Many people struggle with communication skills. This is because it is not always easy to make sure you are getting the right message across. In this article we are focusing on improving the business analyst communication in a professional work environment.
We are always communicating something about ourselves
The first thing to realize is that whenever we are talking to someone, even if we are not talking about ourselves, whatever we are saying is always communicating something about ourselves to that person.
Your communication is not limited to oral communication, but especially in today’s virtual world, it includes your emails, your chats, your virtual meetings, it also includes your body language.
You are always communicating something about yourself even if you’re not talking about yourself.
Even if you are talking about a project, or a deadline, or a meeting you are still communicating something about yourself because there is something that people will glean from you and about you, when they communicate with you.
They walk away with an impression of you no matter what you were talking about and so its very important to have great business analyst communication skills so that they walk away with the right impression all the time – or as much as possible!
Business Analyst Communication Skills: Direct and Indirect
Direct communication is what you actually say.
Indirect communication is the feeling people walk away with after they communicate with you -which is often what people remember most!
When you communicate at work, the indirect and subconscious communication can be more lasting than you think. Having a good business analyst communication skill is to make sure that the direct and indirect communication is a positive one.
The 3 things you always communicate at work
Regardless of what you are discussing, there are three take-aways people will have when they interact with you at work.
These are the three things you are always communicating at work:
- I am competent
- I do not have what I need to be competent
- I am not competent
You always want to give the impression that you are competent and if you can’t do that, then you should at least communicate that you need something to be competent so those are the two things that’s okay to communicate. You don’t want to communicate that you are incompetent -you want to avoid that at all cost.
Simple hacks to improve your business analyst communication skills
- Employ good email etiquette. Always start email with a salutation – this helps to portray you as respectful and polite. Don’t rush into the response of the email without first saying” Good morning”, “Good Afternoon” or “Hi” etc… This also applies to chats and instant messages.
- Always include the question you are answering. Include the question you are responding to in the body of your email. This helps orient your reader and they do not have to scroll through the thread to figure out what your response is about.
- Use the passive voice. Make sure your speech is not too accusatory. Whether it’s email or in person, you have to be mindful of your tone. In general, try to be accurate without laying blame. Do this by using the passive voice in your emails and speech. Don’t send angry emails and don’t have angry outbursts at work!
- Pay attention. One of the simplest ways to communicate competence is to give undivided attention. So put your phone down, close your laptop look up and pay attention!
- Write and speak clearly. As a business analyst one of the main ways we communicate is through our requirements and other documents and by giving presentations. Writing clear, unambiguous, simple documents is huge for improving our communication skills. So too is speaking clearly, using simple terms that your audience can understand.
- Know your communication weakness – and mitigate against it! This is just being honest with yourself and working out how you can improve your communication around your weak areas.
For example: I have a weird habit of trailing off at the end of my sentences, so when I’m presenting at work I make a conscious effort to elevate my pitch a little bit at the end. I have another friend who struggles with dry mouth when she is presenting – so she always has a bottle of water with her. Its all about knowing what your weaknesses are and finding ways around them.
Conclusion
So those are my tips for improving your business analyst communication skills! Please check out my article on business analyst documentation skills as that will be helpful as well.
Also check me out on these other social media sites:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/karaleise/videos
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karaleise
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2458571397498087
