RSSAuthor Archive for JB

Jonathan Babcock is a business analyst who thoroughly enjoys what he does. Practical Analyst is his outlet for sharing what he's learned, and for interacting with like-minded folks. To keep up with the latest on Practical Analyst, you can subscribe to the RSS feed, follow Jonathan on Twitter, or view his profile on Linked In.

Quoteworthy: George Orwell on “Scrupulous Writing”

“A scrupulous writer, in every sentence that he writes, will ask himself at least four questions, thus: 1. What am I trying to say? 2. What words will express it? 3. What image or idiom will make it clearer? 4. Is this image fresh enough to have an effect?”
Politics and the English Language, 1946
— George Orwell

Leadership Through Communication

Leadership Through Communication

A great portion of our efforts to hone our craft revolve around becoming better communicators, or finding that set of symbols that is most conducive to reaching that critical shared understanding for a particular work effort.

Quoteworthy: Dave West – Agility is Responsiveness to Change

There isn’t just one agile: “Agile” is really the ability to respond to change in the most effective way, considering the restraints of the environment in which you’re working.
- Dave West

On Schedule, As Designed and the Stakeholders are Thrilled!

On Schedule, As Designed and the Stakeholders are Thrilled!

Stakeholder reactions to the newest Babcock family project implementation.

Link Share – February 11, 2010

This is a test post of a shared item autopost from my reader.

Give 'em Pictures!

Give ‘em Pictures!

One of the surest ways to ensure project success is to get “pictures” in front of the users/stakeholders as early in the process as possible.

Quoteworthy: John D. Rockefeller Jr.

The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well.
- John D. Rockefeller

Quoteworthy: Blaine Lee

Before you attempt to set things right, make sure you see things right.
- Blaine Lee

Quotable: Arnold Toynbee

Apathy can be overcome by enthusiasm, and enthusiasm can be aroused by two things: first, an idea which takes the imagination by storm; and second, a definite, intelligible plan for carrying that idea into action.
- Arnold Toynbee

Quoteworthy: The bitterness of poor quality

The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of meeting the schedule has been forgotten.
– Anonymous

Quoteworthy: Karl Popper

It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood.
- Karl Popper

Quoteworthy: Kulak & Guinney

An appropriate and complete requirements specification does nothing to ensure a successful implementation; however, it makes it possible.
- Kulak & Guinney

Quoteworthy: Joseph Joubert

Words, like eyeglasses, blur everything that they do not make more clear.
- Joseph Joubert

"Cascade": Q&A with David Wright

“Cascade”: Q&A with David Wright

Cascade: Better practices for effective delivery of information systems in a multi-project environment.

The Business Analyst Balancing Act

The Business Analyst Balancing Act

BA’s must balance the risk of missing requirements against that of paralyzing the project until “everything” is known.

Quotable: Whitney Young

It’s better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared.
- Whitney Young

Time Travel for Context-free Use Cases

Time Travel for Context-free Use Cases

Yes, sometimes we BA’s need to think of creative ways to help us withhold the technology and implementation detail from our requirements.

Bookmarks & New Favorites (09-38)

Bookmarks & New Favorites (09-38)

a few of the articles I found “bookmark-worthy” over the past week.

Quoteworthy: Jim Brosseau

There will never be “the right approach” for all projects. Software projects come in too many shapes and sizes. There are too many cultures, and just too many reasons for developing software, even within individual organizations. There is no Holy Grail, but many approaches can be “a reasonable approach,” depending on the situation.
- Jim Brosseau [...]

Classic Business Analysis Articles

Classic Business Analysis Articles

I was sorting through some of my bookmarks and articles I’ve accumulated over time via the Web, and found that there are a few articles that I seem to refer back to time and again.

Quoteworthy: Alistair Cockburn

Agile …  is an attitude, not a technique with boundaries. An attitude has no boundaries, so we wouldn’t ask “can I use agile here”, but rather “how would I act in the agile way here?” or “how agile can we be, here?”
- Alistair Cockburn

Quotable: Herbert Kaufman

Failure is only postponed success as long as courage ‘coaches’ ambition. The habit of persistence is the habit of victory.
- Herbert Kaufman

Quoteworthy: H.L. Mencken on Simple Solutions to Complex Problems

For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong.
- H.L. Mencken

Quoteworthy: Leadership

A good leader inspires others with confidence in him; a great leader inspires them with confidence in themselves.
- Unknown

Quoteworthy: Douglas Adams

I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.
- Douglas Adams

Quoteworthy: Margaret Fuller

If you have knowledge, let others light their candles at it.
- Margaret Fuller