1 The BA as a Leader This event is sponsored by: Presented by Dr. Dirk le Roux 25 June 2009

Program Welcome:Matthew Barnard Topic Intro:Mohamed Bray Presentation:Dr. Dirk le Roux Thanks:Mohamed Bray Refreshments:Everybody 2

3 The Business Analyst as Leader Dirk le Roux Media24: CIO

Primary Source: 4

Agenda  Introduction  Typical BA role  Leadership situation for the BA  What is leadership?  Leadership fundamentals  Situational leadership  Roadmap towards becoming a leader 5

6 Are Business Analysts required to be Leaders?

Leadership situations for the BA  Re-engineering of a business model or business processes  Obtaining business requirements or business rules across business units  Sharing and relating business requirements to a multi-disciplinary group of team members  Unpacking the change implications of a new set of business processes 7

What is Leadership?  Leadership occurs whenever one person attempts to influence the behavior of an individual or group, regardless of the reason. 8

Three competencies of leadership  Leading or influencing requires three general skills, or competencies:  Diagnosing – understanding the situation you are trying to influence;  Adapting – altering your behavior and the other resources you have available to meet the contingencies of the situation; and  Communicating – interacting with others in a way that people can easily understand and accept. 9

Situational leadership in context  The concept is based on an interplay among 1) the amount of guidance and direction (task behavior) a leader gives; 2) the amount of socio-emotional support (relationship behavior) a leader provides; and 3) the performance readiness level that followers exhibit in performing a specific task, function or objective.  For the purpose of Situational Leadership® the terms leader and follower should be understood as relative terms. That is, in any given situation the leader is the individual trying to influence the behavior of others and is not necessarily the highest-ranking individual involved in the exchange. 10

Situational leadership  Use different leadership styles depending on the situation.  The model allows you to analyze the needs of the situation you're in, and then use the most appropriate leadership style 11

Leadership Behavior of the Leader [1 of 4]  S1 - Telling / Directing - High task focus, low relationship focus - leaders define the roles and tasks of the 'follower', and supervise them closely.  Decisions are made by the leader and announced, so communication is largely one- way.  For people who lack competence but are enthusiastic and committed. They need direction and supervision to get them started. 12

Leadership Behavior of the Leader [2 of 4]  S2 - Selling / Coaching - High task focus, high relationship focus - leaders still define roles and tasks, but seeks ideas and suggestions from the follower.  Decisions remain the leader's prerogative, but communication is much more two-way.  For people who have some competence but lack commitment. They need direction and supervision because they are still relatively inexperienced. They also need support and praise to build their self- esteem, and involvement in decision- making to restore their commitment. 13

Leadership Behavior of the Leader [3 of 4]  S3 - Participating / Supporting - Low task focus, high relationship focus - leaders pass day-to-day decisions, such as task allocation and processes, to the follower.  The leader facilitates and takes part in decisions, but control is with the follower.  For people who have competence, but lack confidence or motivation. They do not need much direction because of their skills, but support is necessary to bolster their confidence and motivation. 14

Leadership Behavior of the Leader [4 of 4]  S4 - Delegating - Low task focus, low relationship focus - leaders are still involved in decisions and problem-solving, but control is with the follower.  The follower decides when and how the leader will be involved.  For people who have both competence and commitment. They are able and willing to work on a project by themselves with little supervision or support. 15

Followers  Blanchard and Hersey said that the Leadership Style (S1 - S4) of the leader must correspond to the Development level (D1 - D4) of the follower - and it's the leader who adapts.  By adopting the right style to suit the follower's development level, work gets done, relationships are built up, and most importantly, the follower's development level will rise to D4, to everyone's benefit. 16

Development Level of the Follower [1 of 4]  D1 - Low Competence, High Commitment - Generally lacking the specific skills required for the job in hand, but has the confidence and / or motivation to tackle it. 17

Development Level of the Follower [2 of 4]  D2 - Some Competence, Low Commitment - May have some relevant skills, but won't be able to do the job without help. The task or the situation may be new to them. 18

Development Level of the Follower [3 of 4]  D3 - High Competence, Variable Commitment - Experienced and capable, but may lack the confidence to go it alone, or the motivation to do it well / quickly. 19

Development Level of the Follower [4 of 4]  D4 - High Competence, High Commitment - Experienced at the job, and comfortable with their own ability to do it well. May even be more skilled than the leader. 20

21 By combining the two models you can adapt your leadership style according to the development level of the individual/ team

Conclusion  Leadership is essentially about influencing people  BAs often do not see themselves necessarily as leaders  There are many situations in the PLC where the BA must act as a leader  The situational leadership model of Hersey and Blanchard can help you become an effective leader  What are you going to do to become a more effective leader? 22

Roadmap for “BA as Leader” 23 Recognise the need to be a leader Familiarise with situational leadership model Develop soft skills – facilitation, influencing etc Practice leadership model and the skills ACT AS A LEADER Deliver against project objectives

24 Comments? Questions?

Values, e.g. 25 Autonomy: Allowing others the freedom to make their own decisions Confidentiality: Respecting privacy of information Equality: Treating all people the same Finality: Accepting final responsibility for our decisions. Justice: Striving for fairness Nonmaleficence: Avoiding harming people Tolerance: Acceptance of viewpoints different to our own Respect: Treating others as worthy in their own right, not just a means to an end Veracity: Telling the truth

Morality 26 Morality: Is the rules and guidelines, which an individual or a group has about what is right or wrong, good or evil. Typically gets its authority from something outside the individual (e.g. Religion, Culture, Constitution) Does vary by country, society, group, person

Questions? 27