Mindset as a Motto
Receive free IIBA updates and exclusive content!
Is it possible to synthesize a whole discipline in a motto? That's what I'm trying to do. And it's funny! Take a look at my ideas for Agile, Project Management, Enterprise Architect, Requirements Engineering, Quality Assurance, Total Quality, and Business Analysis. Join me in this game and share your suggestions.
The importance of mindset and listening, combined with learning the right skill sets prompted Fabrício Laguna aka the Brazilian BA to further explore the business analysis mindset.
Recently, in a very nice chat at the BA Brew Podcast hosted by Debra Paul from Assist KD, I shared how much I like the power of a nice “motto” to summarise an idea and engage people on it. A good motto can, in my humble opinion, be a great way to synthesize a whole mindset in a short sentence. A good slogan to sell the idea.
As I shared some examples of the mottos I use for Business Analysis, Agile, and Project Management, Christina Lovelock said:
BA Brew Episode 28: The BA Mindset (Feat. Debra Paul, Fabricio Laguna, and Christina Lovelock) watch it on Youtube.
Well, based on that incentive, I decided to explore that idea a little further in a list of mottos for different mindsets shared here in this article:
- Agile
- Project Management
- Enterprise Architect
- Requirements Engineering
- Quality Assurance
- Total Quality
- Business Analysis
The purpose of defining disciplines as mindsets is to avoid what I call the “Trap of Role Prison”. When we discuss those ideas from the perspective of professional roles, we create boundaries and limit their usage for specialized people in specific methodologies. As methodologies and practices change, the discipline loses power and is usually recreated from scratch with another name later.
As mindsets, they may be combined and used freely by anyone. A mindset is a concept more abstract than specific practices or techniques and summarizes big ideas. Mindsets may transcend.
But how to define a mindset? It’s an abstraction. Hard to share and engage.
That’s where I believe a motto may be a useful tool. Despite the fact that a small sentence is not enough to encompass the whole idea of a discipline, the simplicity of a motto makes it easy to share and digest its essence.
As you will see below, I started defining some small sentences that could express the core mission of the disciplines I have practiced in my career. I showed it to some people, and they told me it was looking good and concise. Well enough to be printed on a t-shirt or a mug. But something was still missing: "humor". So, I tried to subvert the idea a little bit and added a funny emoji to them. (Alert: It's not chocolate!) I hope that doesn´t offend anyone. The original and more polite version of each motto is also available to be used in more formal situations.
The Brazilian BA 💩 Mindset Mottos
A polite version for the Agile Mindset is: “EMBRACE CHANGE AS AN OPPORTUNITY”
A polite version for the PM Mindset is: “PLAN WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND DO IT”
A polite version for the EA Mindset is: “CONNECT THE DOTS”
A polite version for the RE Mindset is: “UNDERSTAND THE NEEDS BEFORE IMPLEMENTING A SOLUTION”
A polite version for the QA Mindset is: “DON’T ANNOY YOUR CUSTOMER”
A polite version for the Total Quality Mindset is: “DON’T ANNOY ANYONE. AT LEAST NOT TWICE.”
A polite version for the BA Mindset is: “THINK WELL BEFORE MAKING A DECISION”
I confess I am not totally convinced about my mottos. They are a work in progress. Talking to Delvin Fletcher and Barbara Carkenord I got different mottos for the BA Mindset:
The BA Mindset: “COMMIT ALL WORK TO OUTCOMES”
Watch The Brazilian BA Guest Delvin Fletcher on YouTube
The BA Mindset: “CONNECT STRATEGY TO EXECUTION”
Watch The Brazilian BA Guest Barbara Carkenord on YouTube
Those ideas made me think about a possible alternative BA 💩 Mindset Motto:
What About You?
Would you wear a shirt or drink a coffee in a cup with any of these mottos? Do you have a better statement to synthesize these or any other mindset?
Write it down as a comment here. Suggested mottos will be added and shared with credit to the authors.
Learn About IIBA Membership Benefits Today!
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Fabrício Laguna’s LinkedIn page on 02/2022.
About The Author:
Fabricio Laguna, CBAP, AAC, CPOA, PMP, MBA AKA the Brazilian BA is a Business Consultant, Teacher, Professional Speaker and is IIBA Brazil Chapter president.
Fabrício is the author and producer of videos, articles, classes, lectures, and playful content, he can explain complex things in a simple and easy to understand way.
He has over 20 years experience working with business analysis, methodology, solution development, systems analysis, project management, business architecture and systems architecture. Watch videos of Fabricio the Brazilian BA on YouTube.
