Presented for the IIBA Dallas chapter, August 2015.

1. © EXPRESSWORKS
Facilitation Skills
for Business Analysis v3:
Six Success Factors
Presented for the
International Institute of Business Analysis
Dallas Chapter
Rick Walters
August 20, 2015

2. © EXPRESSWORKS
Encompassing the Full Scope of the
BusinessAnalysis Discipline
Version 2 Scope Version 3 Scope
IT Projects IT Projects
Agile (limited coverage) Agile (full coverage)
Business Process Management
Business Architecture
Business Intelligence
• Industry is demanding:
– Process improvement skills
– Strategic thinking and alignment to business goals
– Integration with agile software development methods
– Greater focus on change management
BABOK® Guide v3: The Essential Standard for Business Analysis

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Manifesto for Agile Software Development
Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
Working software over comprehensive documentation
Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
Responding to change over following a plan
That is, while there is value in the items on
the right, we value the items on the left more.
© 2001, the above authors
this declaration may be freely copied in any form,
but only in its entirety through this notice.
Learn – Adapt Control
People Artifacts

4. BA as Facilitator for
Stakeholder
Collaboration
01
Topics
BABOK v3
Knowledge Areas and
Facilitation Design
02
Facilitation Skills and
Techniques03
© EXPRESSWORKS

5. © EXPRESSWORKS
BA as Facilitator for
Stakeholder Collaboration
IIBA Core Purpose
Underlying Competency - Facilitation
Definition of Facilitator
Six Success Factors

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Core Purpose
“To unite a community of
professionals to create better
business outcomes”

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BABOK
®
Guide
Pages 2-3
What is Business Analysis?
• Business analysis is the
practice of enabling change
in an enterprise by defining
needs and recommending
solutions that deliver value to
stakeholders.
Facilitating
Stakeholder
Collaboration

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Underlying Competencies
Interaction Skills, FacilitationBABOK V3 page 207
Purpose
• Business analysts facilitate interactions between stakeholders in order to help
them make a decision, solve a problem, exchange ideas and information, or
reach an agreement regarding the priority and the nature of requirements.
The business analyst may also facilitate interactions between stakeholders
for the purposes of negotiation and conflict resolution (as discussed in
Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (p. 210)).
Definition
• Facilitation is the skill of moderating discussions within a group in order to
enable all participants to effectively articulate their views on a topic under
discussion, and to ensure that participants in the discussion are able to
recognize and appreciate the differing points of view that are articulated.

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Working definition . . . facilitator
[Preparation and During]
• A facilitator is someone who uses knowledge of group processes
to formulate and deliver the needed structure for meeting
interactions to be effective.
[During]
• The facilitator focuses on effective processes (meeting dynamics)
allowing the participants to focus on the content or the
substance of their work together.
Basic Facilitation Skills Primer, 2002
http://www.iaf-world.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3387

10. In its loosest definition, a facilitator is:
Any person who jumps up during a meeting
and starts writing key points on a
chalkboard as they are being discussed.
Or someone who puts up
a hand and suggests that
the participants focus on
a single problem.
Or even a participant who
suggests that they find out a
little about each other, or
agree on how they're going to
make decisions.
Basic Facilitation Skills Primer, 2002
http://www.iaf-world.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3387 11

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Success Factors
Objectives: Define the tangible and intangible
outcomes
Preparation: Design the before, during and after
activities
Business Context: Align the team by confirming
direction and boundaries
Meeting Context: Establish collaborative
guidelines and decision making processes
Facilitation: Elicit dialogue and focus on the
journey, check in and adjust agenda as needed
Build Momentum: Recognize accomplishments,
Identify areas of focus for future interactions
Preparation
Context
Facilitation
Follow-up

12. BA as Facilitator for
Stakeholder
Collaboration
01
Topics
BABOK v3
Knowledge Areas and
Facilitation Design
02
Facilitation Skills and
Techniques03
© EXPRESSWORKS

13. © EXPRESSWORKS
BABOK v3 Knowledge Areas
and Facilitation Design
Tasks
Techniques
Examples

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Revised Knowledge Area Structure
Facilitation Opportunities
BABOK® Guide v3: The Essential Standard for Business Analysis
Plan Business Analysis Governance
Prioritize RequirementsConduct / Confirm Elicitation
Current / Future State
Assess Enterprise Limitations
Verify / Validate Requirements

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TechniquestoTaskMapping
472
10.50.
Workshops
1.Plan Business
Analysis Approach
2.Plan
Stakeholder
Engagement
3.Plan Business
Analysis
Governance
4.Plan Business
Analysis
Information
Management
5.Identify
Business Analysis
Performance
Improvements
2.Conduct
Elicitation
3.Confirm
Elicitation
Results
4.Communicate
Business Analysis
Information
3.Prioritize
Requirement
s
4.Assess
Requirements
Changes
5.Approve
Requirements
1.Analyze
Current State
2.Define Future
State
3. Assess Risks
4.Define Change
Strategy
4.Define
Requirements
Architecture
5.Define Design
Options
6.Analyze Potential
Value and
Recommend
Solution
8.4. Assess
Enterprise
Limitations
10. Techniques 3. Business Analysis
Planning
and Monitoring
4. Elicitation and
Collaboration
5. Requirements
Life Cycle
Management
6. Strategy Analysis 7. Requirements
Analysis and Design
Definition
8. Solution
Evaluation
BABOK® Guide v3: The Essential Standard for Business Analysis
10.37. Reviews 2.Plan
Stakeholder
Engagement
3.Plan Business
Analysis
Governance
3.5. Identify
Business Analysis
Performance
Improvements
3.Confirm
Elicitation Results
4.Communicate
Business Analysis
Information
5.5. Approve
Requirements
2.Verify
Requirements
3.Validate
Requirements
Two Powerful Facilitation Techniques
Agile pulls these
togetherin to iterations
StrategyAnalysis

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Knowledge Area
Strategy Analysis - Example
Tasks
• Current State
• Future State
• Assess Risks
• Define Change
Strategy
External / Market
Past Present Future
Internal / Company / org
- Prod/Svc:What
were/are we doing
- Structure: How
organized, going
about it?
- Capabilities: Skills,
tools
BABOK® Guide v3: The Essential Standard for Business Analysis. Page 99
Needs: Gaps, Opportunities
Risks
Enterprise Limitations

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Preparation
Objectives and Participants
Objectives
• Focus Question: How do we
best focus our skills and energy
during the evolution and
transition of our services
function for the corporation?
• Review recent organization
changes
• Determine next steps
– Maintain
– Change
– New effort
– Redirect effort
Participants
• Team Leader
• Architecture Lead
• Services Lead
• Operations Lead
• MarCom Support Lead
Representthe
perspectives needed fora
quality decision
Have the information,
knowledge
Will execute, must own or
have authority for
decisions

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Preparation
Design: Before, During, After
Business Context
Meeting Context
Setting the stage has a very large impact on how effective the session can be!
Event Title Services Group Planning Session
Date: April
Location Conference Facility
Start Time
Time
Allocated
Topic Topic Leader Expected Outcome / Deliverable Process / Content
8:00 AM
10
Welcome,
Introductions
Facilitator or
Team Leader
> Learn expectations of each
participant
8:10 AM
10
Sponsor Kick-off Team Leader > Understand context, vision,
direction and any boundary
conditions
> Leader's expectation for the
workshop and participation
> Review organizational objectives
> Where we are in the planning
process: Call to action - what is our
role going forward
> General approach to the session
and next steps after the session
8:20 AM
10
Review Agenda Facilitator > Discuss how the workshop is
designed to meet the objectives
and expectations
> Update if needed
> Describe the objectives and
design/flow of the workshop and
meeting guidlines enable the
outcome
> Incorporate touchpoints to stated
exepctations
> Include how the preparation feeds
in, what will be done during the
session and what is planned as
follow-up (some exepcations may
be met later)

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Meeting Guidelines - Examples
Can vary with the purpose of the meeting
• Visioning, Brainstorming
– Open mind, build on ideas
• Business Process Analysis
– Focus on the process
characteristics, not the
person
• Daily Stand-up
– No problem solving
• Focus Groups
– Define expectations for
confidentiality
General
• Active listening, ask
clarifying questions, seek to
understand
• Balanced participation
• Use parking lot and process
checks
• Express views during the
meeting

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Decision Making Models
Command
– Single decisionmaker. Has the
information and experience to
make the decision
Collaborative
– Single decisionmaker. Gathers
input from others.
1. Consult with others
independently
2. Engage others as a group
Consensus
– All agree.
Establish as BA
Governance and context
for working sessions.

21. Agile is about having a flexible mindset, embodied
in a set of values and principles and exhibited by a
variety of complementary practices. Agile initiatives
involve constant change.
BABOK®Guide v3:
The Essential Standard for Business Analysis. Page 368
The Agile Perspective

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Agile – Continuous interactions
and cycle of (many) engagements!
April July October
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 1 2 3
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 6 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
19 20 21 22 23 24 25
Job Rel
0.8 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 13 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
26 27 28 29 30 7 26 27 28 29 30 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
May August November
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S Srch Rel 1.5 S M T W T F S
1 2 1 14 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
2 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 22 23 24 25 26 27 28
24 25 26 27 28 29 30 9 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 29 30
31 30 31
June September December
S M T W T F S S M T W T F S S M T W T F S
3 1 2 3 4 5 6 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 10 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
4 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Job Rel
1.0 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
21 22 23 24 25 26 27 11 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 20 21 22 23 24 25 26
28 29 30 27 28 29 30 27 28 29 30 31
Leadership Meetings
ProjectTeam meetings
6 ProductBacklog Review/Update Sessions
14 Sprints
x Sprint Planning Sessions
x Sprint Review Sessions
x Sprint Retrospectives
x 3 ProductRelease Engagements
General info sharing and demos
UAT, Training, Deployment
Sprint and Release Calendar
Product Owner
Leadership Team
User Community
(200)
User Community Representatives (12)
Stakeholders
Sponsor
Champion
An Agile glossary, ScrumAlliance.org ~1000 Moments of Truth

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Meeting management will be
a lot of work early and should
ease up with experience and
trust.
Engagement Management
• List and outline engagement
event plans
– Agenda (Topics, Timing)
– Participants
– Objectives, Design (Process)
– Tools
Manage the experience
• Be ready
• Be set up
• Be able to put attention on
audience

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Success Factors
Objectives: Define the tangible and intangible
outcomes
Preparation: Design the before, during and after
activities
Business Context: Align the team by confirming
direction and boundaries
Meeting Context: Establish collaborative
guidelines and decision making processes
Facilitation: Elicit dialogue and focus on the
journey, check in and adjust agenda as needed
Build Momentum: Recognize accomplishments,
Identify areas of focus for future interactions
Preparation
Context
Facilitation
Follow-up

25. BA as Facilitator for
Stakeholder
Collaboration
01
Topics
BABOK v3
Knowledge Areas and
Facilitation Design
02
Facilitation Skills and
Techniques03
© EXPRESSWORKS

26. © EXPRESSWORKS
Facilitation Skills and Techniques
Workshop Planning Tool
Skill Building Opportunities
Key Facilitation Learning Topics
Summary

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Preparation: Design
• Work with the sponsor/team leader to develop the agenda,
objectives, meeting design and determine roles and responsibilities
• Engage participants ahead of the session to better prepare them
to make the most of the time together
• Not all can be accomplished in any one workshop, think through
and gain agreement on what is done before, during and after
Event Title Services Group Planning Session
Date: April
Location Conference Facility
Start Time
Time
Allocated
Topic Topic Leader Expected Outcome / Deliverable Process / Content Preparation
8:00 AM
10
Welcome,
Introductions
Facilitator or
Team Leader
> Learn expectations of each
participant
8:10 AM
10
Sponsor Kick-off Team Leader > Understand context, vision,
direction and any boundary
conditions
> Leader's expectation for the
workshop and participation
> Review organizational objectives
> Where we are in the planning
process: Call to action - what is our
role going forward
> General approach to the session
and next steps after the session
> Materials on organization objectives
(mission, vision, goals, etc.)
> Planning timeline

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Knowledge and Skill Builders
• Basic team leader and member skills classes
• Basic communications skills classes
• Train-the-Trainer certifications
• Facilitation methods and skills
• Consulting Skills classes
Skills Training
• BPM and Reengineering
• SLC methodologies (Object Engineering, Agile, DSDM, etc.)
• Organization design, self-directed teams design, design for
empowerment
• Participatory strategic planning frameworks and methods
• Project management
• Customer focus theories and methods
• Organization change management theory, processes and tools
Methodologies
(Books and
training)
Observation of other instructors and workshop leaders

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Look for these learning topics
• Basic team leader and
member skills
• Basic communications
skills
• Presentation skills
• Train-the-Trainer
certifications
• Facilitation methods
and skills
• Consulting Skills
• Team and group dynamics
– Charter, mission
– Guidelines, values
– Roles and responsibilities
• Basic communications skills classes
– Communication styles
– Active listening
– Giving feedback
• Group processes
– Problem Solving
– DecisionMaking
• Presentation skills
– Public speaking
– Video feedback
– Presentation aids: flip chart, overhead
• Collaborative processes
Courses Learning Topics

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Success Factors
Objectives: Define the tangible and intangible
outcomes
Preparation: Design the before, during and after
activities
Business Context: Align the team by confirming
direction and boundaries
Meeting Context: Establish collaborative
guidelines and decision making processes
Facilitation: Elicit dialogue and focus on the
journey, check in and adjust agenda as needed
Build Momentum: Recognize accomplishments,
Identify areas of focus for future interactions
Preparation
Context
Facilitation
Follow-up

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Insights, Questions . . .
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

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Reference

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Certification Options
• InternationalAssociation of Facilitators
IAF Certified™ Professional Facilitator
 The IAF Certified™ ProfessionalFacilitator (CPF) is the professionaldesignationfor IAF
members who demonstrate having Core Facilitator Competencies. The Core Competencies
representa fundamental set of skills, knowledge,and behaviors that supporteffective
facilitation in a wide variety of contexts.
• INIFAC - International Institute for Facilitation
Certified Master Facilitator
 The certificationprocess assesses youagainst a rigorous set of competencies.These
competencies were developedbased on input from over 450 facilitators and clients.The result,
a certification with the distinction of quality, integrity, talent and service,is one which facilitators
can aspire to and on which clients can depend.
www.inifac.org
www.iaf-world.org

34. © EXPRESSWORKS
We’re a consulting firm focused on leading
companies through changes, however targeted or
sweeping they may be. We enable our people,
and in turn our clients, to be drivers of change –
change that makes businesses more competitive
and more profitable. Since 1984, we’ve worked
with major companies around the globe to
understand their unique challenges, remove
complexity and deliver meaningful, measurable,
sustainable change.
CHANGE EXPERTISE
• Operational & Process Improvement
• Mergers, Acquisitions & Reorganizations
• Health, Safety & Environmental Programs
• IT Strategy & Implementation
• SharePoint Adoption
• Learning Solutions
San Ramon, California
(925) 244-0900,
2010 Crow Canyon Place, Suite 260
San Ramon, California 94583
Houston, Texas (855) 577-0900 x809
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connect@expressworks.com
www.linkedin.com/in/rgwalters