Leading With Humility

This post was originally published at Leading-Resources.com.

Famous leaders are often praised for their passion, assertiveness, focus and intelligence. However, when CEOs were asked to name the most important quality people desire in their leaders, they gave a surprising answer—humility. There are several reasons humility is such a major influencer in a leader’s ongoing success:

• Humble leaders take the focus off themselves. Instead of constantly speaking in “I” and “me” statements, they think in terms of “we” and “us.” This shift in focus communicates to everyone that the leader is working toward the company’s success instead of toward his or her own personal goals.
• Employees have an easier time trusting humble leaders. They believe leaders with humility will act in the best interest of others.
• Humble leaders are less likely to micromanage. Prideful leaders believe that nobody can do a job as well as they can. They control every detail, making the organization less efficient, putting more stress on themselves and fueling frustration among employees.
• Humble leaders take every opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of others. Employees are likely to work harder because they trust that their leaders won’t downplay or claim the credit for their accomplishments. Getting approval and recognition from humble leaders feels more satisfying to employees.

When you lead with humility, people will naturally gravitate toward your ideas and your vision. It’s a basic part of the trust equation: If I know that you are acting in the interest of the entire organization, and not in your own self-interest, then I will reciprocate by doing the same. The result: Better sharing of resources, less conflict between divisions and departments, and better decision making throughout. Long term, this is what builds a leadership culture, where everyone, as I like to say, “runs it like they own it.”

Even if you aren’t known for being a humble leader, it’s never too late to start practicing humility. Start with these three steps:

• A little self-deprecating humor goes a long way. When you make a mistake, let people know.
  
• Practice listening and engaging. Affirm the value of what people say, and guide discussions rather than control them. Ask questions more.
  
• Trust employees to take on more responsibility and show appreciation for their efforts. That’s a sure way to demonstrate humility.

What is the Internet of Things?

From hair brushes to scales, devices are having chips inserted into them to collect and communicate data.

In the broadest sense, the term IoT (Internet of Things) encompasses everything connected to the internet, but it is increasingly being used to define objects that "talk" to each other. "Simply, the Internet of Things is made up of devices – from simple sensors to smartphones and wearables – connected together".

By combining these connected devices with automated systems, it is possible to "gather information, analyse it and create an action" to help someone with a particular task, or learn from a process. In reality, this ranges from smart mirrors to beacons in shops and beyond.

It's about networks, it's about devices, and it's about data. IoT allows devices on closed private internet connections to communicate with each other in the same network or even with devices in a different network. It gives the opportunity for devices to communicate not only within close silos but across different networking types creating a much more connected world.

Why do connected devices need to share data?

An argument has been raised that only because something can be connected to the internet doesn't mean it should be, but each device collects data for a specific purpose that may be useful to a buyer and impact the wider economy.

Within industrial applications, sensors on product lines can increase efficiency and cut down on waste.

IoT offers us opportunity to be more efficient in how we do things, saving us time and money. It allows companies, governments and public authorities to re-think how they deliver services and produce goods.

The quality and scope of the data across the Internet of Things generates an opportunity for much more contextualised and responsive interactions with devices to create a potential for continued change.

Where does the IoT go next?

We are looking at a future in which companies will indulge in digital evolution, using IoT, AI and machine learning to rapidly evolve in a way we’ve never seen before.

At the centre of creating a vast, reliable IoT network lies one significant issue: compatible standards. Connected objects need to be able to speak to each other to transfer data and share what they are recording. If they all run on different standards, they struggle to communicate and share. 

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Standards Association lists a huge number of standards being developed and worked on for different applications. Additional needs are emerging for standardisation. If standardisation happens it will let more devices and applications be connected.

To try and tackle this issue on an enterprise scale, Microsoft has introduced its own system for IoT devices called "IoT Central". The system gives businesses a managed central platform for setting up IoT devices and Microsoft claims the system will simplify the creation of IoT networks.

Daily Scrum Myths

1 - Daily Scrum as a status report

There is a need (even if it's a small one) for the managers and even the project managers to implement command and control. This is the main reason why many companies are using the daily scrum as a status report.

This way the daily scrum looses its purpose as a team's self-organized meeting and turns to be an evaluation of how the job has been done.

The scrum guide says that the team members use the daily scrum to follow their progress regarding the sprint objective. Another important point is that the scrum master must always remind that the daily scrum belongs to the team members and is up to them to decide how they will drive it.

2 - Daily scrum as problem solver meeting

There is a reason why the daily scrum is also known as a stand up meeting: If the participants have a sit the chances of the meeting extends more than necessary raise significantly.

The scrum guide makes it clear: The daily scrum is a 15 minutes meeting for the team synchronize its activities and create a plan for the next 24 hours.

Many people mistakenly believe that the daily scrum is used for:
- Notify problems to the scrum master
- Discuss a solution for a problem that you had yesterday (that hasn't been solved yet)
- Gather team members to discuss technical issues

Just to make it clear: If you have an impeditive issue that you cannot go through by yourself than you shall ask for help in that moment. Don't wait until next meeting to ask for help ok?

3 - Daily scrum as the only opportunity to update the team's board

You've seen that already, right? The team members wait until the meeting day to move their completed tasks in the kanboard. But wait: For what reason do we have a beautifully strutted board in a place where everyone can see if it stays 23 hours and 45 minutes outdated every day?

When a task is completed move it to the "done" and move the next one to the "doing". Don't wait until the next daily scrum. It doesn't make sense. Remember the following rule: The team's board has to be always up to date. And it's a team's responsibility to keep it this way.

And how's your team's daily scrum?
The daily scrum is incredibly effective if executed right. It is simple and direct, but you need to ask yourself all the time: Do I know why I'm doing it?

To think like this may help you out to always get to the next step.

Are you too busy?

Stop with "I'm too busy"

We’re all just so “busy” these days. “Slammed” in fact. “Buried.” Desperately “trying to keep our heads above water.” "Overloaded"

Busy is a catch all term. When we say "busy," we're really trying to say something else—although what exactly that might be depends on the harried soul that's complaining:

I'm busy = I'm important

Being busy gives people a sense they're needed and important. It's also a sign that you are self-imposing these measures of self-worth by looking at quantity instead of quality of activity. Busyness does not equal productivity.

I'm busy = I'm giving you an excuse

Saying that you're busy is a handy way to outsource your responsibility to your irresponsibility. Since you're always distracted, you don't have to do anything for anybody.

I'm busy = I'm winning

To say that “I’m busier than you are” means I’m more important, or that my time is more valuable, or that I am “winning” at some never ending rat race. What you’re trying to say with these responses is: I’m busier, more in-demand, more successful.

Busyness is not a virtue, it's an error in perspective. It's easy to think that quantity of activities is quality. It allows us to avoid meaningful interactions, commitments, common courtesy, etc.

In this way, busyness functions as a kind of laziness. To combat this mentality you need to be purposeful in your actions. Set goals for your day and make some promises to yourself to be accountable for your activities.

And by all means, use your vocabulary, there are other ways to convey your priorities and availability without using the "B" word. Work smarter, not harder and enjoy your life, people interactions and activities.

 

BPM vs ERP

ERP vs BPM - Which one is the best?

A quick search for this subject on the internet and we find several discussions, some of them even very fuzzy. Because they do not know the purpose of each tool well, some people end up getting confused when it comes to choosing or opting to use. Therefore, in this article I will show the characteristics and applications of each tool.

ERP - Enterprise Resource Planning: ERP systems aim to control all the operations of a company guaranteeing the integrity and the ballast of the same. With this control it is possible to visualize information that will aid in the decision-making.

With an ERP system the company has control of everything that comes in and everything that comes out (all movement), be it merchandise, service or even finances.

Example: Having this control you can view the inventory movement of a given product in a given period. With this information the business owner can, through reports of the own ERP, have a suggestion of the ideal quantity to be purchased for this product for a future period. You can also view the company's cash flow, accounts receivable and accounts payable, reports, tax liabilities and so on. All this information will help in making decisions that will directly impact the sustainability of the company.

That is, the ERP system will actually guarantee control of the company as a whole, but for this, it depends on people feeding it correctly. The power of the ERP system will depend on the company process, which often even differs somewhat from the ERP process requiring some adaptations on both sides.

BPM - Business Process Management: Actually BPM is not really a system, but a concept. It is an adaptive management approach, developed with the purpose of designing, systematizing and facilitating organizational processes, inside and outside companies.

There are systems that have been designed to assist in BPM which are called BPMS (Business Process Management Suites / System).

BPMS systems or suites use a notation called BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation). This notation ensures that any BPMS system follows the same pattern, thus facilitating the understanding of flows and diagrams generated independent of the tool.

In summary, once the company process has been mapped to BPM, it is possible to visualize the flow of the operations and the order in which they must be executed to ensure the smooth operation of the process. Having this, it is possible to guarantee for example that people feed an ERP system in the right way at the right time.

With a BPMS it is possible to generate systems with graphical interfaces where the users responsible for each stage of the company's process should register some information assuring its execution. This information may eventually be written to or even retrieved from ERP systems.

What does the Product Owner need to know?

Many times the PO importance may be disposed In relation to other scrum actors. If that happen, the project fatally won't be successful. In this text I will give you 5 tips that will contribute to your success as Product Owner in a project.

1 - Trust is the key

The PO has the business knowledge but may not have enough technical knowledge to argue with the development team about certain issues.

Also, the development team might suggest to the PO some changes in the backlog that can accelerate the production.

In this scenario, considering that you have a pro efficient team, the best thing to do is hear their feedback and trust their judgment.

2 - The PO's job is to serve the team

The ultimate goal of development is to launch an excellent product in time. The PO should try to be available and respond as soon as possible to the team's questions.

If the team is working with 2-week (10-day work) Sprints, imagine that if there is an impediment that paralyzes work for 1 day it may mean that 10% of the time available for work has been thrown away.

3 - Users perspectives are essential

Is essential for the Product Owner to understand people that are going to use the product. The better the understanding about the end user is, better will be the product's direction, its functionalities and it's business rules. Nothing is more important than the time spent to understand the end user.

Although it seems difficult, the goal is to achieve the best balance between what you know about the product needs and what represents value for users.

4 - Sometimes the team fails

Even if the team is very productive in a successful sprint, this doesn't mean that necessarily the same thing will happen in the next sprint. The ups and downs in a development process are normal, unpredictable and can happen due to various internal or external factors.

The truth is that the fail or success of a sprint is not as important as the team capability to deliver value for the customer. So there is no reason to despair if not all the stories are approved at the end of the sprint.

Scrum teams are always trying to improve on each sprint. The Product Owner must trust the team and be aware that failure may occur because the team decided to test new techniques or set a very ambitious goal.

5 - The Product Owner and the Project Manager are different

The Product Owner must not try to carry the world in your arms. That's impossible!

The PO doesn't need to worry about schedule, resources allocation or how the team plans the sprint. His job is to define priorities and answear the team's needs.

To let the team self-organize and trust their way of work will save time and make things easier to both sides.

Social learning

Want to create evangelists of your cause? Then you should start giving the example.

If you want people in your team to do something for you then do it first and give them the example. After that, they'll certainly start doing it.

So close you just can't reach it: Fail to communicate

Beside many other communications problems in our day by day at work we have to deal with a specific kind of problem that I call: So close you just can't reach.

I'll explain:

It happens a lot when you're working on a specific task and no one near you know what you're doing. Maybe the guy seated right next to you have an important tip about the task you're working that can save your life or save time and money to the project. Maybe you could be the key to solve your coworker's problem if only you knew that he have a problem.

This is caused by many things like bureaucratic process, shyness, lack of motivation etc.

But how to solve this problem?

You have to identify whatever is the source of this communications problem and work on its solution. Here goes a few tips:

• Try making short meetings (like 5 minutes or fewer) to tell the others what you're doing. Your team knowing what you're doing will increase your chances to get their spontaneous help. You may also help them as well.

• Ask for your coworker's opinion even if (you think) you know how to do it. Give them a chance to say a magic word about your task that can save your day.

• Try to listen to other people's conversation (without being intrusive). Maybe you have some knowledge to give about the matter they're arguing. Also, try to make them hear you arguing about your matters so they may help you too.

Whatever is the action you'll take it depends on you. Just do it without expect any payback and you may positively infect the others.

Demystifying the UML

On most companies the UML is a fairy tale. Their employees are required to know it but they never get to use it.

This happens because on small and medium business the complete and traditional usage of UML becomes an enemy when you realize that no one know it well enough to apply it in their process. And even if there is an specialist on UML the fact of using it would increase de development time. An important detail which is not easily accepted by the project managers.

Considering the fact above some members of the development team on these companies ask themselves: Should I use the UML?

The answer to that leads to another question: Are you using it correctly?

Unless you have a development process based on generate code from UML diagrams (otherwise UML usage should not be a problem for you) you should consider start using the UML to your own benefit.

You can do that using the diagrams, concepts and resources from UML the way you think is best for you. It does not matter if you mixed diagrams (even if you mix UML diagrams with workflow diagrams) or if you mix its symbols on a specific diagram. As long as you and your team understand it well it's ok to use it.

Make sure your diagrams show clearly whatever you want to represent. It does not matter if is a business rule, a workflow, development stages or even all together.

On this scenario, don't forget that a diagram is only a representation of what is still to be documented.

Don't get me wrong. If you know how to use the UML and your job demands it usage in the traditional way you should do it so.

Motivational Bankruptcy

 

Carlos Ghosn, the man who took Nissan out of bankruptcy and is considered the 21st century Henry Ford, says the following: "The only thing that makes a difference is motivation. If you lose your motivation, Gradually you lose everything." 

Henry Ford's own thinking brings to light the importance of the path we have chosen with a focus on motivation and attitude when he said, "If you think you can or you think you can not, you will be right anyway."

A company never breaks today. Breaks five years before. It is not financial bankruptcy it is motivational bankruptcy. The motivated see opportunities in the difficulties ... The unmotivated see difficulties in opportunities! The positives do ... The negatives complain.

The choice between being optimistic or pessimistic is of every human being and will build a whole road on which he will tread. 82% of the world's largest companies came from "absolutely nothing," came from the grip of their founders and the commitment of their work crews who believe in their talent.

The question is: What are you doing with your ideas? What do you do with your thoughts? How are you planning your life and your work? 

The Working Dead: Free your company from the apocalypse by motivating employees

The Walking Dead is a series that portrays the struggle for the survival of ordinary humans in an apocalyptic, zombie-filled reality.

Fortunately, we do not live this horror everyday portrayed in the series and we do not have to struggle for our daily survival. But sometimes we find business environments that seem to be on the verge of apocalypse and are infected by guys who really seem to have come out of a series of terror: the "zombie employees." These people truly embody the "undead" spirit, and if they do not receive the right help quickly, they can turn your business into chaos.

Zombie-type employees, though not fed on human flesh, can be equally scary and pose a risk to their business, other employees, and even to themselves. That's why we need to recognize living dead workers and bring them back to life without causing harm to anyone.

If at the end of this text you realize that you are one of the few living collaborators and are surrounded by people of this type, do not worry and do not yell or run away either, just stay calm and have a word with your colleagues, superiors and Also with HR. Remember that any situation can be reversed with good business communication and motivating employees.
 

How To Recognize a Zombie Employee

Every employee infected with this disease may have different symptoms, however, they all have at least one of the ones listed below. Take a look and also check if you are still totally healthy and are not developing any of them.

Never leave their cell phone

Zombie developers are always near their cell phones as if they depended on them to survive. This is because, most of the time, they find work repetitive, boring or stressful, and then they can not fully concentrate and are drawn to something they find more interesting and dynamic: the cell phone.

Whether it's games or social networking, these co-workers love to spend their time on the cell phone. 

Check social networks and emails every 5 minutes

Like cellphone, this compulsion for anything other than work causes the collaborator to leave all of his or her social networks open and check each one at least three times every 30 minutes.

After all, rolling the Facebook bar for 3 minutes uninterruptedly, with no goal at all, is much cooler and easier than focusing on your work.

They feed on the energy of the environment around them

Zombie-type employees often go to work in a bad mood, in a bad mood and close-knit, just for the simple fact that they have to go to work.

They do not socialize with colleagues, give cold and even rude responses to everything that is directed or requested and end up leaving the whole environment immersed in monotony and individuality.

Has difficulty working in group or collaborating with others

Supporting colleagues or helping them with more work than their own is out of the question - at least if we take goodwill into account. Working in a group is also a torture and this employee rarely has or gives opinions on any process or task in development.

All this kind of employee wants is to give the time to go, and he does not have to collaborate with his colleague or help with part of his work.

Do not participate and do not engage with anything in the company

Zombie employees can not feel any empathy for the company they work in, they just want to do what they're assigned and nothing more. They do not bother to propose new things, improvements, or engage in any process.

Even in celebrations and other relaxed moments this employee is seen or heard because all he wants is just to stay away from the active center of the company and everything that is part of it.

How they can take your company to the apocalypse

This type of person can pose a number of risks to other employees, to the company and to themselves, and it is important to be aware of what they are.

Unmotivated employees, who dislike their work or feel no empathy for the company, may end up infecting other employees with that spirit and diminishing the productivity and engagement of an entire team.

When they are not satisfied, for whatever reason, employees tend to complain more about the company, their tasks, and become more likely to spread rumors and critiques within the workplace. This, coupled with constant moodiness and demotivation, may eventually lead other employees to take the same stance and gradually turn the company into a "zombie territory."

With so many unmotivated employees, the company will consequently start to lose in several important points like productivity, innovation and employee engagement and can feel the effects with the loss of credibility and also, inevitably, of money.

And then, these companies will need to take serious steps to bring the scenario back to normal, and they can include training, motivational action, or, in the worst case, layoffs. Therefore, this type of behavior still places the person at risk within the organization and can still tarnish his entire career.

All this means many expenses, work and emotional wear and therefore the best thing to do is to be attentive to employees with zombie behavior and try to avoid in all possible ways that it intensifies and is transmitted to other people of the company.

Here are some ways you can avoid this kind of attitude by motivating your employees and bringing your employees back to normal.
5 Ways to Avoid Zombies and Save Your Business by Motivating Employees

The "buzzing" of employees can be the employee's own cause, personal problems and other issues, but more often than not, the problem comes from the company, its processes, tasks and bureaucracies.

Given these two sources of the problem, we have some measures that can help you get through it.

 

# 01 Invest in a relaxed, barrier-free work environment

Sometimes, all your coworkers need is to relax a bit and feel that their superiors are around to help you, guide you and listen to you.

Extremely bureaucratic processes and physical barriers can cause your employee to give up looking for support, as it will be hampered, and fall into deadly stagnation and discouragement.

What's more, depending on your business, of course, a work environment too serious, can leave employees melancholy, lonely and still bar their creativity and ability to deal with situations in an innovative way. As a result, the risk of having unmotivated employees increases dramatically.

Understand how to use videos in your company to streamline and simplify processes.

These things are part of the culture of a company and it is important that they are developed and designed to meet the needs, tastes and values of each person, so as to stimulate productivity and interactivity and motivate employees.

# 02 Perform periodic training

When a collaborator has difficulty performing or understanding a task assigned to him, he tends to become discouraged, nervous, and it gets even worse and more intense if that task needs to be performed daily or more often.

Therefore, to prevent this from happening, it is essential to provide the means for the employee to improve, develop their skills and can perform their tasks in the easiest and fastest way possible.

But do not misunderstand. It is not that you have to stop your work to go and teach your employee to do a service that he should master as he holds the position, but to provide the means for him to develop on his own and to handle the daily challenges of his profession.

And one of the most efficient ways to do this is through online trainings. By providing courses of employee interest, or by offering lectures and periodic trainings with experts in the field, you, besides contributing to the professional training of your employee, still improve your motivation, since he feels important and valued through training.

Another advantage of online education is that your employees will be able to study flexibly, at times that do not disturb their routine and their activities at work, and thus learn much more. Moreover, with these trainings, you increase the level of productivity and innovation in your company, since employees are eager to apply the techniques they have learned.
 

# 03 Get people closer

Keeping a "problem worker" isolated from the rest of the company by giving him only negative feedbacks and "tugging" will not make him suddenly decide to change his attitude, but rather make him quit or Be fired. And it is worth remembering here, that the constant turnover of employees may not do good for your company.

When a collaborator is going through a difficult time, or feeling unmotivated, it is important that you show that you care about him, that you want to help, and encourage him to improve.

It is important that all staff continue to have contact with him, provide positive and negative feedback as well as constructive criticism, and that he feels integrated with the reality of the company and its goals and objectives.

At this point, working internal communication in your company becomes even more fundamental and a practical and inexpensive way of doing this is with online videos on a Corporate TV, for example.

With it you can centralize all the communications and information that must be passed on to employees in one place, and you can still view lectures and trainings periodically, as well as the "Word of the President", which motivates and engages.
 

# 04 Offer incentives to your employees

Have you heard of Gamification? Gamification is to use techniques, strategies and game design in contexts other than those games themselves, in order to stimulate healthy competition, provide rewards, and deliver quick feedback.

How about applying this technique to your company?

Be it in online trainings, with rewards of progress, or in fact, with awards for the most engaged and productive, recognizing the work of your employees is a way to motivate them, give feedback and encourage healthy competition among them, which can do With which even the most discouraged begin to strive harder.
 

# 05 Listen to people

Last but not least, you should always remember that, rather than with employees, you are dealing with people, who have a personal life, feelings, desires, needs and frustrations. Before punishing an employee for his or her downfall or failure and behavior, find out what is going on, let him talk, and more importantly, listen and consider.

That way you avoid losing a good employee for futile reasons and fleeting complications.

Now that you already know how to identify "zombie collaborators" and also the best ways to cure them, simply assess the situation in your company and take the measures that are most appropriate to your reality.

Do not forget that the zombie state can have several causes and always value the good communication in your company to try to understand what caused this type of behavior. Evaluate whether the problem is a personal matter of the employee or if it comes from a failure in your company and try to solve it in any way possible.

Also remember not to despair, to invest in motivational actions, to train your employees and to simplify processes. All of these things are critical in times of crisis and falling productivity and can save your business from financial loss or a massive layoff.

LinkedIn article

The customer company

 

There is only one boss. The customer. And he can fire everyone from the chairman down, simply by spending his money somewhere else.

For decades the experts have been proclaiming the dawn of a new revolution. A world where customers are no longer at the mercy of corporation. Where they don't have to suffer through bad services or broken products, long waits or endless phone trees and where they have no real voice or no recurse.


Until now it's been a hollow proclamation.

Welcome to the world of the ever connected... always highly opinionated.. and always on the move customer.

This is a customer who understands thay now have power. And they know how to use it. They have expectations and they have choices if those expectations aren't met. And boy do they have choices.

They also have a voice. And it is loud and far reaching. To earn their loyalty goes way beyond the loyalty program. You need to earn their trust. Because make no mistake, this is a trust revolution. You need to recognize them as more than just numbers or accounts. But as unique human beings with a distinct set of needs.

They now expect more than just a product or a service. They expect a relationship that has equal terms. They expect to be a the center of your world. And you my friends, need to put them there.

You need to become a customer company.

• A customer company is available 24/7 at any place your customers happen to be. 
• A customer company listens first to every customer on every channel. 
• A customer company connect their customers, employees, partners and products. 
• Customer company knows that the conversation never stops. 
• They're grateful for their customers business and they create communities. 
• They respect their customer identity, privacy and money. 
• Most importantly a customer company knows that their customers are the same person no matter how they get in touch. 
• They don't just create satisfied customers, they create evangelists.
  

And when you become a customer company you'll transform everything. Will accelerate your growth from inside out by giving your employees an enjoyable way to truly collaborate.

You'll close deals faster and together gaining a real competitive advantage.You'll listen to customers and provide great service everywhere.

It is time to become a customer company.

See the LinkedIn article

What is to be a Systems Analyst

A systems analyst is an information technology (IT) professional who specializes in analyzing, designing and implementing information systems. Systems analysts assess the suitability of information systems in terms of their intended outcomes and liaise with end users, software vendors and programmers in order to achieve these outcomes. 

A systems analyst is a person who uses analysis and design techniques to solve business problems using information technology.

Systems analysts may serve as change agents who identify the organizational improvements needed, design systems to implement those changes, and train and motivate others to use the systems.

Although they may be familiar with a variety of programming languages, operating systems, and computer hardware platforms, they do not normally involve themselves in the actual hardware or software development. They may be responsible for developing cost analysis, design considerations, staff impact amelioration, and implementation timelines.

A systems analyst is typically confined to an assigned or given system and will often work in conjunction with a business analyst. These roles, although having some overlap, are not the same. A business analyst will evaluate the business need and identify the appropriate solution and, to some degree, design a solution without diving too deep into its technical components, relying instead on a systems analyst to do so. A systems analyst will often evaluate code, review scripting and, possibly, even modify such to some extent.

Some dedicated professionals possess practical knowledge in both areas (business and systems analysis) and manage to successfully combine both of these occupations, effectively blurring the line between business analyst and systems analyst.