Once you embark on the journey to become CBAP® you have to be prepared to do anything to retain the knowledge of the BABOK®. Many of us CBAP® recipients agree that, though the BABOK® defines the standards of business analysis, it doesn't always capture the way we do things in the real world. We all know that as a BA to define the best solution, we have to make do with whatever resource and sometimes information we are given.For example, in the real world many organization do not have the resources to conduct feasibility studies or it is not always that you will have time in a project to define the current state of an organization. Not that this is right or wrong, it's just how business sponsors prioritize certain tasks or how some organizations decide to operate. Unfortunately, because we can't change things overnight, our work provides us with a different experience compared to the standards of the BABOK®.
When I first red the BABOK®, I was overwhelmed with the amount of information, especially the number of tasks and techniques. The most overwhelming factor was that I couldn't always relate with the information presented. It is difficult to retain the knowledge of a task when you have not seen it in action. Almost four years ago, I was on that same boat you are in today.
Becoming CBAP® isn't only about recognition, it's also about transformation. The transformation is only accomplished when you can let go of the old to embrace the new. Four years ago, when the BABOK® contradicted what I knew about business analysis, I decided to remain open to any new or conflicting knowledge in order to not only accomplish my goal of becoming CBAP®, but also to learn, grow and be transformed.
I will continue to share with you my growth process and the things I've learned from the BABOK® through my articles.
But for today, if the purpose of your journey is to pass the CBAP®, instead of fighting and arguing with the standard, embrace it.
