The Importance of Innovative Thinking in Business Analysis

While it is tempting to believe that our function as Business Analysts is exclusively driven by procedure – and, to be fair, processes are an important part of our profession – there is a significant amount of creativity and invention involved in what we do. We provide firms with new and innovative ideas for processes and products, answers to difficulties they are facing, and creative ways to optimise their business. 

Being creative may appear contrary to an analyst’s organised approach to daily duties, yet this is far from the truth. Creativity is necessary in many aspects of our lives. Although a deterministic approach is linked with analysis and conclusions are reached after thorough investigation, there is still plenty of room for creativity. So, let’s look at why creativity and innovation are so important in our roles. To learn more, check out our business analysis online courses.

1.Thinking Outside The Box

To develop new and unique solutions for the businesses we work with, we must be creative and think outside of the box. To assist organisations in improving, optimising, and growing, we must devise (and propose) novel solutions. While we have fantastic methodologies to follow, such as Scrum and Kanban, it is vital that we also be creative in how we propose getting to the end result. To effect transformation, creative thought processes and problem-solving skills must be used and promoted.

2.Idea Generation and Inspiration

To be most effective in our search of the ultimate answer, we must be open to new ideas from unexpected places. Sure, we can draw inspiration from earlier projects, whether they’re similar to or unlike the present one, but gathering knowledge and ideas from unexpected places will assist bring new perspectives that you might not have considered otherwise. You and your team can try creative exercises to generate new ideas and get inspired. 

We are all aware of brainstorming as a method of idea production, but BAs must engage in deliberate creative exercises and spend time on these activities in order to consciously generate new ideas and unique solutions. Here’s one that’s helpful:

Six Thinking Hats

Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats exercise is a good way to generate ideas. During this workshop, each team member focuses on thinking with a specific mentality to approach and develop ideas in a different way. 

• Green: Be the catalyst for creative energy, ideas, and stimulation. 
• White: Focused on data and facts, bringing to light the information known or needed. 
• Blue: The individual in the blue hat oversees the thought process, acts as a control mechanism, and ensures that the workshop principles are upheld. 
• Red: Emphasises emotions, intuition, feelings, and hunches. 
• Yellow: Examine ideas with optimism and positivism, looking for chances. 
• Black: Approach concepts cautiously, highlight challenges, and emphasis on risk management.

Based on the “hat” that team members are wearing, they will contribute diverse viewpoints and challenge each other to think in ways that they wouldn’t naturally, pushing boundaries, and encouraging people to be innovative in their approach and thoughts. 

3.Creativity breeds innovation. 

Nothing new is created in the absence of imagination. Innovation stops. No new paths are created. We apply the same solution to many issues, with mixed outcomes. While the title “Business Analyst” implies that analysis is the sum of our tasks, this is not the case. Creativity is an essential part of what we do. From problem identification and realising that there must be a better way of doing things, to the ultimate proposed solution and how to achieve it.

Here are a few important points to note: 

• Business analysts advocate for the company while conveying what can be accomplished with current technology. The way a business analyst transfers information from one side to another involves innovation. It can be difficult at times to bridge the gap between technical and business perspectives. Unusual methods of presenting and communicating information may be the key. 

• Drawing forth more meaning from elicitation results necessitates innovation, which stems from a creative debate mindset. Asking what the customer’s true demand is and how the end user has defined success may suggest addressing knowledge gaps through creative thinking.

Conclusion

 Creativity skills can be learned and developed throughout one’s working life. The first requirement is a desire to develop your unique creativity and a sense of curiosity. Simply ask yourself and attempt to come up with unique solutions in your daily tasks. The most important thing is to be cautious of conventional knowledge and to always consider the context when tailoring and applying conventional wisdom. Check out our free business analysis courses online to learn more.