Thoughts From Paula Bell

I had a fantastic interview with my good friend, Paula Bell, on Optimistic Bites in June and wanted to give some highlights of my interview with her!

How do you manage to balance all of your different endeavors?

Time Management and boundaries are essential characteristics every BA must have to be successful. Knowing your limitations is a big part of making sure you are investing your time in a capacity to help you thrive and not overbook yourself. Paula also gave great advice about choosing a career that energizes you instead of drains you. She said, “Don’t be afraid to make some changes if what you’re doing drains you. If you’re in a job you can’t stand, you need to get out of it. If you feel you are always stressed out, it is time to do some self-reflection to figure out what it is that you want.”

What do you feel are the most important skills for a new BA to learn?

The most important skills for a new BA to learn can be divided into two categories - soft skills are 80% of what they need, and technical skills are the remaining 20%. Paula shared, “If you do not know how to communicate verbally or in writing, if you do not know how to build relationships if you do not know how to influence effectively, that could make your life difficult as a BA…You have to have the knowledge and expertise, but you also have to know how to work with people”. Every BA needs to have these soft skills to effectively help people and have a teachable attitude in every environment they are in. Leadership skills and actively listening are other critical skills in the field of business analysis.

To watch my full interview with Paula, visit my YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oy2gPlKXIXY

Please subscribe to my YouTube Channel while you are there.

Visit Paula’s website at: https://www.paulaabell.com/

Until next time, keep your glass half full!