When an individual or an organization wants to fix something, test a new idea or embarks on any mission, normally what they are looking for is to change something.
Change and Disruption
To produce change, you need to take actions, because if no steps are taken, things will continue being as they were until you or your business get disrupted. Disruption is something that you don’t necessarily want to see in your life or company or let’s better say at least that if you get disrupted, you want to be somehow ready.
Today, being in constant change is a must for most of us (look at 2020 if you want some examples).
The most distinct feature of the GIDAR Analytics Framework is the insistence on Actions, on producing change.
Who is Responsible for Change?
Suggesting what to do next or how to change has been traditionally out of the scope of Business Analysis and Insight teams. Unfortunately, business sponsors will trigger changes using less, let’s say, scientific approaches like HIPO or eventually not change until disruption comes.
Fundamentally, we need to take actions to meet our goals. The base for these actions will be the Information, Data and the Analysis that we did in previous steps.
As Benjamin Disraeli would say:
Action may not always bring happiness, but there is no happiness without action.
Benjamin Disraeli
Types of Action
In a normal situation (sometimes also in extraordinary circumstances) there are three types of action:
- Removing something that is not working: Closures, laid offs, cost-cutting, etc.
- Replicating something that worked well before: Products, Campaigns, Offers, Teams.
- Experimenting with something new: New technology, a new type of product. Something that we haven’t done before.
Inducing Action
A critical human factor of the GIDAR Methodology is proactivity. It is crucial that you come to the Actions workshop with ideas or suggestions, and that you approach this session as a brainstorm.
Regardless you are an expert or not in the topic; you have business domain knowledge, you are Junior or Senior, after collecting Information, Data and doing Analysis you (your team) must have some ideas.
The second part of this step is to get more initiatives from the sponsors/stakeholders.
Finally, assess which one of them are feasible and which ones we cannot do now.
By the end of this step, you need to have one or more actions that will be put in motion to meet the goal.
Some (basic) examples:
- Increase, reduce prices
- Change the opening hours
- Implement new policies
- Change a process
- Target a new segment
- Launch a campaign
- Add new products
- Remove products
- Launch a new sales channel
- Implement a lead acquisition tactic
Summary: No Action, No Change, No Result
Actions differentiate a good Business analysis from an excellent one.
Actions are also the most challenging step of the GIDAR framework because you need to produce one of the hardest things for humans: Change. We are creatures of habit, and we hate changes.
Changes at work usually mean “more work” or simply moving out of the comfort zone. Get buy-in from stakeholders and decision-makers. If they are reluctant, Produce accurate estimates if possible on what the change could result, back up every suggestion with your analysis, so there is no space for ambiguity.
Your objective in this step is to bring everyone on board. When you change your direction, you frequently find waves ahead, and everyone should row in the same direction.
The best part is that you are only one step away to see Results.
