Working remotely is the new normal, especially after the COVID pandemic, but keeping your product team in sync with business goals? Now that’s easier said than done. Since remote working is rather common and unavoidable in the present world, what you can control lies in how to bridge the gap. Business Analysts play a crucial role in bridging this divide, so let’s see how this actually works.
Alignment, a Real Challenge, a Real Solution
According to Forbes Remote Work Statistics and Trends in 2024. about 16% of companies are already fully remote, and 74% of employees are said to feel happier when they work remotely. So if you are able to keep teams in alignment, then it is easier to work towards a shared goal. Having a clear grasp of the business objectives is essential for product teams, and aligning the work with these objectives is the basis of coming up with the best product solutions.
Consider a SaaS company that developed a feature they thought users would love, but they didn’t stop to consult their marketing or support teams. They worked on their own, thinking big of the solution, and six months later, the feature flopped because users just weren’t interested. What could the BA have done differently in this situation? What if the BA discussed between relevant teams, gained the real user scenarios, user feedback and has ensured alignment with business needs and customer desires? The outcome would have probably concluded differently with a satisfied customer base.
Clear Expectations, Clearer Outcomes
Being a BA, you need to set clear expectations from the set back. Make sure teams know what they are getting into and what they are expected to present at the end of the road. You should define what each member’s role is and the milestone. And this is not just about crossing T’s and dotting I’s. It’s also about making sure that the team knows why they are building a certain feature, and the marketing team knows how to pitch it, what pain areas to address. For this, it is important to write user stories and requirements documents that outline the project’s objectives and success criteria. If a user story is attached to a product feature, the developers and the rest of the team knows what the target audience and the demands are. Then the team is not following instructions just blindly, they know the value they are generating.
Everyone of you must have the common phrase that “Communication is key”. It is applicable in this situation as well. It is important to schedule frequent check-ins to go over the team’s progress, make sure they are aligning with the plan and what their next steps are. This keeps everyone accountable and in sync. A quick weekly meeting won’t take much of the team’s calendar, will it? But this short 15 minute time span can make a big difference in making sure that the team knows what each other is working through and to voice concerns. To have better communication, it is also vital to promote open discussion among the members. The team needs to openly and freely discuss their perspectives during these meetings. Only then can trust be fostered and the BA can make sure to resolve the problems.
Real Challenges Remote Teams Face
Now it’s more than clear how challenging it is to work in a remote environment, but let’s dive into the details: what exactly are these challenges?
According to a survey done by Buffer State of Remote Work 2023, they found out that one of the biggest challenges is loneliness. Without work colleagues to physically interact with and without stepping outside to work from home all day, remote workers feel like they are doing it alone. And of course, communication. The screen has become their barrier to communicating with the team members properly, not to mention frequent communication breakdowns. Those can lead to misunderstandings, moreover leading to errors and delays. Especially if the team members are from different time zones, it doesn’t help at all.
As a BA, isn’t it difficult to make sure the team is effectively managing their time and meeting expectations? There’s a deep lack of visibility in the process when the process is what matters. It is critical to make sure the team is being productive but then comes the problem of micromanagement. Maintaining a balance between these two end zones is a real challenge. You further need to make sure that the team is oriented on the larger business objective, not only on their own tasks. Even though the team is spread out, the bigger picture should be the main focus.
Remote Work, Real Misalignments
What exactly are the misalignments remote teams face? Of course it is common to have gaps when the team members are spread everywhere, as there is a lack of shared understanding with physical distance. Among a never ending list of misalignments remote teams can face, here are a few of the most common:
- Differences in understanding the goal: Even Though you make sure that the overall business objective is clear to each of the members, the individuals might have their own interpretations and might have different elucidations on their role to achieve that goal. This will result in an out-of-sync direction with the broader strategy.
- Prioritization Conflicts: Individuals will see certain tasks as a priority over the others, and they might misalign with the actual prioritizations for the entire team. Without regular alignment meetings, this will definitely create inconsistencies in the overall progress.
- Lack of clarity on roles and responsibilities: Even in a physical environment, the lines between roles often blur. So there’s no telling about remote teams. There will be overlaps and gaps in executing responsibilities. Members might assume that the others are responsible for certain tasks, which can delay the progress and confuse the entire process.
- Inconsistent communication styles: There are obvious differences in how people communicate across different cultures and timezones. Some might prefer written communication while some prefer verbal communication. Without having the team physically present, this can create prominent gaps in information and communication.
- Varying work hours and availability: When team members are spread across different time zones, it is difficult to sync the entire team. When there is no real time communication, there will be delays in feedback loops while disrupting the entire workflow.
Tools that actually work
When BAs become the superheroes that step into address the above mentioned challenges, having the right tools at hand should be heavily considered. In this world of digital dominance, making real use of the available tools is an initiative a business analyst should take.
First and foremost, communication tools. Select the most secure and user-friendly communication tool for the team to interact with each other. Being spread out in different places, the communication tool selected will play the biggest role in having worthwhile communication. At first glance, a tool like Slack might seem like just another messaging app, but when Zapier’s fully remote team adopted it, they found that quick updates saved them hours of back-and-forth emails, Not having the team for real time collaboration shouldn’t stop you from finding an alternative. Use tools like Google Workspace and make sure that real time collaboration is brought to the table of remote work. And don’t forget to apply version control to the documents when there are multiple contributors.
Just like the team members, don’t let the project documents and sources be scattered everywhere. Use centralized repositories to keep all of them organized.
Being a BA, it is your duty to bridge the highly visible gap. While it is significantly harder to do than just uttering the words, a world with enhanced digital facilities is just within your hands. So make use of it!
Building trust in a virtual world
While it’s hard for the team to speak out in a virtual environment, you need to make sure that they are seen, and their voices are heard. It isn’t just about project updates and work, it is also about having an environment that makes them feel valued. According to a Harvard Business Review Study, high-trust companies report 74% less stress and 50% higher productivity. But how can you make them interact and build trust?
Give them opportunities for informal conversations such as icebreaker games or virtual coffee breaks. This will be a chance for them to feel warmed to the team and bond with each other.
Everyone likes to be appreciated and acknowledged for their hard work. It can be a driver for some of them to deliver results. No need for massive gestures, just a small thank-you note, an appreciative word would be enough.
Moreover, everyone should understand that each member is important and valuable. You should make sure the team does, because everyone should be respected. As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.
Stay Agile
Adaptability is key in this present fast-paced world. According to a report by Deloitte, although 94% of business leaders think that agility and collaboration are critical, only 6% believe their organizations are highly agile today. As a BA, it is under your plate to stay informed about any changes to the project status. Keep a Kanban board to visualize work and to make quick tweaks when needed. Let your team be a part of the decision making. Let them have a say, so that they feel important. Further, you should always be prepared to pivot if needed. If user feedback indicates to you that there is a shift in customer needs, be willing to change.
Review and Improve
Keep your teams aligned over the long haul and make sure there is continuous improvement. A BA can conduct retrospectives where the team can talk about their accomplishments and opportunities for development. At the end of a project, don’t think that it is time to close the curtain. Instead, gather your team and discuss what went well, what didn’t and what you can do to prevent it from happening. Keep in the look for input on everything, the tools and communication methods as well.
Conduct retrospectives: Having regular retrospectives allows the team to talk about its accomplishments and opportunities for development. For instance, a team can get together to discuss what went well and poorly at the conclusion of a project cycle, which can result in a more efficient procedure for subsequent initiatives. As a leader, promote upskilling and development. Make sure your team is on par with the skills and career growth needed. A skilled and growth minded team means a continuously improving product.
What More?
To maintain alignment with remote teams so that the larger business objective is achieved, what more can a Business Analyst do?
- As stressed out before, communication is obviously the key. So establish an effective communication plan. A plan that outlines the audience to be reached, the modes to be used and how frequently the team will be communicating. Don’t forget to choose the right tools for various purposes.
- Let the team accept responsibility for what they do. Let them take the lead on their own behalf. Encourage them to converse among themselves and make decisions, making them have a sense of dedication and investment in the process.
- Risks cannot be predicted, yes, but they can be forecasted and mitigated. Identify them early by evaluating possible risks (like scope creep, technical issues). Don’t forget to keep an issue log up to date where you can record and monitor issues as they come up.
- Not to mention the time zone. Arrange meetings during times that are easy for most team members and be adaptable with schedules. Give the team their own freedom to adjust work hours to meet at any time.
Let’s keep moving forward, Together
Aligning remote product teams with business goals is no easy feat of course, but nothing is impossible. With the right strategies and tactics, it is achievable. In this process, the Business Analyst’s role is crucial. They should remain focused on the bigger picture, the business outcomes. Meanwhile, they should make sure the team follows along and no one loses sight along the process. Even though it is a remote environment you have, what sets a good BA apart from a great BA is how you do the expected with the challenges. Here’s to successful remote collaboration!
