Reading the last page of the book which has been lying on the table besides the bed for months is most fulfilling. I recently completed reading Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. In this book Gladwell explores the reason why some people are so accomplished, so extraordinarily and more successful than others. Gladwell argues that some people are successful not because just because they are really smart, but success is a function of culture and community and family and generation the person belongs.
The book is a very good read and highly recommended. As you read through the book few things stick with you for example the 10000 hour rule, the trouble with geniuses, the Chris Lagan Story and the facts about airplane crashes. But this one caught my attention the most, for a job to be satisfying, Gladwell says, it should have 3 qualities: Autonomy, Complexity and Connection between effort and reward. This is how he describes:
Those three things--autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward--are, most people agree, the three qualities that work has to have if it is to be satisfying.
Isn't this true? No matter how well you are paid you can never continue and be
satisfied with a job which is monotonous, non challenging under an autocratic(let’s say non-democratic) management. This I like best about Business Analysis and being a Business Analyst.
Autonomy : Throughout the project lifecycle, process and requirements management is a highly autonomous job. Not to sound boastful but I have realized that I am never under pressure from managers or clients during the lifecycle (off course I make sure not screw up things) nobody interferes during the process or questions your approach, in fact there is less or no interference from the delivery teams during this period. All that I have to make sure that all stakeholders are well communicate and there expectation well mapped. It is indeed an autonomous task.
Complexity: Well do I need to explain this point? We analyze the complex Business processes, liaison between various Business Units, work hard with the IT teams to make sure that the solution is made right, negotiate requirements, help PMs in estimations...and what not and as Jeff Martin wrote in his post We help the companies change .. Isn't it complex?
Connection between effort and reward: Organizations have realized that experienced BAs are their most valuable resources. Their ability to communicate, facilitate and analyze makes them indispensable. Today companies need people who understand both business and technology well and BAs get amble exposure to both ...and yes they are one of the best paid professionals currently in market.
I like my job. I am working with for an IT outsourcing company and have experienced this in my projects and with the pressure on optimization and cost I feel the BAs still enjoy more freedom then other roles in a project. Personally the most satisfying experience is the day when my role gets over, the requirement documents are signed off after a good review with stakeholders, when business user shows confidence in you because finally someone from IT understands their process, pains and needs, or when the sprint gets over and the stakeholders are satisfied after sprint review. Or simple things like when the developers are confident about the requirement they are to write code for and the QA folks are clear about the testing scenarios or the PM is sure about the scope, effort and estimate. These things indeed make my job very satisfying and finally I am able to enjoy the inflight entertainment system on my flight back home.
