking your phone instead of concentrating on family? Are your thoughts consumed by work?

Exhibit the behavior you want your employees to display, suggests CNN business reporter Kathryn Vasel. Participate in activities outside of work, and talk openly about why you do so. Lean on flexible work schedules when you need to, and highlight how they help you. "Managers need to set the tone when it comes to work-life balance," she writes.

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The job of the business analyst is to understand these processes and bring particular insights into the optimization of each.

What Will You Measure?

At first glance, customers and employees are on very different journeys. But there is considerable overlap that makes for interesting data collection and analysis.

Company Growth

Who is an ideal customer? What does that person want? These questions lie at the heart of customer recruiting. Answering them correctly can mean helping a company to grow without wasting advertising dollars.

"Researching the needs and pain points of your typical customers and mapping out their journey will give you a good picture of the kinds of people who are trying to achieve a goal with your company. Thus, you can hone in your marketing to that specific audience," writes Aaron Agius, coauthor of “Faster, Smarter, Louder.”

Imagine how a similar technique might work when applied to employee recruitment. If a company identified personas that align with the company’s goals, searches for qualified candidates could be more effective, which in turn might improve employee retention.

Key Relationships

Customers who have a negative experience with employees may take their business elsewhere. The deciding incident can be anything from encountering a rude agent to having trouble getting a problem resolved.

"Agencies that succeed in making bad incidents as rare as possible have more satisfied customers than those that don’t," Tony D’Emidio and Jonah Wagner write at McKinsey & Company in an article regarding government agencies. People tend to remember bad incidents more than good ones, so limiting them whenever possible is a smart business strategy.

Examining customer journeys and digging into pain points can help companies smooth their workflows so they can serve customers better. Sometimes that analysis also helps leaders to pinpoint employees who need to brush up on interpersonal skills.

Similar issues can impact the employee experience. An overbearing boss, a patronizing coworker or an absent CEO can leave workers feeling less engaged. That dissatisfaction might bleed into their relationships with customers. Examining employee workflows could uncover employee-to-employee conflict which could in turn lead to critical staffing changes, a more engaged workforce and happier customers.

Solution Sets

A company that offers just what a customer wants at just the right time is likely to be successful. Unfortunately, that can be rare.

For example, a PwC study, 32 percent of U.S. consumers say it’s necessary for a business to have the most up-to-date technology for a successful customer experience. However, just 10 percent of companies made better digital customer experiences a priority in 2017, down from 25 percent in 2016. 

This disconnect between what customers want and what companies deliver also happens on the employee side. But that issue can remain buried, especially if employees aren't able to clearly define what they want.

An employee may say, for example, that the break room needs softer couches. But what that employee might need is a better work/life balance, so couch napping is no longer necessary.

Managers can dig a little deeper into requests. Justin Rosenstein, cofounder of work management platform Asana, encourages managers to evaluate employee requests as they would customer feature requests. What are these people actually trying to accomplish?

Measurement could help answer that question. You might discover that a customer issue (a poor digital experience) leads to an employee concern (too many customer complaints). One suggestion (a new website) might solve them both.

Churn

Companies use churn analysis to determine customer retention. That same mindset could help executives understand how often their employees leave for other opportunities. And that could lead to powerful solutions.

"Through this data-driven approach, HR analytics can illuminate the major causes of attrition, and new policies, along with training programs, can be put in place to help mitigate the problem," the team at enterprise analytics and mobility software provider MicroStrategy writes.

Churn reports could also help you identify if and when employees and customers are leaving the company in waves, all at once. If churn is tied to new feature releases, for example, you might help to smooth the issue for both sides.

Go Beyond Basic Data Collection

So far, we've talked about the areas you might examine as a business analyst. Now, it's time to think about how you'll gather the data that means the most to your company.

Define The Customer/Employee Journey

Improving an experience, whether related to customers or employees, begins with understanding the journey. The path people take is longer than you might think.

According to behavior analytics platform Hotjar.com, the customer experience includes every touchpoint, from the moment a person finds out about you to the moment they call to complain about the product or ask customer service for help.

Map out that journey. Identify all of the moments an ideal customer might come into contact with your company. How will they find out about you? Will they meet you in person or online? How do they place an order? How many steps must they complete to return an item or complain?

Then, turn your attention to your employees and their experience with the company. Start with how a prospect finds out about a job and the application process. How does training work? How long until the person can expect a promotion? Consider performance reviews and exit interviews too. 

Identify True Pain Points

With the journey defined, it's time to dig into the pain points that require a solution.

You might be tempted to use productivity tools that measure how fast a step is completed or how often something gets done. But those reports don't always uncover the human part of the work. You may not even spot issues, and if you do, you may not understand how they happened.

"The result? A disconnect between leadership believing they have insight into the employee experience while never truly understanding the source of pain points, preferences, needs, and motivations. This creates a rift where the employee’s perception is leadership does not care about their actual experience in the trenches," explains Megan Geyer, director of customer experience at global IT services and consulting provider NTT Data.

Don’t rely solely on data. Look at your journey map, and try to complete each step you’ve identified. Order a product, apply for a job, and otherwise put yourself inside of the experience.  Take notes, and identify the spots that cause you trouble. You'll validate those ideas in the next step.

Conduct Interviews and Fieldwork

To really understand what's happening, you'll need to talk with both employees and customers.

Customer feedback is built into many project management methodologies, including scrum and agile. As a BA, you might be accustomed to conducting user testing sessions, and know how to ask questions to elicit meaningful answers. You can use that same approach to help you understand employees.

"It’s time for you to “empathize” with your employees, follow them around, survey and interview them, and sit down with them in workshops. They will tell you what bugs them at work, and you’ll hear all sorts of little things that make work difficult," writes industry analyst and consultant Josh Bersin.

Set Aside the Net Promoter Score

When deadlines are looming and you're searching for a simple way to present customer or employee sentiment, you might be tempted to lean on your net promoter score (NPS). This simple number tells executives how likely customers are to recommend a company to another purchaser or how likely employees (with an eNPS) are to recommend that company to people looking for a job.

NPS has merit. It's a quick temperature check that you can complete with just one question. But it does have a few limitations.

"To be effective, measuring engagement should be established as a process rather than a single event that enables the company to hear and respond to employee needs in a timely and focused way," writes organizational psychologist Justyna Krzych.

If you include NPS in your reporting, ensure that all of your other data collection and interview results also appear. These will add nuance to your analysis, and that could help your company make smarter decisions.

Present Meaningful Solutions

It's easy to get stuck in a rut of grabbing data, writing reports and repeating that work. But you can do more.

Analysts freed from rote report generation can probe for company weak spots and identify key solutions, says Ian Cook, vice president of people solutions at workforce intelligence solutions provider Visier. Rather than simply sharing numbers, you could provide helpful suggestions.

For example, if your data shows that customers complain about long hold times and customer service staff experiences churn due to angry customers, solving the long hold times satisfies the customer and employee at the same time.

As your analysis deepens, you'll need to measure how well your solutions work and how your company is changing. Rachel Lane, solution principal at Medallia, points out that consistent measurement ensures that real changes are made, especially shifts in the employee experience.

If you suggest a solution, identify how you'll measure success. Define your metrics, and then outline how often you'll report back with progress.

You may find issues that apply to just one audience and not the other. That's perfectly fine. No two sets of people have exactly the same wants, needs and pain points. Searching for those moments of intersection, however, where solving one problem makes both groups happy can help transform both the customer and employee experience.

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Changing such a fundamental part of any business can seem like a huge undertaking. But Mary Mesaglio, research vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner, breaks it down into three simple steps.

Understanding the Three-Step Model

Companies are under pressure to complete digital transformations, Mesaglio says. But the rapid pace of change can leave employees feeling overwhelmed or confused. “They can’t handle any more change coming at them, or at least they think they can’t,” she explains.

Culture is the biggest barrier to change — and therefore to digital transformations, adds Mesaglio. To ensure an initiative is successful, company leaders must start by changing the culture conversation with three steps:

1. Hack. Change something small but critical.

2. Nudge. Push people toward the behavior you want with a subtle initiative.  

3. Prod. Leverage consequences and incentives to make the change real.

These steps were designed with culture transformation in mind. In theory, they could be applied to other business areas (such as product development or hiring); in this case, however, they're being applied to culture in order to fight digital transformation fatigue.

Let's dig into each step in detail.

Hack: Exploit One Point

In the Mesaglio model, a hack is low effort, immediate and noticeable. Executives make a bold decision and implement it immediately, and employees take notice.

Gartner’s Kasey Panetta suggests that some culture hacks (like replacing status meetings with written updates) can be implemented in as little as 48 hours. Culture hacks offer visible and immediate results, and “can move culture from a barrier to an accelerator.”

Start Small

Think of hacks as small-scale initiatives. They don't involve an org chart or a huge financial commitment. They can be decided in one meeting and put to use the next day.

Many experts encourage executives to start small when they're contemplating culture changes. For example, Gartner vice president Elise Olding encourages leaders to begin a business transformation with a small, motivated group of employees. Their successes can be shared with a larger group to kick off a company shift. “If culture is the elephant in the room, the worst thing to do is eat the elephant all at once,” she says.

Small shifts, whether done in breakout groups or with the organization as a whole, can also help your team to adjust to the culture changes at a reasonable pace.

"Begin phasing in the changes slowly; this will give your team members plenty of time to adjust and adapt to the new culture comfortably,” Frances Geoghegan, founder and managing director of Healing Holidays tells Darren Perucci at Bamboo HR.

Hacks for Meetings

What elements should companies consider when looking for a culture hack? The answer can vary dramatically from organization to organization. But meetings offer ripe opportunities.

In a study from organizational consulting firm Korn Ferry, 67 percent of respondents said they spent too much time in meetings and calls, which kept them from making an impact at work. In addition, 34 percent of respondents said they waste 2 to 5 hours each week on calls or meetings that accomplish nothing.

A leader in a company like this could place an immediate moratorium on meetings with more than 15 participants. Or team leaders could ban check-in calls lasting more than 15 minutes. These quick decisions highlight a culture pivot toward efficiency, and that could deliver big results.

Process Hacks

Processes offer plenty of opportunities for culture hacks, as these are the steps employees follow daily. Even seemingly simple processes could be ripe for change.

Consider Facebook’s performance review system, writes tech reporter Salvador Rodriguez. Employees were required to obtain approximately five peer reviews twice a year. "This peer review system pressures employees to forge friendships with colleagues at every possible opportunity, whether it be going to lunch together each day or hanging out after work," he says. Many former employees blamed the company’s “cult-like” atmosphere on this review system.

A quick hack here could simply be to have performance reviews written by employees’ managers or direct reports. With that one change, the company culture could start to shift.

Nudge: Make Changing Easy

Some culture shifts can't succeed with a top-down implementation. These are larger initiatives that require employee buy-in. A subtler nudge approach can entice employees to move in the right direction.

Plenty of experts encourage companies to nudge their employees to embrace change. That nudge could apply to a variety of business areas.

Meeting Structure Nudges

As much as employees might dislike meetings, they do help teams strategize and share. But executives could nudge their teams to talk about the right things when they get together.

Grant Freeland, senior partner and managing director at the Boston Consulting Group, writes about a company that used this approach. The company wanted to put "customers first," but after analysis, realized that customers were rarely discussed in executive meetings. Placing customers at the top of the agenda refocused the meetings.

Another nudge is establishing a "desired outcome" meeting approach, says Tai Tsao, coauthor of “Momentum: Creating Effective, Engaging and Enjoyable Meetings.” The meeting leader determines who must attend based on the desired outcome of the meeting, and then shares the desired outcome with participants prior to the meeting. The outcome is repeated throughout the meeting, and at the end, the team evaluates its progress.

Although these approaches differ from each other, both involve setting a specific goal and employing an agenda. The techniques could transform any meeting.

Nudging Office Design

Changing where employees sit and what they see while at work can be a powerful way to nudge teams into new behaviors.

"Empty square footage is underused square footage which means you're not getting your investment return on that corner of the office,” writes Jeff Pochepan, president and CEO of office design and furniture installation firm StrongProject. “You should think about how it could be better utilized to solve a frequent employee challenge, such as taking calls in a busy modular workspace, or having a quick co-worker brainstorming session."

An open office plan might be right for some companies, especially if combined with huddle spaces and conference rooms. Other businesses might nudge by adding more barriers and private spaces.

"If collaboration and problem-solving are core values of your company, an open floor plan may not be the best approach. Open floor plans are a great idea in theory, but often end up sounding more like a library versus the collaboration and comfort found in offering private office spaces," Laura Brophy and Andre Filip write at WorkDesign Magazine.

Staffing Nudges

Senior-level executives have the opportunity to change work assignments. Sometimes that nudge can lead to insights that transform the culture.

For example, if your company wants to develop a culture of customer service, you could ask every staff member to deal with a customer. Strategy consultant Len Markidan says companies could encourage everyone to respond to one customer support request every day. If there aren't enough tickets to go around, the responsibility could shift from employees to departments. A change like this could shift your culture in a hurry.

Prod: Incentivize Change

If a nudge is the carrot in the Mesaglio model, the prod is the stick. Executives use rules to force a change, and they sprinkle in incentives to make shifts seem enticing. Experts often encourage leaders to enforce the changes they want to see, but stress that training plays an important role.

Edgar Schein, the Society of Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus and a Professor Emeritus at the MIT Sloan School of Management, says it’s nearly impossible to change culture through direct attempts to do so. Instead, leaders should define the behaviors they want to see, and then train their staff to act this manner. After training, incentives and punishments reinforce the lessons.

Some companies are more comfortable with a soft approach, especially if employees are encouraged to make big changes that seem daunting.

"In the beginning, your team will likely need continual, positive – and oftentimes, public – reinforcement to support ongoing good work," writes Bernie Gracy, chief digital officer at roadside assistance dispatch software platform Agero.

Reinforcement might include highlighting individual accomplishments in company-wide emails and publishing successful projects in company newsletters. These can help employees feel like their hard work is both noticed and appreciated.

What Happens Next?

Follow the hack, nudge and prod model, and you'll have a company that might look and feel very different. But validation is critical. 

"What does your organization measure? What gets measured gets done. Does your organization measure the right behaviors for the culture, based on the values it espouses? Does it meet the goals around those objectives/measures?" writes the team at Clemmer Group, a management consulting company.

While Mesaglio's model involves quite a bit of conversation and planning, without measurement, it's hard to know if your company is really moving through a meaningful change process. Build assessment into the model, and you'll ensure that your transformation is more than skin deep.

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Google researchers conducted a study to determine what made their teams effective. After two years of interviews, they discovered that psychological safety was the most critical factor.

"Individuals on teams with higher psychological safety are...more likely to harness the power of diverse ideas from their teammates, they bring in more revenue, and they’re rated as effective twice as often by executives," writes Julia Rozovsky, people partner at Google.

Articles about psychological safety often focus on leadership teams. While it's true that supervisors can do quite a bit to ensure a safe culture, business analysts can share the workload.

What Is Psychological Safety?

Amy Edmonson, the Novartis Professor of leadership and management at Harvard Business School, is widely credited with bringing the idea of psychological safety to the masses with a paper she published in 1999. The concepts hold firm today.

Companies that foster psychological safety allow employees to speak candidly and fail openly. A trusting workplace may be confused with “being nice,” but that's not accurate. "What it’s about is candor; what it’s about is being direct, taking risks, being willing to say, ‘I screwed that up,’" Edmonson explains.

Psychological safety also involves moving beyond the facts and figures that dominate a business analyst's day-to-day schedule. Connections and conversations are essential. "It’s easier to just give the metrics, that makes me appear hard-nosed. But it’s also out of touch with reality," says Edmonson.

Companies that embrace psychological safety connect with every employee, almost all the time. They use that culture of collaboration to grow and innovate.

Prepare for Tough Discussions

Feedback is part of any business environment, but delivery matters, especially in tense discussions. Companies working toward psychological safety are encouraged to rehearse those moments and be prepared to speak to the issues that might crop up.

Culture consultant Lauren Delizonna, Ph.D. recommends coming to a difficult conversation with concrete evidence that can counter defensiveness. That's especially important if a hot-button issue is on the agenda. A business analyst can provide cost data, schedule aberrations and other hard facts that could move an issue from the emotional to the factual. That preparation could help parties feel like the meeting was helpful, not an attack.

Study Workloads and Efficiencies

Teams that feel psychologically safe can speak up when they feel overwhelmed with tasks and unable to complete the work.

This isn't always easy. To make it happen, team members have to engage in behaviors they might consider risky, such as admitting that they don't have all the answers or enough time to complete their work, says Anthony Hood, director of civic innovation at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

You can't make employees speak up. But your analysis could uncover logjams and roadblocks that keep ambitious schedules from working. When a staffer does point out a scheduling problem, you can be instrumental in finding a solution.

Design Effective Meetings

There are many strings to pull when developing a psychological safety plan. Some of them involve meetings. These are the moments at which teams come together to collaborate in real time, and often, those talks need restructuring.

Employees in psychologically safe work environments are comfortable discussing things they don't understand in meetings, and raising difficult issues in front of the team, says Harris Kaloudis, quality and organizational development manager at a community-asset based enterprise in the UK, Has 2B Happy Care.

Simply by observing meetings, you can determine how many times a comment is followed by a phrase such as "I don't think so" or "Yes, but." That will help you discover whether team members feel safe to speak up, and how their contributions are taken.

You could also analyze how often people speak in your meetings. If the sessions are silent, or only involve one or two speakers, those get-togethers could be infused with groupthink, says Gustavo Razzetti, CEO of management consultancy Liberationist. "Practice conversational turn-taking,” he advises. “Provide each team member a turn to speak up. Managers or loud people should always go last —- you don’t want them to influence or intimidate the rest."

If you're running a meeting, this is an easy task to complete. As an analyst and observer, you could also highlight issues for leaders and offer your optimization suggestions for the next meeting.

Incorporate Feedback Into Your Research

Companies that embrace psychological safety encourage communication. Incorporating those data points into your reports could be an excellent first step.

If you spot a trend, an issue, or an inconsistency, ask your team for their point of view. "Curiosity is vital to business performance,” writes Dennis Relojo-Howell, founder of online psychology resource Psychreg. “Ask for feedback from employees and encourage them to ask questions. Start by asking: ‘What can we do better?’."

If you solicit feedback from the team, there may be moments when their ideas don't match up with your analysis. Sometimes, you might even disagree with the comments altogether, and you might keep them out of your final plans.

Foster psychological safety by continuing a conversation, even after your analysis is submitted.

"Once a decision is made, explain the reasoning behind your decision. How did their feedback factor into the decision? What other considerations were made? Even if your employees don’t agree, they’ll appreciate the honesty and transparency behind how the decision was made," writes Greg Barnett, Ph.D., senior vice president of science at The Predictive Index, a company that develops software to predict behavior and performance at work.

Support Frequent Failure

Business analysts often join projects that are in trouble. Your analysis is meant to help determine what went wrong and why. Companies that use psychological safety see failure in an entirely different way.

"Faced with uncertainty, psychologically safe teams are propelled into a performance spiral: where making mistakes is not considered as a failure, but rather as experimentation and learning opportunity," writes Stefano Mastrogiacomo, Ph.D., co-author of “The Team Alignment Map.”

Teams that follow this approach focus on the positives when a mistake is made, writes the team at communications company Slack. Rather than worrying over who is to blame, they hone in on what can be learned from the experience.

Your reports could reflect that practice by highlighting lessons that could be applied to the next project, or parts of the product that could be reused in something more profitable. Interviewing staff could help you deepen that analysis.

"What would happen if leaders got really, genuinely curious when things go wrong? How would it feel to employees if the questions they were asked helped them think BETTER about what happened and creatively solve the problem themselves, without blame or punishment?" writes The People Side, a leadership development and executive coaching company.

Ask the team how they might handle a similar situation in the future. Or ask them to highlight the early warning signs they noticed. If they spotted something early and said nothing, use this as an opportunity to push a culture change.

"Show that reporting of errors is not the same thing as poor performance. Or on the contrary, indicate that not reporting errors is associated with poor performance," writes Angus Ridgway, CEO at leadership development program Potentialife.

Use Data Carefully

Business analysts often have a pool of numbers to draw from, and it can be tempting to use that data to push conversations along. However, that comes with risks.

Someone on your team might speak up about a new idea. If that suggestion is met with a barrage of questions about ROI or a project plan, that person might not ever speak up again, says Jake Herway, senior managing advisor at Gallup.

Think carefully before asking for proof in a meeting. Remember that you can always do a data dive later on, if necessary.

Practice What You Preach

Through your work, you can help to steer companies in the direction of becoming psychologically safe workplaces. Don't forget that you may also have to change.

"If working in a psychologically safe environment is a priority for you, the very best way to get started is by being the role model for your team in regard to what psychological safety looks like," writes organizational psychologist Karlyn Borysenko, principal at consulting firm Zen Workplace.

Own your mistakes, and talk about them openly. Commit to speaking out when you feel overwhelmed or unsure. Take on challenges with grace, and know that your team is there to back you up as needed.

Your work is critical to developing a safe workspace. "Safety in the workplace affects everything from someone’s mental health to their productivity in teams to their overall happiness. Building a workplace that values psychological safety is necessary in fostering a holistic and encouraging work environment, and who doesn’t want that?" the team at Occupational Health and Safety Magazine writes.

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Enter the world of work process timelines. Your research and communication skills will help ensure that you build schedules that are understandable, workable and measurable. Here's how to get started.

Develop an Understanding

Before you can map out the future, you must examine the present. Business process modeling gives you a complete understanding of what your company is doing right now, and you can use those insights as you build process timelines.

BPMN (business process model and notation) is considered the industry standard for business process mapping, writes Amit Kothari, CEO of workflow software provider Tallyfy. "It’s essentially a standardized method for flowchart mapping," he says.

A BPMN uses graphical representations for activities such as events, tasks, sequences, and deliverables. Put all of those symbols together, and you have a birds-eye view of the process you're revising.

The team at workflow automation provider Kissflow says BPMN is a learned language. As a business analyst, you’ll understand a representation of an organization’s business processes. A regular business user, however, might need help in interpreting the data.

The more complex your work process, the more detailed your BPMN. Breaking it into different graphical representations allows stakeholders to understand the scope of the project. You have plenty of options available.

For example, Zack Kushner at online diagram software Gliffy says swimlane diagrams illustrate how teams of contributors work on a project during different stages. "That may sound complicated, but in practice swimlanes and swimlane diagrams are an elegant way to un-complicate diagrams that would otherwise be overly complex," he explains.

At the end of your research, you should have a good understanding of what the company is doing now and how a revision to existing processes or implementation of new processes would help.

Create a Blueprint

Methodical planning leads to a schedule that is clear and easy for your team to follow. Here's your roadmap.

Define Your Team

Technical expertise and current roles may help you understand critical players, but workload should also play a role. If key members of your team are too busy to hit their deadlines, your project may develop bottlenecks, says Ellen Williams, director of advisory solutions at Orion Global Solutions.

Look for ways to reduce or shift existing work or remove that person from the process.

Determine Key Steps

Identify the work required as the process revision moves forward. Be as detailed as possible: You'll need to incorporate all of those elements into your schedule. Then, ask for help to validate your ideas.

Tom Kuczmarski, president and founder of management consultancy Kuczmarski Innovation, recommends building a cross-functional team made up of people that tackle different parts of the process. Ask them to look over your plans and give feedback. Are there steps you're missing? Would another idea work better?

Develop a Schedule

With your research completed, it's time to craft a step-by-step schedule your team can understand and support. A project planning tool, like MS Project, helps you create a task for each step you've defined during your research, writes Kathleen O'Brien, lead business analyst at Merck.

Assign Tasks

As you build your schedule, you'll assign tasks to team members. Take a step back and examine just how many tasks you've allocated to one person at any given time. If you put too much on one person's to-do list, you could create future problems.

"Limit the number of tasks allocated to a team member at any time to encourage deep focus work and high-quality results," writes Grace Windsor at project management application BrightWork.

Examine the Flow

Think hard about the flow of work from start to finish. You may have tasks that seem ready to start now, but need to hold back for a bit.

"In many cases, projects involve tasks that cannot begin until a prerequisite task is completed. Dependencies define the relationship between different tasks throughout a project," says tech writer David Zomaya.

Revisit completed plans with fresh eyes. You may see dependencies and logjams on a second review.

Create Collaboration Opportunities

Your team has tasks to complete and deliverables to address. But they can't do work in isolation. One person's decisions could impact another.

Consider rework. Zeb Geary, principal consultant at product development platform Jama Software, explains that rework appears when teams get through a core task only to discover that their work isn't quite right. "To avoid or at least reduce rework, teams must define, agree, and then develop. The more teams can align around what it is you’re actually building and just how that thing will be verified, the better aligned development activities will be," he writes.

Carve out time for meetings and checkpoints in your schedule to encourage all participants to collaborate and stay informed.

Prepare for Revisions

Despite all of your hard work and planning, you may need to revisit your schedule more than once as the project moves forward.

"It’s impossible to create the perfect project schedule on the first attempt," writes Jason Westland, founder and CEO of ProjectManager.com. As the project changes, and scope is added or removed, new deadlines will come and go.

Make sure your schedule reflects the reality of your project, and update as often as required to keep your team informed.

Limit Scope Creep

At project kickoff, your goal is clearly defined. But as work progresses, your team may add seemingly small elements to your clean plans. That could lead to schedule slowdowns, missed deadlines and team frustration.

"Business analysts can contribute to clear scope with effective requirements elicitation and by analyzing and documenting clear, complete, and concise requirements," explain Richard Larson and Elizabeth Larson at Project Management Institute.

Ensure that your team has access to all of your research, and be prepared to explain the details if questions arise. The clearer the goal, the less enticing distractions might become to the team.

Additionally, your team should come into the project with a sense of collaboration and problem-solving. "Most successful projects are enabled by teams that work well together," writes Suzanna Haworth, digital project director. Facilitate conversations that include the whole team. When one person makes a request or shares a concern, bring the topic up for group discussion.

If stakeholders outside the team have requests, solicit feedback from the group. But remember to validate these ideas against your core research. "Some stakeholders might demand features that are out of the project scope and the business analyst should highlight any such requirements," writes team at The Business Analyst. Don't be afraid to point to your kickoff research to push back against pet features that could derail your work.

Measure Progress with Analytics

Process mining software gives you an intense amount of data. Use it to monitor orders, delivery, payments, manufacturing and returns. Some programs will even outline how long each step takes, who completes it and the variables that slow down or speed up the process.

"Every piece of information that flows through a business today generates its own digital trail, creating a plethora of data revealing where the information went and when," Jung Paik and Jonathan Silver write at McKinsey and Company.

This data allows you to validate the effectiveness of process changes as they roll out. If a shift isn't delivering the outcome you predicted, you can make a quick course correction to help your company move forward.

Process mining tools aren't perfect for all companies or situations. "Organizations will get the best value from applying it to processes that have been digitized (i.e. supported by an IT system) and where there is still some unstructured work (i.e. reviews and approvals) that happen outside the IT system," advise Thomas H. Davenport and Andrew Spanyi at Harvard Business Review.

However, the granular data available to you through process mining software could be just what you need to complete the current project and prepare for the work to come.

Project Management Tools

There are many tools available online for Project Managers to use for project tracking. Quincy from ProjectManager.com shared his organization’s tool for online project management. When choosing at tool is best to evaluate how well the tool will fit into your organization’s culture and how well it will meet your needs for project management.

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“In today’s dynamic and competitive world, a project manager’s key challenge is coping with frequent unexpected events,” writes Alexander Laufer, director of the Consortium for Project Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and fellow authors in an article for MIT Sloan Management Review. 

Confronting change is especially difficult if project plans aren’t inherently flexible. An inflexible plan throws up roadblocks that inhibit project leaders from adjusting quickly. There are tactics business analysts and project managers working together can use to address change and obstacles that might otherwise complicate project progress and eventual success.

Acknowledge Change Requests and Implications

This may seem like common sense, but acknowledging a change request is an important tactic for guiding a project through a period of change. The very nature of change is disruptive and uncomfortable, so the first instinct is often to ignore it or say “no.” That isn’t healthy for a project, however, because some changes can improve project outcomes.

Project stakeholders and company decision makers don’t want to hear that a request is impossible without being presented with options for solutions or resolutions. When project managers respond immediately with a “no” to change, “dialogue ends, collaboration falters, and innovation is stifled,” writes Productive Collective Consultancy CEO Keren Nimmo. It’s important that when a change is requested, the idea is at least brought to the table for collaborative discussions, she explains, calling it the “‘yes, and…’ principle.”  

From there, you can present your findings and guide your stakeholders to a decision driven by data. “Don’t let your immediate reaction be shutting the problem down; instead, take a second to think about it before you decide on the best direction,” advises Gillian Sibthorpe, certified ScrumMaster and product manager, Sports Presentation, at Sky Betting and Gaming in the U.K. 

Set Criteria for Assessing Change Events

The process for assessing change requests or unexpected change events will be much smoother if there are already criteria in place for appraising the effects of a change. What you don’t want to happen is to have an unexpected change event arise and you have to create assessment criteria on the fly. 

“It's vital that the criteria for this evaluation be determined before it's needed so that time is not wasted reaching consensus,” writes Jane Suchan, director IT Business Office at REI. “Setting these parameters will help balance change with overall business goals and benefits.” That criteria should include assessments of impacts to time and schedule, budget, business requirements and resources, due dates, quality measures and stakeholder expectations. 

Focus on Data to Drive Decisions

For the business analyst and all other stakeholders to understand the implications of a change, those assessments must be driven by data. Accurate data ensures companies make the best decisions based on the information available to them, writes PMWorld 360 Magazine founder Moira Alexander.

There are a variety of different analyses that can be run on project data to ensure project-friendly decisions are made during times of change. Luke Desmond, transformation director at CISCO, explains four types of analysis: 

• Descriptive analytics, which involves interpreting historical data for better insights into the past.

• Diagnostic analytics, which investigates why things happened in the past.

• Predictive analytics, which provides information for predictions about the future.

• Prescriptive analytics, which seeks to find the best possible course of action in a particular scenario.

By aggregating data and running proper analytics, business analysts are armed to guide projects through times of change. 

Involve Your Project Team From Start to Finish

You can’t do anything without your project team. They are the ones who carry out the day-to-day technical work on a project and produce the project’s deliverables. Without their support and expertise, projects are at risk for failure. This is especially true during times of change. 

Everyone must be on the same page to move a project forward through change. That’s why it is so important to involve your project team with any decisions on project changes. They are responsible for creating the solutions that will incorporate the change; managing the technical aspects of the change; keeping all stakeholders moving in the same direction through a change; and ensuring change plans are integrated into a project, writes change management solutions company Prosci. 

Without guidance from the project manager, the project team cannot do its job on the technical side of change, they add. Your team will look to you to keep the chaos under control.

To lead your team through periods of change, Elizabeth Harrin, FAPM, director at Otobos Consultants, suggests being open about changes as they come through and including the team in the process. She says that you, as the leader, need to be a stabilizing force who makes the change process as simple as possible and offers help when needed.

By engaging your team during change, you set the team up for success.

Prioritize Communication Between Stakeholders

Communication is the cornerstone of project success. This is amplified during times of change when the potential for disorganization and miscommunication is at its peak. Business analysts must prioritize communication to avoid losing control of a project. 

To successfully manage change, project leaders should communicate regularly with all stakeholders. All communications must be “clear, concise, and concrete” so that everyone stays involved in the process, writes Rachel Burger, director of marketing and recruiting at mgm Technology. This helps to ensure that a project moves as smoothly as possible through the change process.  

To reach all stakeholders, consider using various methods of communication, both active and passive, writes the team at business consultancy 20/20. Active communication includes face-to-face meetings, video conferences and webinars. Passive communication includes emails, websites and newsletters, they say. Each type plays a role in keeping everyone involved connected through the change process. 

Embrace a Flexible Mindset

Responding to change requires a flexibility of mind. In order to navigate a time of change, project leaders must be adaptable to successfully incorporate change requirements into the planned project. 

“Being flexible inside of your own mind is the key to being flexible with the project,” writes Yada Senapathy, CEO at Project Management Training Institute. “Let your vision of the project be fluid enough to allow it to change and grow as circumstances change. Be positive in your attitude, proactive in your vision, and light in your feet.”

This will also help guide your team over obstacles during the change process. With a rigid mindset, you aren’t open to new ideas and feedback from your stakeholders. By being flexible in your own mind about how to deal with change and by listening to others, you can help your team conquer physical and emotional roadblocks, writes the team at ProjectManager.com.  

Keep Your Team Motivated to Change

Motivating the team is an important part of a project manager’s job, writes career consultant Charles Ebert. 

Project changes can complicate this aspect of the job. Sometimes changes can be so disruptive that teams, especially those on projects with no flexibility built in, can shut down and lose their drive to finish. They may get frustrated with and disinterested in the change process. It’s up to the project manager to ensure the team stays focused and motivated to produce the best results possible. 

One way to ensure your team stays motivated is to secure their buy-in for changes from the start of the change process. “A feeling of ownership naturally results from participation in a project, which helps increase enthusiasm,” writes Doug Rowe, PMP, principal at assurance, tax and consulting firm BerryDunn.

Another key part to motivating the team is to celebrate their successes. At both the team and the individual level, it’s important to recognize not only milestones, but also the smaller victories along the way that are meaningful to others. By recognizing successes, you provide the fuel your team needs to keep moving forward. It also helps to ensure “the adoption of both your change management process as well as adoption of the change itself,” writes the team at enterprise platform Smartsheet. 

When project plans aren’t built to easily adapt to change, it can be a stressful time for any project teams and stakeholders who weren’t prepared to adapt. It’s up to the project managers and business analysts who are leading the projects to ensure that the change process is as smooth as possible so everyone stays committed to successfully completing projects. 

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If you are struggling mentally and emotionally with this change, you’re not alone. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a seismic shift that has seen millions of workers forced to work remotely.

According to a survey by Slack, 16 million knowledge workers in the U.S. were working remotely by the end of March. An April survey of HR leaders by Gartner, Inc. reports that 50 percent of workplaces have more than 81 percent of their employees working remotely and another 15 percent of businesses have over 61 percent of employees working from home.

For most, working anywhere but in the office is uncharted territory, and the glamorized notions of working remotely have turned out to be far from the reality. This has left many struggling to deal with the isolation and disruption to their daily lives.

“Many working adults are feeling a sense of uncertainty," says Nancy Reardon, chief strategy and product officer at health and benefits company Maestro Health. That uneasiness puts remote workers at a higher risk of suffering mental health problems.

The Mental Health Challenges of Working Remotely

Managing the transition from working in the office to working from home is mentally and emotionally challenging. “Working from home can impact mental health due to isolation, lack of work-life separation and limited accountability to track productivity,” writes Chris Ellis, manager of technical evangelism at Nintex, a process management and workflow automation development company.

There are many changes that accompany working remotely that can be disruptive. When you are used to working around others, finding yourself suddenly isolated can be overwhelming. Having to set up an office space that is different from what you are used to can make work flows uncomfortable or frustrating. Being around family members during the day can be distracting. Not knowing how to balance work and home life can breed discontent on both fronts.

All of this can lead to mental health struggles. “There is a real concern that we will see widespread anxiety, PTSD, depression, high suicide rates and a high incidence of substance abuse,” says Darcy Gruttadaro, J.D., director of the American Psychiatric Association Foundation’s Center for Workplace Mental Health. 

This doesn’t have to be you. Here are some tips to help you maintain your mental health while working remotely.

Make a Dedicated Office Space

One of the most important aspects of keeping your sanity while working from home is to create a dedicated workspace. Ideally, that space is in a room with a door that you can turn into an office. But, if that isn’t an option, James Stephenson and Rich Mintzer, co-authors of “Ultimate Homebased Business Handbook” suggest picking a room or a space where distractions are minimized yet still large enough to accommodate your work needs.

Whatever you do, don’t try to set up shop on your bed or sofa, cautions Real Simple’s Katie Holdefehr. There are more opportunities for distractions to keep you from getting your work accomplished, which can increase your stress levels. 

Keep a Regular Work Schedule

Setting and maintaining a regular work schedule can be one of the most difficult things to do when suddenly finding yourself working from home. Pamela Bump, audience growth marketing manager and staff writer at HubSpot, offers these tips for making the most out of your schedule when working from home: 

• Block out non-working hours so you know when to stop working. Remote workers often forget to stop and end up working longer hours than when in the office.

• Plan for your morning routine. You don’t have to jump right to work just because you are “at the office.” Have a routine that gets your day started, and stick to it. 

• Schedule breaks. It’s just as important to take time away from work as it is to make time for work. It’s easy to forget to take a breather when working from home. 

It can also be easy to fall into the time-flexibility trap of working from home and fall behind on your work, increasing your anxiety levels. A schedule will keep you on task throughout the day and ensure you don’t overwork yourself.

Separate Home and Work Life

It becomes too easy to blend home and work life when you are immersed in both all the time. Keeping up with the household chores, doing yard work, binge-watching your favorite shows, and playing with the kids are all distractions that can keep you from being your most productive. Then you become anxious about falling behind in work. There’s also the guilt that comes with working from home and thinking you could be doing more around the house during the day.

It’s important for your mental health to delineate between the two and give proper attention to both.

Sticking to your schedule will help with that, as will prioritizing family time. Making after-work plans will ensure you stop work each day and switch to after-work mode, writes Sophia Bernazzani, head of product marketing at Owl Labs. That’s the time to do things around the house, socialize with friends and family and focus on anything outside of work. The balance will help you be your best in both worlds. 

Get Out and Work Out

People who work from home often forget to go outside. 

Going outside and getting regular exercise can help improve or maintain mental health when working remotely. "Having something pleasant to focus on like trees and greenery helps distract your mind from negative thinking, so your thoughts become less filled with worry," says Dr. Jason Strauss of Cambridge Health Alliance. 

Eating outside, going for brief walks, sitting in the sun for a few minutes or even working outside a bit each day will help you recharge your battery and improve your mental well being.

Manage Information Consumption

If you are working from home as a direct result of an impactful event, such as COVID-19, avoiding overexposure to news and media is going to be crucial to your sanity. Staying informed is important, but spending too much time following every development can trigger high levels of stress and anxiety. 

"There's a big difference between staying informed and having the news on all day long, repeating the same things," says Dana Rose Garfin, assistant professor at the University of California, Irvine.

Media access that remote workers have makes it too easy to become absorbed in the constant consumption of news. While it would be unreasonable to shut the news out completely, Christopher Fagundes, associate professor of psychological sciences at Rice University, suggests setting boundaries on how much time you spend consuming information. 

Stay Connected

The lack of human connection when working from home can lead to a whole host of problems that exacerbate mental strain. Overcoming that aspect of working remotely will require you to make extra efforts to stay connected, not only to coworkers and clients, but also friends and family members who can support you at this time of transition.

Start by communicating more than you think you need to. Send emails, social media messages and text messages and make regular calls to avoid isolating yourself. Don’t be afraid to overcommunicate, write Lindsey Pollak and Eileen Coombes at Inc..

Try to prioritize face-to-face communication to overcome the feelings of isolation, says Barbara Larson, executive professor of management and partnerships director at Northeastern University. Video chats through tools such as Skype and Zoom help you maintain a personal connection with others, and the visits don't always have to center around work. Take time to socialize as you would at someone’s desk or in the lunchroom at the office. 

Set a Consistent Sleep Schedule

Because you don’t have to report to the office, it can be tempting to stay up late and sleep in. However, a fluctuating sleep schedule or just not getting enough sleep can wreak havoc on your mental well-being. 

"When you're suddenly at home more, sleep schedules can take a hit as you try and adjust," says neurologist W. Christopher Winter, author of “The Sleep Solution.” Routines are key to ensuring proper sleep when working from home.

Anna Persaud, Ph.D., CEO of beauty company This Works, says sticking to normal working hours and having a regular eating schedule are important for getting quality sleep. Practicing mindfulness and avoiding late-night screen time can help you get a good night’s rest, she adds.

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Digital transformations can upgrade a company's capabilities — and in some cases, they can increase its market share. These projects, however, are thorny by design: Plenty of stakeholders and teams are involved, and timelines can be tight.

A business analyst can step in to lead these critical legacy system updates. A BA’s background in data analysis, combined with expertise in defining needs and recommending solutions, makes these professionals both ready and willing to tackle the work. 

Analysis Starts the Process

Legacy systems are often defined as ancient and crumbling. But legacies come in many shapes and sizes, writes D.J. Wardynski, president of software development consulting firm Brainspire Solutions. When a system is no longer supported or maintained by its developer and can't be updated, it's part of a legacy. Some are only a year old.

A business analyst's background in research can be critical in drawing a transformation roadmap.

What Are Competitors Doing?

Companies that remain committed to older systems may be outpaced by their core competitors. Artificial intelligence, virtual reality, chatbots and augmented reality are some of the advanced technologies legacy systems may not support, according to the team at European IT solutions delivery center ScaleFocus.

Business analysts are adept at market research. Their insights can help the team determine those innovations required to stay relevant. BAs may also help company leaders spot technologies that seem promising but don't actually support core company functions. That perspective could keep executives from wasting money on ineffective solutions.

What New Markets Are Available?

Digital transformations often seem like projects made to help a company do the same thing in a new way. But a digital transformation can also help companies both recognize and enter new markets, writes business analyst Jamie Champagne.

A BA could identify a new use for a technology the company needs to complete a core function. For example, when a bank moves to online-only forms for security purposes, could consumers open accounts via their phones? Analysis could also help companies spot new potential customers. If banks offer mobile accounts, could they reach a younger clientele?

What Level of Transformation is Appropriate?

There are many ways to tackle a digital transformation. For some companies, a quick fix is crucial. They accomplish this by patching smaller problems with processes, applications or new code, writes RTS Labs. Others just aren't satisfied until the system works in a completely different way on a new platform.

Problem-solving is a core strength of a BA, and that skill can be put to good use at the start of transformation projects.

"They must be able to observe a problem from different angles within the business, including a target user and that of a technical expert. In such circumstances, an ability to work in a collaborative environment with an ongoing discussion with developers is obligatory. This is where technically viable solutions are discovered," writes the team at technology and solution consulting company Altexsoft.

For example, collaboration with the IT team could help a BA discover that a patch would lead to a catastrophic shutdown in a year or two. An examination of the company's marketing plans could highlight an expansion to a new market, planned for that same moment. In a situation like this, the benefits of a total transformation become clear.

Set the Schedule for Transformation

With the scope of the project defined, BAs can turn to matters of scheduling. The work they do here can ensure the team is aware of deadlines and deliverables. The project management framework defines how teams collaborate and communicate with one another.

Most transformations involve a slow process in which each system is replaced in a sort of mirror version of the current, and then everything is replaced with the flip of a switch. That can lead to disaster if the flip doesn't go well, writes agile software developer and consultant Nick McKenna.

If the project isn't time-sensitive, a BA could build a waterfall schedule with plenty of stakeholder feedback, testing phases and quality assurance steps. That could, in theory, ensure that the move from one system to another goes as smoothly as possible.

Business analysts can also draw on their knowledge of other project management frameworks to find a solution that suits a company a bit better.

In their discussion paper for the International Institute of Business Analysis, Kevin Brennan and Jas Phul suggest agile concepts can be critical in a digital transformation. Teams work quickly, with plenty of feedback from real users, and innovate based on that data. For projects that include a tight turnaround, this could be an ideal approach.

Several Stakeholders Play a Part

On paper, a business analyst may have only one supervisor. But in a massive project like a digital transformation, plenty of stakeholders are involved. And a BA is adept at communicating with all of them.

According to front-end engineer Max Holland and Olga Veretskaya at software development company Anadea, the business analyst works as the chief organizer of a digital transformation project. When team members need to know how something can or should work, they head to the BA for answers.

IT Teams

Mary K. Pratt and Sarah K. White at CIO define the business analyst role this way: "Business analysts (BAs) are responsible for bridging the gap between IT and the business using data analytics to assess processes, determine requirements and deliver data-driven recommendations and reports to executives and stakeholders."

A BA doesn't always need coding skills, but can and should communicate freely with their dev teams to ensure core business needs are met as the project moves forward. A BA can also step in when the dev team makes a decision based on technology.

"Usually, the business needs will dictate which set of tasks take priority over the others, although there comes a point where you have to tell them what you can focus on," explains senior software engineer Milecia McGregor.

In digital teams, developers often work in teams. They could collaborate to set core functions and determine critical tasks. But developers often aren't qualified or ready to collect input from stakeholders, writes Vitaly Plitchenko at software product engineering services provider Apriorit.

The dev team benefits from someone that can accept their suggestions, head out for feedback, and bring it back. The business analyst is exceptionally qualified for this role.

Current and Potential Customers

While internal teams have their own ideas about how the transformation should work and what should be included, customer input is critical, says senior business analyst Bhairav Bhavsar. A BA should ensure that the solution is functional, accurate and complete. They might also need to conduct periodic testing with potential customers to ensure that the solution in development will make those consumers happy.

In legacy system upgrades, a "customer" might be defined as a company's current employees. If those important people don't believe in the process or the solution, the project just won't be successful. "One of the reasons your company may be lagging behind is that you haven’t found a technology your team feels comfortable using," writes Daniel Newman, principal analyst at Futurum Research.

A successful BA has the ability to both explain how the solution works and can sell the vision of long-term improvements to supporters and detractors, says Ravi Jackson, public sector business consultant. Someone in this role might hold testing sessions to look for deployment problems. But they might also provide subtle encouragement so detractors feel more comfortable with the expertise and data that drives the project forward.

"The business analyst has become the person who is well informed, but not an expert, on business processes, technological architecture and platforms and has the best interest of stakeholders at heart, while maintaining an unbiased relationship with all project stakeholders," explains senior business analyst Deidre Forbay. This insider/outsider status helps the team to focus on the goal, while keeping the business analyst from getting swept up in a vision.

Wrapping Up a Successful Project

It's easy to think of a simple start/finish to a digital transformation project. The work starts with an idea, and it ends with deployment. The reality is a little more complex.

A software system moves to legacy due to a lack of support. When companies can't tackle routine maintenance or updating tasks, they're forced to make big decisions. Documentation can help a company cope, and a business analyst plays a key role.

At the end of a legacy system modification project, teams must craft documents that support future upgrades, according to Altexsoft. The cleaner these documents are, the better. They should contain both coding standards and notes about company processes.

A business analyst with a technical background could help draft these documents with the assistance of IT coders. But even a BA who can't code can ensure that this critical part of the project is complete before the project is deemed a success.

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"Agile encourages the customer to be part of the process at every stage. This can be intimidating to deal with, especially if you’re afraid to show the customer how the sausage gets made. But allowing the customer to be part of both your successes and failures along the way makes for a better product," Lauren Pope writes at business software and services review platform G2.

We break down an agile project step by step and look at how to obtain and include critical customer feedback at each instance.

Concept: Customers Validate Ideas

Agile projects begin with concepts, and typically, they're hashed out in meetings. Your conversations in these meetings are important, as they generate ideas about the problems your product will solve and how your product will help, says startup consultant Aggelos Mouzakitis. Obviously, your customers play a crucial role.

At this stage, you won't have a product to wave in front of a customer. You won't even have a prototype. But you have ideas, and sharing them with potential customers can be critical.

Marketer Neil Patel explains that feedback can originate from a conversation. You define your concept, and watch for a glimmer of excitement or understanding. If that doesn't happen, your idea may not be a good one. "If your customer doesn’t understand the idea, it doesn’t matter how brilliant it is. It’s going to flop," he writes.

Consider small, in-person focus groups during this stage. Gather potential customers and talk with them about your plans. Listen to their ideas. Use that feedback as you move to the next stage.

Inception: Customers Guide the Kickoff

It's tempting to move from brainstorming to development. The sooner you build, the quicker you'll have a product to show your potential customers. But the inception phase is critical to agile projects.

Inception meetings help to align stakeholders, writes agile business analyst Reeya Patel. After a meeting, everyone knows what you're building and how. "But most importantly, it will question whether taking the project forward is the right thing to do for the business and...customers," she writes.

Companies tackle this phase in different ways, but most use buyer personas to guide the conversation. These narratives help you understand the wants, needs and motivations of ideal users. You could write them blindly, but customer research can help you ensure they're appropriate and helpful.

"When used correctly, surveys can be valuable tools for uncovering buyer personas," according to SurveyMonkey. They recommend asking potential customers 8 to 10 questions, including about how they might use your product. Ask about your users wants and needs, in order that you can segment personas appropriately. Analyze responses closely for those that suggest your idea isn't worth building on. If responses don't include excitement or interest, it might be time to head back to the drawing board.

Development: Customers Guide the Build

With ideas validated and buyer personas created, it's time to start building. Henry Helgeson, founder and CEO of payment company Cayan, says few projects are perfect in the first iteration. Most teams need to adjust their products as the build progresses, and the best way to make a spot correction is by testing a product with real consumers.

"There are oh so many ways you can do this, BUT the general gist of it is you need to create a simple or paired back version, or even a pre-sale option, for your product," writes entrepreneur Kate McKibbin.

Can you shear off a small piece of your product for customers to test? Could you develop a prototype of one part of a new product idea? Think of ways to create a taste of your product. Don't be afraid if it seems small or incomplete. In some cases, that's ideal.

"We have found that people are more likely to give feedback on something that doesn't look too finished. If it looks like a lot of time has been spent on it, people tend to feel less free to criticize it," says the team at The Imagination Factory.

Ask for feedback from your testers, and request specifics. What did they like? How would they use the product? What would make it better? Answers to those questions can guide the build, and the final product might look quite a bit different than your original concept.

Admittedly, this advice is easier to follow when you're building a virtual product (like software) rather than a physical product (like a car engine). But even in those situations, there are workarounds that offer user feedback opportunities.

"Demonstrating function takes longer for hardware. Code can be rapidly written and compiled. Designing and building hardware take more time. Additive manufacturing (aka, rapid prototyping or 3D printing), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and computer modeling are reducing the time needed to manufacture functional hardware," writes product design consultant David Ullman, Ph.D. at Machine Design.

Release: Customers Assist Testing and QA

At this stage in your agile project, you have a minimum viable product ready for widespread use. But your work isn't done. Feedback at this stage helps you build on your idea so you can iterate with a bigger, better version.

Quick feedback is critical, as it guides every step your team takes. Lags are common, but not inevitable.

"The most impactful way to shorten the customer feedback loop is to interact with a large population of opted-in, highly engaged users. Well profiled, carefully segmented users who choose to participate because they recognize that their feedback can measurably improve the products they use," writes the team at customer insights platform Vision Critical.

Monitor response rates, and reward those customers that respond promptly with a warm thank you or note of appreciation. If you spot testers that seem unengaged or disinterested, don't be afraid to replace them.

Production: Customers Refine Your Ideas

After a few sprints of innovation and creativity, your product has been polished. But agile teams keep working. The feedback customers give you at this stage can help you improve the next release.

Software companies have an inherent advantage in grabbing customer feedback. Often, the tools are baked right into the product.

"Product usage metrics are a great way of discovering customer feedback. Look for patterns in software analytics—they’ll help you gain an understanding of how different features are being used," writes Aazar Ali Shad, head of growth at Userpilot.

Data analysis helps you understand what customers are doing with your product right now, but it doesn’t tell you what customers wish they could do and can't. Data also doesn't uncover motivations. Direct feedback can help you gather this important information, and it's relatively easy to obtain. Some companies build feedback tools into their websites or product portals.

For example, Chris Chumley, chief operating officer at CampusLogic, says his company crafted a widget within the product for customer feedback. "During onboarding, we teach customers how to use our support portal to submit feature requests or bugs. These get routed directly to the product team. We’re on a continuous delivery model, so our product team triages this feedback weekly," he explains.

If your product doesn't allow for this type of feedback, you have options. You can reach out to customers directly and ask for their feedback. Time those queries carefully.

"After someone buys a product or signs up for your service, give them time to receive and use their purchase before you send a feedback email. We suggest waiting at least one week before you ask consumers about their experience," writes OptinMonster cofounder Syed Balkhi.

Retirement: Customers Point You in a New Direction

All products have a life cycle and sometimes outlive their usefulness. Customer feedback can help you spot the tipping point when it's time to stop improving and shift to product development instead.

Finding that sweet spot means knowing your customers well. That could mean holding in-person conversations. There's no substitute for this, writes Amanda Warren Lansman, human resources manager at Rakuten Intelligence. As you ask questions, you'll also have an opportunity to watch your customers in real time. Hold your talks in your customer's office, and you'll also have the chance to observe their environments and interactions with others.

Other people on your staff may hold conversations like this all the time. Encourage them to share what they know so you get the data you need without scheduling customer interviews.

Consider your customer service staff too. They speak with clients often, and may know just what buyers like and dislike. They may also be empowered to help customers — while improving your product — but that can take some organizational overhaul.

"Since contact centers have traditionally been highly structured, with a command-and-control management approach, moving agents from a purely executional stance to a more engaged, problem-solving mindset is critical. In an agile contact center, everyone needs to work together and support one another," Raelyn Jacobson, Sören Jautelat, Julian Raabe and Lucas Wienke write for McKinsey and Company.

Even if your customer service reps never join your agile team, they can work as a feedback funnel. Check in with them as you deliberate the future of your product and your company.

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As a business analyst, your voice is a critical part of this conversation. In fact, your suggestions could help the project succeed or fail. The more you know about the project management frameworks available to you, the more helpful you can be as you guide this new project over the finish line.

What Role Will You Play as a BA?

Successful projects require coordinated teams working with detailed requirements in a structured environment. As a business analyst, you'll play a key role in developing those elements.

As the project moves forward, you might:

• Conduct research. You'll craft user stories, develop technical requirements and gather feedback during testing.

• Lead your team. In some companies, a BA’s duties overlap with those of product owners. In such cases, you will need to know everything about what the product should do, who it's made for and how its success is measured.

• Craft schedules. You might set the pace of development and ensure that the team stays on track.

When it comes to new projects, every company has a slightly different role for a BA to tackle. All of them involve some kind of schedule and deliverable. Understanding how project management methodologies work can help you do your job, writes Moira Alexander, founder of PMWorld 360 Magazine. The more you know, the better you can help your company choose the right framework for the project at hand.

What Framework Is Right for Your Project?

Project management frameworks do more than help you set milestones. They also help you understand how to structure your team and assign roles, writes Paul Naybor, business development director at Parallel Project Training. Each framework has benefits and drawbacks, and your role may shift a bit depending on which one you choose.

Waterfall: What Roles do BAs Play?

Waterfall projects move sequentially. One task doesn't begin until the prior task is completed. These projects often involve external stakeholders who must approve team decisions at each stage.

Kate Eby at Smartsheet describes how Waterfall is a traditional form of project management in which everything moves in a predictable sequence.

If your company chooses this project management framework, your role might involve research, condensation and communication. You'll have a large part to play at the beginning of the project, Mary K. Pratt and Sarah K. White write for CIO, as you'll be busy gathering user requirements for your developers.

Agile: What Roles do BAs Play?

Agile projects are fast and flexible, and the needs of the project always come first. That means these projects don't rely on a formal structure, set teams and defined roles. If the product demands something new, the team responds on the fly.

Agile projects don't work like other projects, and that's both a benefit and a risk. Bob Kantor, founder of the Kantor Consulting Group, writes that Agile projects are like experiments, and sometimes, they prove the hypothesis incorrect. Forget that fundamental dynamic, and you're running a traditional project under a different name only.

As a BA on an Agile project, you might gather up data about the market segment you're hoping to reach, and you might analyze the work as it moves forward to ensure you're solving the right problem in the right way. If you see a discrepancy, you can guide the team to the right solution.

Agile teams are small but intensely collaborative. Choose this project type, and you'll work very closely with your peers while interacting with external stakeholders sporadically.

Scrum: What Roles do BAs Play?

Scrum projects are quite similar to their Agile counterparts, but they rely on well-defined roles, teams and schedules.

Scrum relies on two- or four-week sprints, followed by testing. At the end of each sprint, stakeholders huddle to determine what happens next, and a new cycle begins. This methodology relies on a Scrum Master, and as a BA you're qualified to tackle that role. As business analyst blogger Joe Barrios writes, BAs must “solve problems and remove obstacles.” That's just what a Scrum Master does.

In a Scrum project, you might:

• Schedule daily, short meetings to keep the team on track.

• Set sprint deadlines.

• Gather feedback at the end of each sprint.

• Maintain a log of all the requirements for your viable product, including functions, features and enhancements.

Lean: What Roles do BAs Play?

The Lean project management framework was born of the need to eliminate excess steps and complexity from product development. Rather than rushing to develop a project with plenty of features, hordes of sign-offs and siloed teams, companies move toward building a stripped-down product on a quicker timeline.

Defining value is a critical part of a Lean project, and value is determined by the customer (not your team). Murtaza Khalil at Kissflow explains that teams must evaluate their work continuously, and they often use surveys, polls or interviews to keep the customer's voice in the conversation. As a BA, you might gather and analyze that feedback for your team.

In addition, the analysis you'll do — of both the market and potential customers — gives you a deep understanding of what the product should do and how it should work. That can help you prevent feature creep as production moves forward.

Evaluate the Framework for Success

A successful BA will understand the various project management methodologies available. When you've mastered those key concepts, you can put them to use in almost any environment in which you'll work. But analysis is required at project kickoff.

"What’s important is to understand the project, its goals and objectives, and what its challenges are, and to pick, choose, and use those right parts of project management accordingly," writes Connie Emerson, assistant teaching professor at Northeastern University's College of Professional Studies.

Make that happen with research and analysis. When the project begins, think about:

• Potential size. Is your company working on a massive product that could touch every single department? Or is this a small tweak to an existing product or service? "Less complex projects are typically good candidates for methodologies such as waterfall, where requirements are clear from the beginning and there is less opportunity for business requirements to change significantly," writes Kevin Senior, director at Glasscubes.

• Your team. Do you have plenty of stakeholders involved? Or are you dealing with a small subset of people? Project frameworks like Waterfall allow bigger teams a voice in important conversations. But smaller teams might tackle collaboration in weekly Scrum meetings instead. BAs must be skilled communicators who can describe how their choice impacts the team as a whole, and you might need to explain that impact to others, too.

• Your deadline. When is your projected release date? Waterfall projects need a longer lead time, while software projects might need the quicker pace of Agile. As a BA, you might be in charge of both developing and enforcing the schedule, and some frameworks require a great deal of scheduling effort. If you implement a structure like Lean with plenty of feedback loops, be prepared to manage that complex workflow from start to finish.

• Personal preference. It's OK to have your own opinions about which frameworks are efficient. Plenty of BAs do. Tim Morrow, business analyst consultant at Skyline Technologies, says, for example, that his work on Agile Scrum teams has led to his biggest successes. If you feel strongly about a framework, add your voice to the discussion.

Don't be afraid to experiment to meet the needs of your company and your product. "Methodologies can be approached rigidly, as a discipline without any deviations, or more à la carte, where a hybrid of two or more are used to respond to the unique aspects of a project," writes William Malsam, content director at ProjectManager.com.

But ensure that your team understands the schedule, the rules and the guidelines you plan to follow. Don't build in so much flexibility that your team isn't sure what happens next.

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At this point, nobody needs to tell you that such an unexpected event can wreak havoc on your project plans. As Matt Sharpe, agile principal consultant and practice lead at PM-Partners, notes, project managers are facing supply chain breakdowns, uncertain dependencies and distributed teams and stakeholders. It is essentially a “perfect storm” of disruptions, he writes.

It is leaving many project managers wondering just how they got in such a position when they accounted for risk in plans, how they are going to work their way out of the chaos, and how they are going to prevent falling into the same hole in the future.

That search for answers to questions you didn’t even think to consider when initially building project plans is why Sciforma’s Camélia Docquin suggests that the current pandemic could be “a welcome reality check” for project managers. It is pushing project managers to confront problems and build solutions that are “paving the way for tomorrow’s better, more efficient project management strategy,” she writes.

One of those improved strategies is going to be building project plans that are less rigid and, therefore, more responsive to unexpected events.

Flexibility Must be a Higher Priority in Project Plans

If there is one lesson that all project managers will be walking away with, it is that project plans must have some adaptability built in to them. Even if things are stable when plans are being designed, there has to be flexibility to allow for quick adjustments in the event of an unforeseen disruption.

What exactly does it mean for project management plans to be flexible? It means that organizations need to build systems that allow “project managers to quickly introduce new information into the decision making process,” writes Mustafa Hafizoglu, PMP, program director at Space & Defence Technologies in Turkey. When uncertainty enters into the project equation, project managers working within a system that responds quickly to new information are better able to make correct decisions for their projects, he explains. 

It’s a lesson that project managers in all industries are learning the hard way as they respond and adjust to COVID-19.

Construction Industry Struggles Highlight Importance of Flexibility in Planning

Take the construction industry, for example. The pandemic has significantly impacted the ability of construction stakeholders to initiate, continue and complete building projects on time and on budget, write Jim Dunlap, Bill Creedon and Jackie Golden at global advisory, broking and solutions company Willis Towers Watson. 

Construction companies are faced with projects being shut down to limit interactions between people and because project financing is becoming tighter with supplies significantly delayed from both international and domestic suppliers, they explain. All of this is having significant consequences on project plans, schedules and risk, reports Annemarie Mannion at Engineering News-Record. 

"We've had $90 million in projects that have hit pause," says Kevin Byrd, vice president of operations for Central Texas at Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, a contractor for school building projects. Delays are a big problem for the company as many of the projects they work on are sensitive to school schedules. 

"Construction is not considered essential [infrastructure] in Michigan so we've had to halt progress on more than 100 projects," says Dana Galvin Lancour, vice president of branding and communications for Barton Malow, a Detroit-based construction company.

Project managers that are being grounded on almost all construction projects are scrambling for solutions to keep projects moving as much as possible and be ready to hit the ground running when that becomes possible. 

“One way to survive during these seemingly impossible times is to keep teams intact, replan and prepare, regardless of your construction project’s situation,” advises the team at Touchplan, a collaboration tool. However, without a responsive project plan, it’s harder to adjust to outside forces and get projects back on track, even when pandemic-related bans are lifted.

That’s why building a flexible project plan, in any industry, needs to be at the forefront of project management planning from the inception of a project.

How to Develop a More Flexible Project Plan

While there is certainly no way to plan for every possible disruption that could upset a project plan, project managers should be planning projects in a way that allows them to respond to unexpected events. 

From the Beginning, Look to the Future as Much as Possible

There are two types of disruptors that project managers must attempt to account for in project plans to keep them flexible: those that can be anticipated and those that cannot. Building flexibility into project plans requires forethought and planning by project managers to address both as best they can. 

By working with the team to build a plan, project managers can use contingencies to add flexibility into the project for when things go wrong or additional work is needed to achieve project goals, writes Laura Holder, senior manager at PMO consulting firm EPMA. “Contingency is used to help account for the unknown,” she explains. Certain forms of contingency can be planned for, such as additional time, money, resources and the approach you’ll take.

Contingency plans only work for disruptions that can be seen and identified. When it comes to unforeseen chaos, such as the impact of a pandemic, adapting plans may be more challenging, but not impossible. If a project plan already has some flexibility built in, it can respond more easily to the impact of changes.

Incorporating change control processes “ensure efficient use of resources and avoid any unnecessary hassle that might disrupt the other services” as a project works through changes, writes James Warner,
senior business intelligence analyst at NexSoftSys. By writing these processes from the beginning with the expectation of needing them, the transition will be smoother when changes do happen, especially unexpected ones.

Last responsible moments, a lean concept, are important for giving project managers an opportunity to adjust project plans. It encourages project managers to make decisions to achieve optimal outputs by leaving the decision-making until the last responsible moment, explains strategic management consultant Jimmie Butler, author of “Pursuing Timeless Agility.”

When built into project plans, the practice of waiting until the last responsible moment provides a level of responsiveness that allows project managers to adjust to unexpected future conditions. This ability to adapt makes it easier for project managers who find themselves faced with abrupt changes to keep moving forward with projects.

Have a Clear Communication Plan in Place

Communication is the key to success for any project, but can be especially crucial when an unexpected event throws plans off course. That’s why it is so important to create a comprehensive communication plan at the beginning of a project. It will guide you through the tough times of replanning and still meet the expectations of all stakeholders and project goals.

“A well thought-out communication management plan brings team-wide trust and success,” writes Robert Bruce at project scheduling platform TeamGantt. It helps project managers to build strong relationships with all stakeholders which will help projects run smoothly, he explains. This is especially useful in times of change.

Don’t Overplan the Project

Overplanning can be just as detrimental to a project as under-planning. When a project is overplanned down to every last detail, it can be nearly impossible to respond to unexpected events. 

“It’s good to set goals and milestones for the future, and even to create a work-breakdown-structure (WBS) to help you map out labor and schedule allocations, but it is possible to overplan,” writes Aleksandr Peterson, content product manager at Asurion. When project managers overplan, they don’t leave room for adjustments that may make or break a project down the road. 

“Overplanning will paralyze you and will drain the energy and flexibility required to make a project succeed,” says project management consultant Peter Taylor. When planning a project, plan for the obvious, but don’t plan so much that you are unable to shift gears at any point in a project.

Agile Methodology is Inherently Flexible 

By adopting the agile methodology for projects, project managers are already on the path to creating plans that are flexible and responsive. Agile focuses on working in sprints and meeting small deliverables. This leaves room for adjustments when things don’t go as planned.

In fact, adaptability is a core principle in agile development. “With agile, it’s easy to make changes to functionality, course corrections based upon user research, or even large pivots in direction or overall scope,” writes Ryan Ostrom, director of engineering for Praxent. “Agile not only allows for change but accounts for it, enabling the team to uphold the schedule and propel the forward momentum of the project”.

That ability to change is why following an agile methodology makes it easier to respond to major project-altering events, like COVID-19.

If there’s one thing the current pandemic has taught us is that we cannot be prepared for everything, but that we can be prepared to expect the unexpected. What’s most important at times like these, when projects are falling into chaos, is to be flexible and ready to adapt. “Flexibility is the most powerful tool in your toolbox,” writes Yada Senapathy, founder and CEO of the Project Management Training Institute. 

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Fear not. It can be done. 

Though on the surface it seems like business analysis consulting and working remotely are opposing forces, it is very possible to combine the two and thrive. While working remotely as a BA consultant certainly presents a unique set of challenges, you can be just as effective in your work by employing some of the following strategies.

Prioritize Setting Expectations Early

The idea of remote consulting is probably also new to your clients, so don’t be surprised when there is some initial resistance to the new remote working arrangement. The concept defies the traditional definition of consulting and may be confusing and even threatening to clients who have not yet gone through such an experience. 

To ease the transition, focus on setting expectations early in the process, writes Lonnie Ayers, president of SAP BW Consulting. In partnership with your clients, determine items such as a detailed communications plan and a timeline for meeting certain milestones. Once everyone understands the expectations on all sides, the hard part becomes managing them.

To keep client expectations in check, be sure everyone has access to task lists so there are no questions about responsibilities. Be transparent with all news whether it is good or bad, and ask questions, writes Brett Harned, director of education at Team Gantt and founder of Digital PM Summit. “When you get an answer, don't always take it at face value. Think about how it might impact your project—and follow up with more questions if needed,” he adds.

When everyone’s expectations are aligned and properly managed, anxiety is reduced and working relationships are more productive.  

Prepare to Communicate Constantly

Conversation is an important part of effective business analysis, and can be stilted by distance. This only amplifies the importance of clear communication when working remotely.

“Communication solves all problems,” writes John Doherty, CEO of Credo, a company that helps businesses find reputable online marketing providers. The more you communicate with your clients, especially when working remotely, the less likely you are to run into any serious issues that might derail progress. 

In a remote setting, you are going to have to employ different types of communication to effectively relay messages with your clients. Emails, text messages, video calls, web-based meetings and other digital communications channels are available in addition to phone calls. You will need to employ a mix to ensure all of your messages reach their intended audience.

An equally important part of communication is active listening. The distance created when consulting remotely makes it nearly impossible to use conversational skills, such as non-verbal cues and body language, to communicate. That’s why it is vital to actively listen. To do so effectively requires you to not talk over others and really take note of what the speaker is saying, writes Brian Laehn, senior business analyst, scrum master, and project manager at Skyline Technologies.

Create Detailed Communications Plans

To ensure adequate, clear and consistent communication, you will need to develop a detailed communications plan to follow with each of your clients. A good communications plan outlines a structure and schedule for all anticipated communications with details such as the information to be communicated, the appropriate audiences, the best way to deliver that information and when to deliver it.  

Before you can create a communications plan, you must take the time to understand the different communication styles of the group and how best to meet those needs. 

“Identifying and finding the best way to communicate with your audience will be the key to your successful implementation of your plans,” writes business strategist Richard Lannon. Also, information such as time zone differences and technological capabilities of everyone in the group are essential elements to include in the plan to ensure each receives information in a timely manner. 

The most important of the plan is to follow through on it, writes the team at ProjectConnections.com. If you don’t commit to prioritizing communication and following the plan as everyone expects you to, your productivity will suffer. Remember to update the plan regularly to accommodate changes. 

Get Comfortable With Hosting Videoconferences

The inability to gather together in the same room means you are going to have to host meetings virtually. 

While this can be done with or without video, conducting video conferences is the best way to create unity and encourage collaboration as you work through your projects remotely. That’s because video conferences mirror face-to-face interactions, allowing you to not only hear the tone and pitch of voices but also observe non-verbal cues like facial expressions and body language, writes Brad Curtright, owner of business consulting services provider, OVRdrive Solutions. 

Running productive virtual meetings isn’t as simple as signing on and starting a conversation. There is work to be done to ensure your meetings are collaborative and productive. Choosing the right software, determining the purpose of a meeting, sending out invitations with video links, encouraging participation, sharing files and taking notes are just some aspects of virtual meetings that you, as host, will need to undertake. 

Though video conferencing requires extra effort, when done correctly, the meetings can be useful for conducting brainstorming sessions and focus groups, video observations and virtual interviews and workshops. While they can’t fully replace the value of in-person meetings, it’s important to become comfortable and competent with hosting video conferences to ensure high-quality meetings, writes Deloitte’s business futures senior manager Patrick Gray.

Find Ways to Employ Soft Skills Virtually

Soft skills, such as body language analysis, empathy and trust-building tactics, are an important part of a business analyst’s ability to do their job effectively. In order to use those skills, however, consultants need to be in the room with clients. When that isn’t an option, you may need to get creative in finding ways to employ them. 

Video conferencing is going to play a big part, as it makes the conversational experience more personal and gives you access to non-verbal cues, notes business consultant Terry Rice. However, not every conversation has to be through video in order for you to use those soft skills. While you can’t judge non-verbal cues on phone calls, you can still analyze tone of voice and context clues to help you read between the lines. This will help you gain empathy for your clients’ challenges and needs. 

You can communicate that empathy and build trust with clients too, which is just as important, writes small business consultant and customer experience coach John Formica. In written communications, for example, try matching your response tone to that used in the client’s initial email.  

Remember that the more you communicate with your clients in different formats, the more opportunities you will have to use your soft skills to gain implicit insights into their expectations.

Employ Tools That Make it Easier to Operate Remotely

Working efficiently and successfully as a remote BA consultant requires the right tools. In fact, it can be more efficient than working at your client’s site if you have access to everything you need, says healthcare IT consultant Kelly Jordan. 

So what do you need? A lot of that depends on your work processes, but there are some standard tools that you don’t need when working together at a physical location that you might want to consider when operating remotely. 

Aside from the obvious hardware like a computer, headset and wifi hotspot, the other standard tools you need are a shareable calendar, a team chat app, a video-conferencing tool and a remote desktop access tool. These are the essential ones, but there are a host of others that could make you more efficient as a remote consultant. The team at workplace automation company Zapier has compiled an extensive list of recommended tools for working remotely. 

As you choose those you will employ, consider the accessibility and useability of them for clients. You will want only those tools that make it easier to work remotely, not more challenging.

Be Intentional About Being Organized

Organization is going to be a critical part of your remote consultation work. The key to staying organized is preparation, says Laurel Farrer, CEO at Distribute Consulting and founder of Remote Work Association. “Organized people are perceived as such because they are able to complete tasks quickly and easily due to adequate prior preparation.”

Anyone can get organized in order to be successful in a remote work environment: You just have to be intentional about it. Make sure you have a dedicated work space that is not your bed, for example, is important for putting you in the right frame of mind about “going to work.” Set working hours and stick to a routine. Once you have decided on the tools you will adopt, use them to stay organized and on task.

Your calendar, task list, meeting schedule and overall workflow are all aspects that require your constant attention, especially when working remotely. Figure out what works best for you and you will be able to stay organized and productive, writes Jill Duffy at PC Magazine. 

Remote BA consulting is a big shift from the traditional way of working and requires business analysts to rethink the way they work. With the right mindset, preparation and tools, you can be successful in accomplishing not only your client goals, but your own.

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However, clear communication can be a challenge when your project team is distributed. When everyone is working from home, you can no longer pop into other’s offices to clarify inconsistencies or ask questions. Nor can you call team members together for last-minute hands-on meetings to keep everyone on the same page or address unexpected issues. Not being instantly accessible to do any of these enhances the risk of miscommunication.

Avoiding that project pitfall must become a top priority for all team members in a remote team, starting with the project manager. Here are some tips for ensuring miscommunication doesn’t derail your projects when your team is working from home.

Plan Projects With Meticulous Attention to Detail

Having a detailed plan is the best defense against miscommunication issues, especially with a remote team. Because your team is distributed, the plan needs to be extremely specific in defining each person’s role and addressing which tasks need to be completed when, and how they should be done. 

“Detail is a project manager’s greatest weapon against miscommunication,” writes Helen Sabell, CEO and principal at The College For Adult Learning in Australia. The details are more critical for remote teams because when members are in different time zones and out of touch on a daily basis, real-time communication can be difficult, creating cracks in processes and imperfections in solutions when the way forward is unclear. 

An effective project plan must include a clear outline of the processes for every role and deadlines that have been agreed upon in advance of creating the plan, writes David Nevogt, cofounder of time tracking software provider Hubstaff. This helps everyone avoid misunderstandings and leaves little room for error throughout a project.

Encourage Everyone to Keep a Remote “Open Door Policy” 

Accessibility is key to avoiding miscommunication. One of the biggest communication obstacles in remote teams is distance, which creates a lack of access. If team members can’t get in touch with each other or are unsure of when to approach each other, they are more likely to misstep along the way as they make decisions without consulting others. 

Time zones can complicate accessibility, but it is still possible to create an atmosphere that encourages frequent and unrestricted communication. Everyone, especially the project manager, must be willing to be flexible with their time. “It doesn’t work if you’re not willing to take calls at 9:30 p.m. or be on conference calls at 4 a.m. — remote colleagues are,” says David Maxfield, vice president of research at leadership training company VitalSmarts.

A high level of accessibility is also important for getting remote team members comfortable communicating with each other. Distance and an inability to connect with others can make team members timid, which can lead to miscommunication through simple fear of communication. An open door policy helps the team get accustomed to each other.

Create a Sense of Community

A team that feels like a team is less likely to struggle with miscommunication issues. When team members feel a sense of belonging, communication is easier and more comfortable. Creating that team vibe can be difficult when workers are distributed because there are few to no opportunities for them to get to know each other. 

It’s up to project managers to “create a team culture that encourages as much open and informal interaction as possible,” writes Jen McKenzie at project management and collaboration software provider OrangeScrum. Some possible ideas to explore are creating a Facebook group just for your team to share non-work related stuff they can bond over; hosting virtual nights out for the team with games that everyone can play online; and virtual lunches where work talk is off the table. 

It’s not so much what you do, but that you take the time to help your team develop a sense of cohesiveness that will go a long way toward avoiding miscommunication.

Make Time for Face-to-Face Conversations

No matter how much time your team spends in team-building exercises or focusing on clear and consistent communication, nothing beats face-to-face conversations in preventing miscommunication. Written communications, such as emails and texts, which are most commonly used in remote teams, don’t allow for verbal and non-verbal cues to translate in conversations, writes Eileen O’Loughlin, senior project management analyst at Gartner Digital Markets. Tone, inflection, facial expression and body language are all crucial pieces of the conversational puzzle that get lost when people don’t talk face-to-face, she says. This leads to an increase in misunderstandings. 

Project managers can avoid this by scheduling regular video conference calls with individual team members, as well as with the team as a whole. Ideally, these calls happen weekly to keep communication as open as possible, writes Dmitrii Susloparov at The Digital Project Manager. Apart from these scheduled calls, it’s important for all team members to stay flexible and open to hopping on a video conference when the need arises. 

The more time the team puts into learning each other’s conversational styles and verbal and non-verbal cues the less likely you are to deal with miscommunication.

Develop and Follow a Detailed Communications Plan

Every project needs a communications plan. According to Project Management Institute’s Pulse of the Profession Report, poor communication is one of the primary factors in project failure. This risk of failure is enhanced for remote project teams when communication is inherently more difficult due to distance. To best avert this risk, create a detailed communication plan for the project.

Don’t wait until you have something that must be communicated to project stakeholders before you connect. That’s when miscommunication is most likely to happen as you rush to share pertinent information. Having a plan will keep you on track and ensure you are communicating frequently enough with everyone. 

The communication plan needs to take into account team member preferences, how team members will interact and what technology will be used, writes managing director at Skema Projects Evi Prokopi and Penny Pullan, Ph.D., director of Making Projects Work. This facilitates more effective communication between everyone on a team that is working remotely, helping to prevent miscommunication. 

Don’t Forget Your “Other” Stakeholders

Just as important as avoiding miscommunication with your project team is ensuring there is no miscommunication with project stakeholders. As project managers juggle the added responsibilities of managing a remote team, it’s easy to forget other stakeholders who can become “out of sight, out of mind.” 

To avoid that, project managers must make the extra effort to stay connected to all parties, which includes clients, executives and customers. The complication is that they will each have different communication needs. “What works best for us does not necessarily work best for our stakeholders. We all absorb information differently,” writes management consultant Gina Abudi, author of “Implementing Positive Organizational Change.”

To ensure proper communication with each, include them all in your communications plan. Determine how often they want or need to be updated on the project’s progress and set a schedule for communicating. It’s also critical to identify what information they need and the best ways of sharing that information with them.

Most importantly for avoiding miscommunication with them, don’t treat them like an afterthought, writes Grace Windsor at SharePoint project and portfolio management solution provider BrightWork. Be sure to include them in your communications plan from the beginning so you can keep them informed and prevent issues along the way. 

Ensure You Have the Right Tools for Communication

Having the right tools to clearly communicate throughout a project is essential, especially when managing remote teams. Both project management tools and communication tools are needed to ensure consistent and clear communication.

When it comes to managing tasks and processes, using spreadsheets and email won’t be sufficient for preventing miscommunication, writes the team at software and services company Coreworx. Automated workflows and project management software are necessary for giving everyone access to real-time project information so nothing gets missed or misinterpreted when shared.

Also, one or two communication tools won’t be enough to prevent miscommunication on a remote project team, writes Harry Hall, founder of Project Risk Coach. Project managers will need to employ a variety of different tools, including email, video conferences, newsletters and instant messaging. A mix of some or all of these will be necessary to ensure all team members and stakeholder get accurate information in a timely manner. 

Miscommunication can be the downfall of any project. That risk is higher for remote teams that must work across time and distance to share information and collaborate. By planning ahead and making concerted efforts to focus on communication, project managers are better prepared to avoid the pitfall and lead their distributed project teams to successful project deliveries. 

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Workers who never imagined they would be working from home have been thrust into the new reality of remote work. This can be especially challenging for project teams accustomed to the traditional roles and processes that govern project management. “The scope of project management gets even tougher if the work is done remotely, as remote work comes with its own set of pitfalls,” writes certified public accountant Bryce Welker, founder of Crush The CPA Exam.

The looming question on the minds of project managers as they navigate the new normal has become, “How can I still meet project goals with my team now working remotely?”

Though successfully managing projects with remote teams is challenging, it certainly isn’t impossible. Here are some tips from project managers and business analysts to help even the most experienced leaders keep projects on schedule and remote teams on task while everyone is in quarantine.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

Communication becomes exponentially more difficult when project teams and stakeholders are distributed outside of the office. Consistent, meaningful and clear communication is crucial when managing projects with remote teams.

In fact, don’t hesitate to over-communicate. “It is important to train your team to understand that when transitioning to, or working within, a remote working culture, that it is best to over-communicate - even if it feels unnecessary,” writes David Baker at PM Times. Just be conscious that team members don’t feel smothered or micromanaged to the point that it inhibits their productivity.

The most important thing to remember when working with a remote team is that when communication starts to break down, productivity will suffer. 

Use Multiple Communication Methods

While you are doing all you can to stay connected, don’t rely on one method of communication to keep team members engaged. “Work at building virtual teams that feel connected and stay connected regularly,” says Moira Alexander, founder of PMWorld 360 Magazine. Do this by using different communication methods depending on the details of a project, such as time and information sensitivities, the audience and the purpose of messages, says Alexander.  

Emails, instant messages and text messages are all available to keep remote teams connected and on task. Using only these tools may put a strain on morale as team members lose the human touch.

That’s why it’s important to use other, more humanizing forms of communication, write Heidi K. Gardner and Ivan Matviak at Harvard Business Review. Video conferences, web chats and phone calls are not only more personable ways to communicate, but they also contribute to improved decision making by facilitating debate among team members, they explain.

Conduct More Virtual Meetings

Meetings matter in managing projects. That doesn’t change just because everyone has to work from home. In fact, meetings become more important in situations where stakeholders are distributed. You may need to conduct more meetings to keep projects flowing smoothly. 

“More frequent team meetings will strengthen team cohesion and collaboration and help eliminate any frustrations that could otherwise come with team members not having close access to the project leader,” says Brad Egeland, information technology and project management consultant.

You can have productive and engaging meetings even though you can’t all physically congregate or pop into each others’ offices. Virtual meetings allow remote workers to experience the collaborative benefits of in-person meetings. With virtual meeting tools, such as Zoom and GoToMeeting, you can host real-time video conferences, stream presentations and share screens among participants. There’s very little that you can’t do in a virtual meeting that you can do in an in-person meeting, except serve coffee and snacks.

Keep in mind virtual meetings come with a similar set of challenges as in-person meetings do. Business analyst Paula Bell advises leaders to adequately prepare to conduct efficient and productive virtual meetings and to plan to expeditiously address action items.

Though it might seem like meetings get in the way of productivity, with a remote team, they are necessary to keep everyone on track and updated. 

Make Sure Roles and Goals are Clearly Defined

One of the biggest challenges that remote project managers face is keeping everyone on task. It is easy for individuals to lose sight of what they are supposed to be doing and the end goal of a project when routine is broken, workers are distributed and access to project managers is limited.

That’s why you have to make sure that individual project roles and responsibilities are clearly defined at all times with a remote team. Doing so is considered a best practice for overcoming the challenges of remote project management, writes Reinhard Wagner, managing director at Tiba Management in Munich. 

It’s also important to keep everyone’s eyes on the prize as you work toward a solution. When teams are distributed, it is easy to lose focus and veer off the path to meeting project goals. Be sure to clearly define a project’s “purpose, goals, and success factors,” writes project management professional Dick Billows, founder of project management training organization of 4PM.com.

The more specific you are in explaining roles and goals, the more the team will understand what their contributions need to be and the more effective they can be when working from home. 

Plan for Flexible Working Hours

When working remotely, you lose the ability to spontaneously collaborate. You will have to put more effort into scheduling meetings and communications when the majority of your team is available. This also means keeping an 8-5 work schedule while working from home is going to be nearly impossible, especially if your team and stakeholders are distributed across different time zones. 

To meet the needs of everyone, you will need to be willing to adapt your working hours and encourage your team to do the same. You will also need to plan ahead by documenting everyone’s location, time zone and work hours, and then noting the overlaps, writes Eileen O’Loughlin, senior project management analyst at software review site Capterra. Share the information with your team and regularly update it so everyone knows when others are available.

By staying flexible, project managers keep themselves accessible to their teams for easier collaboration.

Adopt Project Collaboration Tools

Successful remote project management hinges on adopting the right project collaboration tools. Communication, file sharing, task management and status tracking all must be efficiently managed, which can be nearly impossible with distributed teams if you aren’t using the right tools. 

Spreadsheets, emails and phone calls aren’t going to cut it when everyone is in a different location. Cloud-based tools are the solution that all project managers need to do this successfully. With cloud-based software, everyone, no matter their physical location, has access to everything they need to fulfill their project responsibilities.  

Cloud-based tools that can be accessed from any device allow everyone to collaborate in real time, facilitating more streamlined workflows and situational clarity that would otherwise be interrupted by the physical distance between workers, writes management consultant Darleen DeRosa, Ph.D.

Without the right tools, your distributed team will struggle to meet project goals. 

Focus on Making Your Team a Team

Though your team may be separated by distance, they are still a team. Project managers need to make the effort to build camaraderie among team members, which can be difficult when you can’t put everyone into a room to just chat. 

“Working remotely makes it harder to go from being just a workgroup to being a true team,” writes Chris Sims, certified scrum trainer and founder of Agile Learning Labs. To do it well, he says project managers must intentionally “create frequent real-time connections between team members.”

One way to do this is to have virtual connection sessions where team members can engage each other without a formal agenda, writes change management practitioner Natasha Brown. In such meetings, encourage everyone to share their likes and dislikes so they get to know each other and understand everyone’s different character traits. This will build unity and solidify your distributed team.

That sense of solidarity will go a long way to creating an atmosphere where everyone is supportive of each other on the path to ensuring a project’s success.

Celebrate Successes

Celebrating successes during a project is a big part of building team unity and encouraging everyone to keep working hard. When everyone is working from home, however, it can be difficult to bring them all together to celebrate small and large victories. Planning a virtual celebration requires ingenuity and creativity.

If you have the time to plan it, think of ways for your team to have the same physical experience, writes principal business systems consultant Joan Davis. Some ideas are arranging for everyone to eat a pizza or open up gifts (sent in advance) at the same time, she explains. 

If you don’t have that much time to plan ahead, make arrangements for everyone to play virtual games in a meeting. What you do or how you celebrate doesn’t matter as much as calling attention to achievements and celebrating them as a team.

Managing a remote project team is not easy, especially if it is an unintentional situation that wasn’t preplanned. It can feel like you are a little lost at sea as you try to navigate through new processes and procedures. Just remember that everyone on the team is feeling the same way. Embrace the challenge: You can achieve your project goals working remotely; it will just require a shift in the way everyone thinks and works.

Though it may have been as a result of the COVID-19 quarantine, working remotely could well become your new normal.

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Two technologies — the Internet of Things and automation — are set to deliver more innovations. These could make your job a whole lot different, and possibly even more interesting.

Internet of Things: Shaping Your Future Projects

The Internet of Things (IoT) involves connecting devices to the internet. Almost everything from refrigerators to cars to dog collars can be hooked up to send and receive information. "We forecast that there will be more than 64 billion IoT devices by 2025, up from about 10 billion in 2018, and 9 billion in 2017," writes Peter Newman, senior research analyst at Business Insider.

Some of those connected pieces could help you manage workflows efficiently.

"IoT enabled devices are slated to reduce the workload of project managers, especially where gathering and organizing data is concerned. Now, instead of spending valuable time (sometimes days and even weeks) compiling data, systems connected via the IoT will provide steady updates from devices they are supposed to keep track of," writes Sapna Hiremath at Computer Aid's Accelerating IT Success.

If you're struggling to imagine how this might work, you're not alone. It's difficult to determine how more data could make your work easier and not more complicated. Consider this example from the construction industry.

"You could be watching a construction sequence and know where all your equipment and people are, not just to do a safety analysis—to make sure they’re not working on top of each other or hurting each other or causing risks to each other—but are they working in the most productive way? It's like we're able to view into a crystal ball,” says John Jurewicz, technical optimization leader at Walbridge Construction.

The insights you'll gather from all this data could help you manage your current project — and you might use a few of those lessons to help you prepare for the next one headed your way.

How Can You Prepare for IoT?

A Gartner survey suggests that 80 percent of organizations that adopt IoT technologies are achieving results that are better than they expected. Nick Jones, vice president and analyst at research and advisory company Gartner, says these are self-defined results, so errors could creep in. But the data is tantalizing. 

To see for yourself, consider adding an IoT element to a small project, rather than jumping in with both feet on the largest piece of work you have.

"To control budgets, show value and maximise benefits, a cost-effective route is to begin with a small pilot which can be implemented to uncover the true need for digital transformation. That way, an organisation should have all the vital information to hand, in order to make a decision into exactly what is needed – and utilise IoT’s benefits to the full," writes Alex Wilkinson, chief operating officer at managed services provider Solutionize Global.

A project equipped with IoT allows every person on your team access to metrics that once remained hidden. However, they'll look to you for guidance which means it’s critical for you to learn as much as you can before the first day of work arrives.

"One of the truisms coming out of the IoT space is that project managers will be needed to direct the IoT initiatives that will inevitably come up, especially for larger companies. As such, PMs will be on the front lines and will be required to learn the ins and outs of IoT. This places them in a strong position to be advocates and specialists in the field," according to project management consultant Chris Pettigrew.

Share the insights you pick up, so your team can come up to speed quickly. And encourage your team to share with others.

"Your project team will need ongoing support from your systems, network, database, storage and IT operations functions because IoT will impact all of them. These subsets of IT often function as disciplinary silos. It will be your job as project manager to get them working cooperatively with your team as the help is needed," Mary Shacklett explains at TechRepublic.

Automation: The PM Friend You Didn't Know You Had

Automation is slightly different than IoT technology, but both involve computers to ease inefficiencies.

"At its core, automation is about solving a problem and reducing error by reliably offloading manual work done by a human to a machine. The goal is to reduce time-consuming, repetitive, and routine work, and to maximize the repeatability and predictability of results," writes Brianna Hansen at online project management platform Wrike.

When you read about automation, your brain might immediately begin thinking about job loss. If a computer can run a project as well as you can, might your position disappear? "Automation doesn’t generally eliminate jobs. Automation generally eliminates dull, tedious, and repetitive tasks. If you remove all the tasks, you remove the job. But that’s rare,” explains Hal Varian, chief economist at Google.

Instead, you might use automation to help you tackle the routine tasks that keep a project running.

"So much of project management in documenting: what’s been done, what tasks need work, and next steps. All of this documentation lets teams learn from their mistakes and improve, but ensuring all those notes get shared with the right recipients should happen automatically," says Tamara Scott at work management software provider Project Insight.

With a large enough data set (and a skilled programmer), automation could take on even more project management tasks. Artificial intelligence technology lets your computer learn from mistakes and optimize performance accordingly.

"When applied to a PM’s job, AI enables 'lights-out' project management, in which software handles the project from quoting to invoicing without the need for human interaction," explains Hélène Pielmeier, director of LSP service at market research firm CSA Research. Your company might not be ready for this level of machine management. Still, it pays to learn as much as you can about what's possible, so you'll be ready when the right opportunity comes along.

"It is never too early to prepare for the future. To get ready for automation’s advances tomorrow, executives must challenge themselves to understand the data and automation technologies on the horizon today," Michael Chui, James Manyika and Mehdi Miremadi write for McKinsey Digital.

Three Tips to Help You Prepare for Tech Changes

Both IoT and automation come with opportunities. But they both have the ability to cause disruption. A few adjustments made now could help you handle these changes like a pro.

Tip 1: Nail Down Security Concerns

With enhanced connections and computer involvement come enhanced hacking concerns. As a project manager, you won't be asked to solve those problems yourself. But you can train your staff to help out.

"People and culture are the foundation of all cybersecurity. Are there systems in place to prevent an insider attack? Training programs must be implemented to inform and educate employees on what to avoid and how to take action if an attack were to occur, whether internal or external," Chad Gray, Harshul Joshi and Aaron Schamp write for PWC.

Update your manuals to highlight security rules, and reiterate them in meetings with your teams.

Tip 2: Get Ready to Innovate

You probably have go-to problem-solving techniques. Prepare to shift them a bit as new technology enters your company.

"With advances in technology, upper management demands more, on tighter deadlines. In this environment, traditional methods of problem-solving are no longer as effective as they used to be," writes Syed Fazal, vice president of strategy and change at JPMorgan Chase.

Tap into all of the new data you're given as you investigate a solution to a problem. Use computer modeling and automation to solve it in the future. Add flex to your routines to solve pesky issues as they come up.

Tip 3: Centralize Data

It can be tempting to keep your IoT data and automation innovations in silos. That way, they won't contaminate the rest of your work. But, that isolation can make more work for your team.

"Project management software should act as a center point for teams, where work can be done across various programs, while information and project updates sync seamlessly with the project management tool. Instead of the added chore of logging in to a separate program to cross off a list or enter a billable time, project management functions should be embedded into the team member’s regular routine," writes Steve West, cofounder and CEO of work management software provider Project Insight.

Your IT teams can help you with this crucial step. And your team can give feedback on the solution you provide.

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Human-centered design is a mindset, explains innovation consultant Ben Jonash. A person, not the person's problem, sits at the center of the team's decision-making process. The result is a product that could have immense power. 

Teams using human-centered design make connections with real customers, and they stay in touch with those people throughout the process, writes transformational coach Francesca Elisia. The ties they build are strong, and the products made have the potential to impact the lives of others.

As project manager, it's your job to keep your team on track, on budget and on deadline. Here's how to maintain control at each stage of the human-centered design process.

Empathize: Where the Good Ideas Come From

How well do you know your current customers? What do you know about your future customers? Your team will answer these questions at the beginning of your project. Arguably, this is the most important part of the work, and your role as a manager is crucial.

"In the early phases of a design-thinking process, employees working on a project need to set aside their preconceptions about the product or service they are offering. Leaders can help them do this by endorsing the process, which uses information about customers to evoke empathy in employees and get them to question how their actions affect customers," write Christian Bason and Robert D. Austin at Harvard Business Review.

Discussions should steer clear of judgment, stereotyping and name-calling. Customers can be frustrating, but your team's job here is to connect with potential buyers, not fight with them.

"When organizations adopt human-centered design techniques, they create a platform for raising up families’ voices and perspectives. This platform creates an 'us with them' mentality rather than an 'us versus them' stance," according to the Global Family Research Project.

Your team may have plenty of anecdotal evidence to draw on as they determine what potential customers might like. But as a manager, you need access to data that can steer meaningful discussions.

Stefan Link, cofounder of tech and AI startup Pyoneer, recommends gathering data from customer research, sales, marketing and customer service. "This enables teams an instant view of customer problems and needs, to be equipped with required information to come up with better products that deliver real customer value," he writes.

Define: What Core Problem Should We Solve?

At the end of the empathy stage, your team has a clear picture of current and ideal customers. Now, it's time to pivot to the project. Distill all of those wants and needs into one thing you can build and sell. To make this work, you'll need data.

"People are pretty good problem solvers. I have faith in our species to solve problems, but I don't always have faith in organizations to define problems the right way," says Jaspal Sandhu, Ph.D., cofounder of the social innovation design consultancy Gobee Group.

Ensure your team has access to all of the data you gathered during the empathy stage. If the words, stats and numbers don't spark ideas, try something new.

Design thinking strategist Dana Mitroff Silvers recommends bringing videos, audio recordings and photographs to meetings. "When you allow your visitors’ voices to be heard, it is no longer about you trying to convince your institution of something; the first-hand stories speak for themselves, and are far more powerful than an abstracted report," she explains.

Examine: Brainstorm Creative Solutions

A glimmer of an idea begins to emerge, and your team is ready to spring into action. This is the moment when your job as a project manager gets a bit more complicated. You must slow down the rush to build a product with brainstorming sessions.

Brainstorming helps your team to validate ideas, and they build stronger connections as a team.

"When people brainstorm, they not only share ideas but they learn from each other, troubleshoot better, and become more tolerant. Participants tend to seek additional opportunities for sharing, as well as for personal and professional growth," says business and tech writer Moira Alexander, founder of PMWorld 360 Magazine.

Encourage your team to examine the product idea from every angle, and keep good notes your team can read as the discussion unfolds.

"Good facilitation requires good listening skills, very sharp group awareness, and the ability to help people express their ideas. The facilitator should run the whiteboard, writing down ideas as people come up with them, preventing people from interrupting each other, and giving the floor to quieter people who wouldn’t ordinarily find a way to contribute on their own," writes Scott Berkun, author of “How Design Makes the World.”

Ensure that the team feels responsible for every good idea that comes up during the discussion. Dave Thomsen, product design manager at Facebook, suggests using language like "our idea," rather than "my idea" to model this sharing behavior.

Prototyping: Testing Those Good Ideas

Your team understands your customer, has an idea for a solution, and has validated that idea through customer-centered brainstorming. It's time to build a prototype, even if you're not sure the product is 100 percent ready for sale.

"The great thing about using prototypes at such an early stage of the design process is that if our assumptions related to our personas are incorrect, we can easily tweak our designs accordingly without too much blood," writes Emily Grace Adiseshiah at prototyping tool JustInMind.

Your prototype should be a tangible piece of product your customers can test. As a project manager, you'll supervise their introduction to the model.

"Human-centered design does not use surveys but rather gives users a prototype of the new product and asks them to interact with it. The product manager watches them use things, including usability testing and funnel testing (observing how a user interacts with a multi-step application or other process, when people start giving up)," says Steve Kelman, professor of public management at Harvard University.

Watching these tests can be frustrating, and it can be tempting to argue with customers who don’t understand or agree with your vision. It's a good time to remember that empathy sits at the heart of human-centered design.

Joshua Hurtado, associate creative director at strategic creative agency Purple Rock Scissors, writes about a difficult interaction with a client that didn't agree with the company's proposed plan. The two sides came together, listened to each other and tried to understand. Then they designed and tested both versions. 

"We were wrong,” Hurtado reports. “Their navigation performed better for their end users. If we did not practice empathy, we would have strained the relationship with the client and closed ourselves off from learning something new."

Guide your teams through these difficult moments, and you could emerge with a much stronger product.

Feedback: Are We On Track?

A human-centered design project is never complete. Your clients will always have feedback to share, and your team should always respond. Invariably, some feedback will be negative. "Product creators assume that people who will use a product they created are like them. Let’s say it once again: You are not the user!" writes software developer Nick Babich.

Discuss feedback with your team, and look for ways to make improvements based on those customer concerns. If possible, seek out ways to incorporate research into the iteration process.

"Get early agreement on how research will be involved and keep track of your learnings. Try to be very clear about the value of research and persistence to make your case," says Anna Iurchenko, product and interaction designer at Google.

Support Your Team

Human-centered design projects can be invigorating for some designers and customer service pros. But your team will look to you for leadership at every phase of the project.

Consider creating a handbook that guides your team through the goal of your product. Hannah Fox, project director at Derby Museums in the UK, created a manual like this at the beginning of a human-centered design project. "It has given them something to help with the often scary process of talking to and working with visitors and communities. It gives staff a framework," she says.

Even with a manual, your team will need your time and communication skills to stay on track. Use your talks to get feedback on the process, so you can improve the next project before it begins.

Solutions consultant Sam Vaghefi recommends that you go and see: "Regularly walk around, talk to your teams, ask them what’s working and where they’re struggling. Bring those learnings back to your management meetings and share with your colleagues. Patterns that yield good outcomes should be amplified. Those that are causing problems should be remedied."

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Soft skills can protect you and your employees in times of uncertainty and can set you apart in the job search. The only challenge is that they are hard to teach. Keep reading to understand the value of these skills and why your team needs to invest in them.

What Are Soft Skills?

Before you can understand the value of soft skills and their value to business analysts, it first helps to understand exactly what it means to talk about them. 

The concept of soft skills can be confusing at first, says business psychologist Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic. He explains that a wide range of skills and traits are given the social skills label, “including personality, values, interests, competencies, and transferable skills.” However, these skills are all valuable in the workplace, no matter how you define them and how you measure their value. 

“For instance, general learning ability has been linked to higher performance in virtually all types of jobs, though its significance rises with the level of job complexity. Likewise, personality traits - such as extraversion, curiosity, and emotional stability - have been linked to job performance across all industries and occupations,” he explains. 

Soft skills are often explained alongside the concept of emotional intelligence, or the understanding of emotions and their causes. Both soft skills and emotional intelligence are needed in today’s workforce, especially in data-centric fields like business analysis.  

Soft Skills are Increasing In Demand

More companies and managers are realizing the value of soft skills, leading more employees and potential hires to develop these desirable traits. 

Heather Muir, director of marketing at Mandel Communications, addresses the importance of soft skills in an exceedingly data-centric work environment. She points to the shorter shelf-life of technical skills as a primary reason as to why soft skills matter. You can be a master of the latest tools or project frameworks, but they may be replaced with completely new systems in just a few years.

“Soft skills are evergreen,” Muir writes. “At least in the 200,000 years modern man has existed, they’ve never grown obsolete.”

The definition of soft skills is incredibly broad, which is why LinkedIn releases a list of the most in-demand soft skills each year. In 2019, those skills were:

• Creativity.

• Persuasion.

• Collaboration.

• Adaptability.

• Time management.

All can be found within the business analyst job description. BAs look for creative reasons to explain the data and try to persuade upper management of the validity of their finds. Teams constantly need to collaborate and adapt to product changes within strict deadlines.  

“In the new workforce, you are increasingly expected to work with people in different functional roles who are necessary to accomplish your goals,” Dorie Clark, strategy consultant and author of “Entrepreneurial You,” said when asked about collaboration as a soft skill. “You can’t get there by ordering them around, you have to show them that it’s in your best interest to help.”

LinkedIn isn’t the only company that looks to identify the top skills valued by employers. Tara O’Sullivan, chief marketing officer at elearning company Skillsoft, points to a Google report which noted that out of the eight most important employee skills, technical STEM expertise came dead last. Instead, the most valued skills in the company were all soft, ranging from the ability to be a good coach to having empathy toward others.

Your Team Members May Lack Key Soft Skills

Unfortunately, it is difficult to interview potential candidates regarding soft skills. It is hard for them to demonstrate how they might lead in a stressful situation or communicate with others. Some employers skip over the soft skills questions entirely.

“Many employers assume that the most practical of soft skills are standard when it comes to their employees, but this isn’t always the case,” writes Caroline Lawless at business training platform LearnUpon. “Assuming your workforce will simply know how to act in non-technical workplace situations is naive. It’s tantamount to assuming all employees have the same personalities!” 

Hiring based on technical ability is easy, but it won’t set your team up for success. If you want to hire potential leaders to reduce turnover and create a succession plan, then you need to consider soft skills and emotional intelligence. 

“If there was ever a time when the person with the most technical knowledge was given top consideration for raises and promotions, it’s long over by now,” Harvey Deutschendorf, author of “The Other Kind of Smart,” explains. “Once someone gets promoted, their chances to apply those technical skills diminish since their direct reports take over that firsthand work. Meanwhile, newly minted supervisors’ ability to collaborate with and manage their teams becomes more critical.”

The team at business and technology consulting firm West Monroe Partners found some interesting insights into the role of soft skills in the technology and IT workplace that prove their value. According to the 2018 survey:

• 67 percent of HR leaders have withheld a job offer from a technically-qualified candidate because they lacked soft skills. 

• 43 percent of employees say soft-skills-related challenges with IT negatively impacted their work.

• 39 percent of companies lack an employee with a technical background in the C-suite and HR professionals ranked leadership as the least important soft skill for IT professionals.

This speaks to the challenges that business analysts will face as they work to advance their careers while communicating with the current senior leadership. The vast majority of people in the company don’t know what they do or why it is valuable, which leaves it up to the analytically-minded team members to communicate and persuade.

Why You Should Invest in Soft Skills Development

Along with improving hiring practices to focus on soft skills, companies can invest in development strategies to help business analysts and other team members hone their emotional intelligence. 

“Soft skills development helps people thrive in their current jobs and prepare for next-level jobs,” explains Deb Calvert, president of People First Productivity Solutions. “Growing talent from inside the organization gives organizations a competitive advantage.” 

Even if the company you work for doesn’t prioritize soft skills training, you as a manager can instill these skills in your team and grow the collaboration potential within your department. 

Employees with poor soft skills can also be holding your business back, simply from the decisions they’re making. Research consultant Courtney Ackerman says employees with poor emotional intelligence can make decisions that negatively impact the company. They may be driven by emotions like anxiety when weighing options. As a result, they may choose low risk solutions rather than those that are best for the company as a whole. Someone with a higher level of emotional intelligence can identify where the professional stress ends and their personal nerves begin. 

When your staff does make smart, strategic decisions, they may not be able to win over executives and persuade them to change their minds.

“You need to get C-level staff on board,” advises data scientist Hamza Bendemra, Ph.D. “Slowly, the results you are contributing to coupled with your ability to articulate the process and value of your work, will snowball and create interest in the rest of the organisation.”

This is to say that you can come up with the best plans and the most in-depth insights only to have them ignored if you can’t present them in a clear and thoughtful manner. You need to communicate your ideas and persuade people to take action based on your findings.

Soft Skills are Challenging to Teach Others

The main reason why so few companies invest in soft skills training is that the results are hard to quantify and track. Barbara Opyt, learning solutions architect at Caveo Learning, puts it this way: “You can teach someone to fish, but you can’t teach them to enjoy fishing.” 

Essentially, while you may have entered the business analyst field because you enjoy working with data and numbers sets, you may not have entered the profession because of your love of public speaking and collaboration. However, these skills are an important part of the job, whether you want to succeed in your current position or advance into management. 

Leadership and sales coach Ali Cammelletti highlights empathy as an exceptionally difficult soft skill to teach, but one that she has seen employees work on and improve. She watched an employee develop empathy over two years through coaching and through their own personal life experiences. It took time and patience to develop, and was not an easy road, but that employee was more empathetic and understanding as a result. 

It is possible to learn soft skills, but you can’t follow the same training processes and testing that comes with hard skill instruction.   

“Contrary to what employees from previous generations may have believed, people can’t turn off their emotions when they go to work—nor should they!” Bryson Kearl writes at BambooHR. “The key for business leaders is to strip themselves of preconceived notions about what a boss is supposed to do and approach every situation with a perspective of emotional intelligence.”

Part of learning soft skills is to understand when to use emotions and what it means to tap into feelings of empathy, passion and excitement in a healthy way. 

How to Teach Soft Skills to Your Team

There are a few steps you can take to teach soft skills to your team. The first is to focus on accomplishing small achievements, completed in a safe environment. 

It’s not uncommon for employees to backslide, notes Jeremy Auger, chief strategy officer at training company D2L. And backsliding is especially common in periods of stress. Auger encourages leaders to create a sense of “psychological safety” where employees can test out their soft skills. He says that team members won’t want to risk using a new behavior if failing at it could cost them their job or a promotion.  

Employers can create a feedback loop, so employees can work on their soft skills in small-scale situations and get feedback from peers and management, writes Jon Axworthy at Raconteur. He uses the example of an employee who wants to improve their public speaking taking the lead in daily meetings and presenting lunch-and-learns to other departments. These are low-risk instances that still provide value to that employee. Plus, this creates opportunities for managers to support their teams and help them grow.

As a leader, you can’t launch a soft skills initiative and expect your team members to grow their emotional intelligence overnight. Soft skills training needs to be individualized and safe, and everyone needs to be committed to improvement. Only with dedication and time can business analysts learn soft skills and use them to thrive.

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