Category Archives: Soft Skills

Pittsburgh IIBA Meetup: Do You Think You Are a Good Listener? Let Us Surprise You!

This evening’s talk at the Pittsburgh IIBA Meetup was about communication skills. Although there was some discussion about conveying messages the emphasis was on how to receive them. Both are important to business analysts. BAs must provide context for what … Continue reading

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Theory and Practice, Practice, Practice

To know and not to do is not yet to know. This idea has been attributed to many sources. Let’s assume it is essentially Buddhist. The same idea is expressed below in terms of neuroscience. These items are saying that … Continue reading

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“The Secret of Selling Anything,” by Harry Browne

Today I took the time to finish reading a classic book on sales by Harry Browne, entitled The Secret of Selling Anything. I read it because it is regarded as a classic in certain circles, because I have appreciated many … Continue reading

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Don’t Use the Tool Until You’ve Already Solved the Problem

The article below opened the Continuum section of the August, 1981 issue of Omni Magazine (page 35, 15 in the linked pdf). It’s interesting to me because I took third-semester physics from Dr. Eisenstein, who is mentioned early in the … Continue reading

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Use Time on the Road Effectively

While a lot of folks are traveling for the holidays it’s a fine time to comment on how best to make use of your time while traveling for work. I’ve experienced three kinds of business trips and you should employ … Continue reading

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Suggestions for How to Learn More Quickly

I’ve encountered a few interesting comments and stories about how to learn things more quickly. One thread that runs through all of them is frequent review. It’s one thing to blast through and learn something, even to the point of … Continue reading

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Getting “In The Zone”

I worked on nuclear power plant training simulators at Westinghouse with up to 250 colleagues. I obviously didn’t meet or get to know them all but I worked with and hung out with a bunch of them and some clearly … Continue reading

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Right People, Right Analyses, Right Decisions

Some time ago I found myself in a gathering somewhere in the bowels of a large, very bureaucratic organization for which my company was doing some work. The room was full of forty or so senior managers and analysts, many … Continue reading

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Listen, Listen, Listen

I’ve heard it said that you can learn from anyone, but you can only do that if you actually listen to them. If they aren’t talking, ask. Even if you choose not to take anyone’s suggestions they’re likely to be … Continue reading

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What Do You Just “See”?

One of my cousins is a totally extroverted, outgoing “superconnecter”. She is all people, all the time. She’s been everything from a restaurant hostess to a greeter and mascot’s assistant at Pittsburgh Pirates games to a small businesswoman with multiple … Continue reading

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