There’s more to collaboration than conversation…

For those who might think that collaboration is just another word for conversation, I would suggest you listen to Requirements Unplugged Episode 8. Ellen Gottesdiener, author of Requirements by Collaboration: Workshops for Defining Needs, shares her deep experience with us regarding what it takes to truly collaborate. As with any relationship it may start with conversation, but things like trust and conflict resolution are critical as well.

Ellen continues to educate us on how the BA role is growing and changing and the key skills needed to survive going forward. It’s not often you get to chat with an industry expert like Ellen, as such, I’d get your pen and paper out to capture as much of this as you can.

Ellen Gottesdiener, principal consultant of EBG Consulting (www.ebgconsulting.com), is best known for her work in the area of collaboration and requirements. Her first book, Requirements by Collaboration: Workshops for Defining Needs describes how to use multiple models to elicit requirements in collaborative workshops. Her more recent book, The Software Requirements Memory Jogger is becoming the “go-to” industry guide for requirements good practices for business owners and analysts. Ellen’s company provides high value training, facilitation, and consulting services to agile and traditional teams. You can subscribe to her free monthly eNewsletter “Success with Requirements” and visit the EBG Consulting web site for many articles and other resources.