When you try to get clarity/context, the requesting party often has no idea what they want. They are just as confused as you are. Usually, the topic stems from a question/concern raised from the c-suite or just below about something and they want some assurance about it and that starts a boulder rolling downhill with all the yes-men delegating as fast as they can to have the foot soldiers quickly come up with something they can deliver back. Zero regard for obtaining clarity and trying to understand the true nature of the ask, or even being accurate/precise with the output........all that matters is being able to mark something as done and check it off the list. Move on to the next sh*tstorm, rinse and repeat. It's the most un-rewarding work ever that, at the end of the day, is almost always a complete waste of time. But as long as you smile and kizz your boss's rear end, you're a top performer regardless of whether you bring any value to the plate. Delivering something fast is all that matters, quality/accuracy is barely an afterthought.
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Educating stakeholders is a losing battle. They don't understand what happens on the ground, they don't get PAID to understand AND most don't care one wh-t! It's all just passing the buck and deflecting, so everyone can say they did their poorly defined follow-up, and blame all us little people when things don't go their way, or are not feasible, etc. Expertise is too expensive around here; those who have it are not respected.
@1ncw+1lUQk2lo
yes. to protect my identity
So true in COO world. You are running around trying to get answers to an urgent request that has filtered down many layers to you. The person requesting the information is getting agitated waiting for the answer to the clear question he/she remembers asking only to be wholly disappointed when your answer arrives to a different question that you were asked. Sometimes this occurs DURING a meeting and the executive is trying to get answer before being asked about the topic. Amazing waste of time. Another waste......ban Powerpoint. One simple point that could be verbally explained in 30 seconds becomes a dancing bunny .ppt deck of 20 pages.
did you have chatGPT write that?
So the SDLC (system development life cycle) at Wells is the " kizz your boss's rear end" method of requirements gathering. I guess you would say that all the agile did was to add story points to this endeavor.
This is what you get when you hire unquailed people with no critical thinking skills. Good Luck.
You need to increase the number of highly intelligent H1B visas for that.
Send this to Charlie....
To: Upper Management
From: [Your Name]
Subject: Improving Requests for Analysis
Introduction:
This report aims to address the issue of unclear and poorly defined requests for analysis, which has led to confusion and wasted time within our organization. We are also facing a culture where completing tasks quickly, regardless of quality or usefulness, is seen as more important than delivering value to the organization.
Problem:
Requests for analysis lack clarity and direction, which makes it difficult for stakeholders to articulate their true needs. This leads to a lot of back and forth between analysts and stakeholders to clarify requirements, which wastes valuable time and resources. Moreover, stakeholders often lack a clear understanding of the true nature of the ask, leading to solutions that do not meet their needs.
Recommendations:
To address this issue, I suggest the following steps:
Educate stakeholders: We should educate stakeholders about the importance of clear communication and well-defined requirements. This could involve providing training on how to articulate business problems and needs, and how to effectively communicate these needs to analysts.
Implement processes for gathering and clarifying requirements: We should implement processes for gathering and clarifying requirements, such as workshops or meetings with stakeholders, where we can discuss the business problem and clarify the requirements. We should also develop clear documentation of requirements that can be reviewed and approved by stakeholders.
Hire certified business analysts: We should consider hiring certified business analysts who have expertise in gathering and documenting requirements, analyzing business processes, and delivering solutions that meet the needs of the organization.
Prioritize clarity, accuracy, and usefulness: We should prioritize clarity, accuracy, and usefulness in requests for analysis, rather than completing tasks quickly. We should set expectations around the quality and usefulness of deliverables, and ensure that stakeholders understand the importance of clear communication and well-defined requirements.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, unclear and poorly defined requests for analysis have been affecting our organization's ability to effectively analyze business problems and deliver solutions that meet the needs of the organization. By implementing the recommendations outlined above, we can improve the clarity and usefulness of requests for analysis, and ensure that we are delivering value to the organization.
Not sure which group you work in but in my tech job, quality and accuracy are required.