{"id":2329,"date":"2015-06-04T00:01:08","date_gmt":"2015-06-04T04:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/terrencemetz.com\/?p=2329"},"modified":"2026-04-21T13:44:26","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T17:44:26","slug":"business-analyst-body-of-knowledge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mgrush.com\/blog\/business-analyst-body-of-knowledge\/","title":{"rendered":"Facilitate: Indispensable in Guide to the Business Analyst Body of Knowledge \u00ae"},"content":{"rendered":"

How to run a better meeting is like learning to be a better listener, easy to understand but hard to do.<\/h2>\n

Why? Poor muscle memory. What can we do about it? Change our muscle memory.\u00a0While perfect practice remains the best way to overcome poor muscle memory, take a closer look at the International Institute of Business Analysis\u2122 (IIBA\u00ae), in particular the newest edition of their Guide to the Business Analyst Body of Knowledge\u00a0\u00ae<\/strong> known as BABOK\u00ae Guide v3.<\/span><\/p>\n

In the Business Analyst Body of Knowledge\u00a0about disciplined and structured thinking, the term \u2018facilitate\u2019 appears 112 times over 514 pages. Statistically, ~25 percent of its pages indicate the need, reference, or link to the importance of facilitation.<\/span><\/p>\n

Operational Definitions<\/span><\/h3>\n
\"Facilitate:<\/a>

Good and Bad Muscle Memory<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

Interestingly, and perhaps to avoid redundancy, the IIBA provides two different operational definitions for the term \u2018facilitation.\u201d In section (9.5.1) focused exclusively on facilitation, they state (pg 217) that:<\/span><\/p>\n

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Facilitation is the skill of moderating discussions within a group in order to enable all participants to effectively articulate their views on a topic under discussion and to ensure that participants in the discussion are able to recognize and appreciate the differing points of view that are articulated.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Later in the much-appreciated Glossary, they use the following definition (pg 456):<\/span><\/p>\n

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facilitation: The art of leading and encouraging people through systematic efforts toward agreed-upon objectives in a manner that enhances involvement, collaboration, productivity, and synergy.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

In addition, we also humbly suggest that facilitation is both an art AND<\/span> a science. Therefore, we use the term SMart<\/em>, suggesting the combination of an objective scientific method (SM) combined with the subjective and adjustable features, the \u2018art\u2019<\/em> (ergo, SMart<\/em>). To the extent possible, we aspire toward repeatable, consistent outputs by using the rigor of disciplined structure.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Business Analyst Body of Knowledge further provides a reference to many of the opportunities for us to improve our muscle memory by becoming better facilitators, and although too many to list, here are a few samplings where you ought to focus your practice efforts to become more facilitative when leading groups of people:<\/span><\/p>\n

Initially, facilitate . . .<\/span><\/h3>\n