There are various skills and capabilities that a Junior Business Analyst must have to successfully facilitate the implementation of projects and qualify for higher level responsibilities in the future as illustrated in the research synthesis matrix below. A junior business analyst may require in large part soft skills which are mostly non-technical skills such as listening and team-building to enhance his or her performance 20. As a junior business analysis, there are various capabilities and skills that I possess and which enhance my career path. They include effective documentation skills given the nature of my profession which involves dealing with a lot of data which is not properly managed may be easily lost 3,5,10,14,

Secondly, my interviewing and listening skills are increasingly outstanding and are very useful while assessing the needs of the team members 2,6. Analytical skills are also crucial capabilities that enable junior business analysts to accurately evaluate all the collected data and decompose high-level information into simple details 7,9,10,11,12,13,17,18. The fourth essential skill is teamwork which involves facilitating effective collaboration amongst team members in completing tasks 8,15,16,18,19. Change management skills are also crucial for a junior business analyst given the nature of responsibilities undertaken by this professional which often involve dealing with data related to changes in processes 4,5,9.

Moreover, a junior business analyst is supposed to have excellent reporting skills to help in communicating with the stakeholders about the risks, issues, status and milestone made by a company through using periodic reports 14. Facilitation skills also play a crucial role in enhancing the ability of junior business analysts to support moderate brainstorming sessions that can help in yielding better ideas for the companies 15, 16.  However, there are several skills and capabilities that as a junior business analyst, I have to improve to effectively handle my assigned roles diligently and with a lot of accuracies. These skills and capabilities are marked with a star sign in the research synthesis matrix below.

Strategies for Improving the Weak Skills and Capabilities

Various approaches can be employed in the attempt of enhancing my weak capabilities which have been indicated in the matrix table below (Paul, Yeates and Cadle, 2014, pp.35). Firstly, prioritising gaps in which I have weak skills and capabilities can help me determine the essential skills I am supposed to improve and this should be followed by the development of an effective action plan (IIBA, 2015, pp.46). The action plan outlines the various steps that I need to develop to effectively improve on these weaknesses (Grauer and Wierzbicki, 2013, pp.38). Some of the critical components of the action plan include activities such as enrolling for training sessions and reading relevant materials that have information on the best ways to improve those particular skills and capabilities particularly communication skills which are very vital for a business analyst (FAO and ISRIC, 2012, pp.27). Others include brainstorming by discussing with others on the most effective ways of improving those capabilities and skills especially those related to communication and conflict resolution (Australian Institute of Health, 2012, pp.46). Seeking advice from superior managers on how to solve conflicts amongst members can help in enhancing one’s problem-solving skills.

Research Synthesis Matrix