New Year's Resolution - A Blog Series
Part 13: Oh No What We Gonna Do?
By Retta Witter, Senior Consultant, J. Geiger Consulting, Inc.
The last twelve weeks you have been hearing about me becoming a 1000 miler. I am close to my first mini goal of doing the 15.6 miles that are the Lake Eleven segment. When my hiking group touched base, we learned that one in the group can’t make it up to our location until very late at night. He is taking a test to get a new belt in the martial arts he practices. I am very excited for him. I am a 1st degree black belt in Karate and understand the dedication and commitment it takes. With him getting there late we determined it was best for us not to do 10 miles in one day, especially one that is very hilly and rugged, which is the Lake Eleven segment.
Having to adjust on a project is also common, things don’t always go according to the first plan. You are always learning more about the project as you go through the discovery phase. One thing to remember is to always try and stay positive and be willing to be open with the new information you have gathered. I am a planner and at times this can be very challenging for me. I can execute to the plan but last-minute changes to the plan can be challenging for many.
Stay positive, be real and realize others are looking at how you react. This is where you step up and be a leader. Not everyone will adjust to changes well and change is stressful. Do what you can to reduce the stress!
“Be clear about your goal but be flexible about the process of achieving it.”
I have two recommendations to help you through unexpected changes:
In Data Data Everywhere I talked about the four elements in a decision document. In decision documents you will have outlined alternatives. Look at your previous documents, because things/teams change, keeping the reason why you made a specific decision is very important. The information in the original decisions may need to be addressed and assumptions are now changed. You now have more information and based on the reason you have for the change, you may be able to expand on the alternatives available or one of the alternative solutions now fits the bill. You may have had two alternatives but is there a hybrid you can look to expand on? Is a once declined alternative now the correct solution?
Chapter 9 of the BABOK talks about underlying core competencies. In it we learn about the importance of communication (Verbal and non-verbal), analytical thinking, creative thinking, interaction skills including leadership and teamwork. When things get tough it’s always good to make sure you are focused on the fundamentals of your job. Chapter 9 is applicable to all people on the project, no matter the title or seniority. Take a breath, take a step back to look at the bigger picture but remember that you eat an elephant one bite at a time.
This weekend is my trip, and the weather looks amazing for where we are going to be hiking. I am super excited to apply all the things I learned and tried.
Next week I will do a recap of how this process has changed me as a business analyst in Back to Basics.