Subject Matter Expertise - Take Your Medicine Wisely!

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We've all seen the drug ads with the picture-perfect family playing Frisbee with the dog on the beach and the narrator telling us how your symptoms can be wiped away and usher in the dawn of a whole new healthy and contented lifestyle. Then the narrator becomes monotone as he reads at warp speed through a long list of pre-existing conditions that exempt you from taking the drug. Yes these drugs can be very beneficial but only under certain circumstances and in certain situations. If you take the drug outside of these circumstances it could actually cause more harm than good. I have a similar answer for people who ask if it's good for a business analyst to have subject matter expertise. In certain situations it can be a great asset, but in others it could actually be harmful.

The case "for" having subject matter expertise is pretty straight forward. The analyst doesn't have to be educated about the domain and can leverage his or her experience in the area and previous lessons-learned to the project's advantage.

There are occasions where it can actually work against the project's best interests. More than once I've seen subject matter experts who cut short the analysis that should be performed because they "think" they know the answer based on previous experience. Sometimes they're right - but many times they're wrong. In some of these situations I've also seen others on the project hesitate to challenge because the subject matter expert is supposed to be - well, the expert.

For a skilled and inquisitive business analyst to enter a project without subject matter expertise can actually be a benefit. Non subject matter business analysts have an open license to ask the so-called "stupid questions" and people have this expectation. These types of questions routinely uncover hidden issues that could have been disastrous later in the project. I've also noticed people can be more with this type of business analyst - possibly because they assume the business analyst knows less about the subject than they do so there's an element of feeling less threatened coupled with an natural inclination to help along "new comers" to the subject.

So should you actually try to steer clear of business analysts with subject matter expertise? Well, like the drug example, it depends. Before considering subject matter expertise, there are far more important skills a business analyst should have like being able to truly listen, facilitate, negotiate, and to have real analytical skills and modeling skills. To this I'll also throw in diplomacy and political savvy. Because vast majority of people I speak with agree with this, and after some discussion also agree that subject matter experience is lower in importance, what I find puzzling is why most ads for Business Analysts list subject matter expertise as the most important aspect of what they're looking for. Here's a sampling of ad headlines I just took from some online boards:

• Seeking strong BA with digital media and online content experience.
• Looking for Business Analyst with HR and Recruitment experience.
• Looking for Business Analyst with Vendor Management experience.
• Excellent Opportunity for ERP Business Analyst.
• Business Analyst - Investment Banking.

Perhaps as the profession continues to mature the key characteristics of what makes a good business analyst will become better known and sought after.

So if you're going to take subject matter expertise, here's my prescription:

• Before considering taking Subject Matter Expertise you should already have: listening, facilitating, negotiating, diplomacy skills, analytical skills, modeling skills and political savvy.
• Only take Subject Matter Expertise in combination with humility, true listening, and the liberal asking of ‘stupid' questions.
• Use the effects of subject matter expertise to probe more deeply, as a source of additional questions, and to help validate what you discover.
• Never rely on preconceived notions - do your analysis, and leverage your subject matter expertise to do better analysis.