“It’s like speaking another language, and I don’t know if I am going to get it!” S said morosely. ☹…
“But I didn’t know what to saaaay!” he was in despair. 😞“You don’t have to say anything, you’re supposed to…
#SelfAwareness.Do you have it? 🤨How do you know you have it?How do you know it isn’t your bias or ego…
“Oh how awful! Actually I broke all 32 ribs when I fell off that horse!” 🤕“He left you? Well, my…
Which one wins?Nature🌱 or Nurture 🥕? In my non-certified-expert-opinion, I believe that nurture plays a strong part in shaping who…
Chris Voss FBI master negotiator calls it ‘Labelling’ – the verbal observations of feelings. When listening, we can use ‘reflecting’…
“We have signed off the user stories! But the client keeps adding acceptance criteria during the sprint!” 😫 What the…
“Low and slow.” That’s the simple trick I use to de-escalate and defuse charged situations. It also stands me well…
When is 200 x 1 ≠ 1 x 200?When you’re running a frickin test case that’s what! 😫 “How could that…
Going to #DF23?Why not grab my book to read on the plane? 😁 I’m going to be there so if you…
Irrelevance. 😥With the rise of #AI, that’s a real fear facing many people. I talk about the human skill of #ActiveListening with Gillian Bruce at…
“What if you disagree with them? Or if you don’t like them or what they’re saying or thinking or doing?”…
I take a deep breath.I quiet the noise in my head. 🎧I push down the rising emotions. I open my…
𝗦𝘄𝗶𝗽𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗜 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭𝟬-𝟭𝟭 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴(Link to the google slides in the comment👇🏻)…
In a conversation, when I am ‘Me’ focused, I am:– crafting my reply to jump in to interrupt when you…
You’ll get over it.Don’t worry, you’ll be fine!Look on the bright side, at least you have your health.It could be…
“I used this way of working in my previous company and it worked, so it should work here too.” 🤨…
“Whaaat? I didn’t realise a #BusinessAnalyst did all these things!” 😱 Just finished two concurrent Consulting Discovery Masterclass which focused on what…
“Mum, you know in that movie where King Midas wished that everyhing he touched turn to gold?” “Mm-hmm?” “How did…
“You’re really good at what you do.” He chuckled quietly down the phone. “I guess I’ll go to bed. I’m…
When do I listen with my head 🧠?And when do I listen with my heart ❤? It depends. I listen…
“𝗜𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯.”Badly. Ask me how it actually does the job. “𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗼𝗸, 𝗜 𝗴𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘀.”I’m not too sure, but…
Hey all – my talk is up next on today’s sfbasummit (dot)com schedule … in about 1.5 hrs! (6pm UK…
So Alex Warneke and I are doing this thing at the #SFBASummit.If you’re a #Salesforce#BusinessAnalyst, you might want to come and choose your BA…
#SalesforceBA exam module: User Acceptance 8%Do you know your Severity Levels?And no, it’s not the same as Priority Level. Sometimes it’s…
#SalesforceBA exam module: User Acceptance 8%What is QA?How do you ensure quality?What’s gold standard?Is “Perfectionism” it?What’s perfect anyway?How do you test…
#SalesforceBA exam module: User Stories 17% (10 Questions)“Just see what you can do to make things better, will you?” That’s how…
My brain goes Ding!Ding!Ding! when I see a beautiful flow diagram. 😍 Of course, this exquisite illustration is the #Salesforce Order of…
#SalesforceBA exam module: Requirements 17% (10 Questions) #Agile is not perfect.Especially in the world of software implementation like #Salesforce. It’s far better suited…
How to rock that UAT and #SalesforceBA Cert workshop schedule change. I set off to run 26 sessions over as many week…
How might you instruct someone how to make your favourite hot/cold beverage? ☕🍵 We did some Process Mapping exercise yesterday…
Next issue of my newsletter (released tomorrow) focuses on How to make Toenail Pancakes! 🥞🤭 NOT!! Actually I will be…
“Understand how Salesforce features and best practices impact solution options and business processes.” We were doing the #Salesforce BA Exam Working session…
If you haven’t done your exam yet, you might want to attend the no-charge #Salesforce BA Exam Working Group sessions I’m running.…
𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲𝘀 – what’s your style? 💃🏻 In yesterday’s #Salesforce BA cert Working Group session, we discussed the different styles a Business…
𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 (𝟮𝟰% – 𝟭𝟰 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀)Salesforce BA exam – second module. We looked at what it means to Know…
Can a mild mannered Business Analyst save humanity from Zombies?!With the right attitude, anything is possible! 😁 That’s what we…
What documents do the #Salesforce Business Analyst write?“Anything their boss asks them to!” 😂 That was probably the best answer to the…
So if the #Salesforce Org is like a human body, what would the #AwesomeAdmin be? 😁 We had a fun game yesterday at the…
Is there such a thing as 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 diversity when considering who to invite for a workshop? I believe a…
Do #Salesforce BAs need to know the Salesforce platform skills to do their job well? 🤔 𝗜𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀! … is the lawyer-y…
“If we’ve got wind behind us…”“Am sure there’ll be no problems or surprises…”“We’ll be fine… I’m an optimist!” 😬 That’s…
Listening is 𝗔𝗟𝗪𝗔𝗬𝗦 the first step …To understandingTo getting closerTo connectingTo building better relationships. 🌹 That’s why it is important…
📣 36 hours to win a space at my next #Salesforce Consulting Discovery Masterclass starting 11 June! There has been a few…
“The Sales Cloud implementation will replace all key functions of The Calc, Company X’s current sales application which will be…
*Suicide Trigger alert*Deborah Harvey asked a beautiful question about what to do if you pass someone on a bridge who may…
“I’m fine.”“I love it.”“It’s nothing.”“No, it doesn’t hurt at all.” There are some whose thoughts, feelings and words align –…
“What? You mean I’m assigned to run the project on client site as soon as I finish my 1-week bootcamp? All…
Nervous. Excited. Worried. Keen. Terrified.Big feelings. The cohort of Samaritans volunteer were feeling a jumble of big emotions at their first training…
Ring Ring Ring“Hello Samaritans, can I help you?”*click* This is called a ‘snap’.It’s when our callers hang up as soon as…
The Chess King is the ‘𝗪𝗵𝘆’. 🤴🏻Without the ‘Why’, there is no point to the game.All is lost. And the…
“Do you think we are selling too many projects?” “What’s your QBQ?” “QBQ?” “The Question Behind your Question.” “Oh. Umm……
I’m in Mexico with the family for holiday 🏖 and it’s been lovely. The weather, the people, the food!Amazing! 😍…
Do you believe everything you read? Especially if it’s got lovely pastel watercolours and with beautiful squirly writing? Or how…
Have you had something grow so stealthily, so sneakily that you never notice anything until it’s too late? Could be…
“My car is broken. How long will it take to fix it?” “I want a fancy wedding with flying pigs…
Sigh. Yes – adults can be dramatic too, especially when they want something. Power and Leverage – this is such…
What’s your shape? 📐🟥⭕ Does it fit the role you’re going for?Does it fit the idea of what your spouse/significant…
The Job Description for a #CRM Consultant for #Salesforce should not include “Psychic.” One of the traits of a really good consultant is the…
We are born with 2 fears: falling and loud noises.All other fears are learned… including the fear of not being…
Preparing for a new #Salesforce Consultant role𝗧𝗶𝗽 𝟭𝟭 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟮 – 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲 We are all different creatures, and the same word…
Silence can be very powerful.Not just in negotiations but also in situations where emotions are high. When someone comes to…
Facts or feelings? When you’re in a heated argument, sometimes it pays to be more of a listener, and attempt…
Writing requirements is easy. Writing GOOD requirements, tight User Stories, detailed Design Documents that:– is easily understood– is easy to…
The purpose of donuts is…To provide a satisfying gustatory experience?😋To b̵r̵i̵b̵e̵ motivate team performance? 😁To stop a partner from leaving…
When the night draws in, so does the darkness in our lives.Guilt, shame, regret, grief, loss, pain, loneliness, isolation. The…
Let’s talk about documentation. Why is it necessary?Who is it for?What purpose does it serve?Is it meant to be a…
You can’t solve a problem if you don’t open your mind, heart and your ears 👂🏻. I’ve observed that in…
What do you do when your team member has lost a child and you cannot ease their grief?Or when your…
Hey, it’s guess the next pizza pie slice of the SaConJa skills framework day! So the puzzle is a little…
The doodle explains why being Conscientious is something that is key character trait in someone I admire. I love working…
#ActiveListening.An under rated skill. Many people feel the need to make the other person feel better with – sympathy“Oh poor…
But he seemed OK. So I didn’t think he needed any help.She didn’t cry or anything, so I assumed all…
I love questions.I discover so much about others, and so much about myself just by using great questions. It’s a…
There are times when we feel invisible.Isolated.Alone. No one would know if I disappear, you think.No one would know if…
“Why did you do that?”“How come you let that happen?” Judgemental accusation. “Why don’t you do this?”“Why don’t you think…
“What’s the point of listening if you don’t try to help?” “Getting into the hole? What for? Now you’re both…
Silence is under-rated.Nobody likes silence. But sometimes…Sometimes you need to leave a few heartbeats of silence, when someone is sharing…
Do you know the difference between sympathy and empathy? #Samaritans explain it using a metaphor of how one would interact with…
“I just got laid off.” “Yeah I got laid off last year. It sucked. But then I started a business…
Everyone has a hot button. Mine gets triggered when I take a call and the subject hits close to home,…
Why is a soft skill like #communication listed below hard skills like #Salesforce exam certification in a job description? While the basic expectation is…
There are a few things that a Project Manager loves to hear. “You’re so awesome” is something I hear a…
People are afraid to approach someone they think is struggling, because What if they’re wrong?What if they say the wrong…
How do you talk to yourself?What kind of questions do you ask yourself? Are you kind?Are you brusque?Are you inquisitive?Are…
“I really don’t think I can take it anymore.”Her shoulder slumps. Your heart starts beating very fast and you don’t…
How do you make prioritising user stories exciting?You assign animal names of course! This was such a fun talk I…
Here’s a tip if you’re worried about what to say when talking to someone who is struggling. It doesn’t matter…
You can’t see it but I’m crying inside. 😭In the new world order, virtual discovery workshops will become more common.…
Human beings are social creatures.We aren’t meant to be alone. Being in a tight knit team, or a close family…
We really need to listen when someone’s telling us something. Sometimes, we may need to read between the lines to…
Do you assume people know what you’re thinking?Or do you presume to know what other people are thinking? As a #Salesforce consultant,…
What’s the difference between operational business processes, and life processes – say, the process of making friends, or finding a…
I consider myself pretty good at process maps. 😎They used to be *so* amazing (cough!) that my clients would ‘oo’…
How can you listen to so much darkness and not let it taint your soul and spirit?As a listening volunteer…
His job was to break into homes to find the erotic toys and other sexual paraphernalia and get rid of…
What’s the number 1 skill for any #Salesforce or #Microsoft consultant? Designing great solutions?Solving problems?Competency in product knowledge? Luke Menzfeld from Cloud Galacticos talks about listening as…
GIGO = Garbage In, Garbage Out. This is especially true when companies believe that all problems will disappear with new…
Wouldn’t it be great if you were like Dr Strange and could test out different versions of the future? That…
Empathy vs Sympathy. It’s the difference between getting into the hole to be alongside someone, and standing outside the hole…