mind × the + gap ™

Question: Is Analysis an Art or a Science? Answer: Part - I Analysis is an art of keeping it strictly scientific, until it starts defying itself against the known 'rules', and that's when to push it towards the realms of 'Strategy'. Part - II Analysis is essentially an Art {lavish, spendthrift and something to marvel about} that needs to be enclosed within certain boundaries {make it budgeted and time-bound} that's when it becomes a Science. {a tool to extract tangibility out of subtlety} Part - III Neither and Both. The problem with this question is that it is holistic, which it should not be. The answer would largely depends on the field and domain where the 'expertise' is required. If the field is predominant with numbers, scientific approach should lead artistry; Otherwise, let science and data support artistry. What would be your answer?

(Statutory warning: Contents of this post are Highly Addictive!) The versatile, genius, immensely talented and intelligent, life-time achievement award winner, and winner of stand-up comedian of the year 1998, Jeff Dunham who made me roll over the floor laughing... Simply brilliant.. Your overtaxed mind needs a 10 minute break.. Go for it! To meet with Peanut, the one above: go here . For a list of the gang on YouTube: go here . If you are wondering what ventriloquist and puppetry or a stand-up comic is, go here . If you would want to learn how to (legitimately) download YouTube videos to your desktop, don't go anywhere, just email me... :-)

SOMEONE RECENTLY POSTED A QUESTION to the BA community at large to the effect of identifying 'universal skill-set' for a Business Analyst. A variety of responses were received in the public forum, some of which (including mine) were chosen under the 'good answer' category. At the outset, the field of business analysis is far too wide, spread-out and pan-industry to have a single set-of-skills. However, in terms of 'universal' skill-set for analysis in business, a certain personality traits could contribute to the arsenal of an effective Business Analyst. A Business Analyst is a management consultant in the making, and IMHO, basically you need a balanced personality between the ears and having: common-sense ability of seeing the Big (macro) picture in smaller (micro) details neutrality of judgement (having the effect of 'being' external) poly-point-of-views, with negotiation skills stakeholder management with the ability to provide (respective) 'view...

A loving girl friend led the charge on me by saying something like this: "You all men are like that... Hello! this is not Victorian age any longer..! Wake up.. else we would just march over your dumb head and pot-belly..."

A really interesting article by the Editor in Chief at Wired magazine , Chris Anderson titled "Free! Why $0.00 Is the Future of Business" was the subject of much debate recently. Accordingly to Chris, the economy of the brave new world is mainly driven by "scarcity" and "wastage" (as against to the old world concept of demand vs. supply). Out side of online business it may take a rather detailed and elaborate study to apply this new economy driver phenomenon to the world at large, such as manufacturing or airline industry. Chris talks about six business models with examples that are used in the web2.0 economy, and goes on the indicate that all of them revolves around the concept of "Free!". At the same time, he argues that less successful (or failed) ventures have not appreciated the psychological bearer called "penny gap" which separates the cheap from the free. Talking about "Freeconomics", he says that what makes 'free...

What is the reason for someone to create and maintain a Weblog? Blog is a tool to put ideas, reactions and observations into public. A personal diary in public. In the process, one creates content, expresses likes and dislikes (and gives opportunities to Web2.0 apps to sell you a relevant product!), have the contentment of speaking it out (and, in some cases, being 'heard' also), and it creates a possibility for an interaction for you where someone might respond to your views. As to the frequency of blogging , I do not suppose there could be any rules as such. I think if you get one good idea per week to talk about in your blog, and you keep that practice for an year, effectively you would end up having about 50 good ideas. I would say, that makes a really productive year: 50 good ideas! Not bad... This also goes on speaking about the new Social dynamics that the technology has infused among us. On the downside, the chief one, as I see it, is that there is a real threat to a pr...

While reading " Mind, the Gap " again, I felt the need of explaining the usage of term 'economics'. The classical definition of the terms goes somewhat like the following: economics (ĕk'ə-nŏm'ĭks, ē'kə-) n. 1. (used with a sing. verb) The social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services and with the theory and management of economies or economic systems. In other words, it is classical trade but in a much advanced and re-defined form. All throughout 1900's, economics remained the force of forces, surfacing in clear sight in forms of capitalism, especially towards the last couple of decades of the century (whilst communism was being defeated by its own self). In the current century, however, the term has to expand event more that "production, distribution and consumption" to encompass the new dimensions of technological proliferations of the society - namely, Web 2., et al. In the sense that I...

In an interesting parallel with the ' Mind Gap ' concept, here is a quote from the strategy by a marketing guru to the modern successful IT enterprises, advising the CEO's of the interplay between psychology and economy in making of an effective marketing strategy and selling their systems: "... the strategy is to focus market development efforts on the end-user community [who you want to use your system], not on the technical community. Specifically you want to enlist the support of the economic buyer , the line executive or manager in the end-user organization who has the profit-and-loss responsibility for the given function your product serves... [Psychologically] you should not expect to secure primary sponsorship from the IT professionals... [A new product and a paradigm shift] is not in the interest of the IT department. It means extra work for them, and it exposes their mission-critical systems to additional risks... [Psychologically] it would not have been in t...

An ancient Sanskrit saying has it: तुंडे तुंडे मतीः भिन्ना। (tunde tunde mateehi bhinna) Which literally means that every head has a differing mind. Less subtly, everyone has a different opinion. It may remain unsubstantiated at this hour, but I would argue that this difference and diversity is stemming from the ‘Genetic diversity’ as found prevalent as a principle under Biodiversity as a hole. Biodiversity, in a sense, is a science of studying all the various species and their interdependence that gives the significance to the ecology and bio-ecosystem of the Earth. Taken a few logical steps further on the same line, this would translate into the social phenomenon classified as Cultural diversity, and so forth. It is the Mind , the psychology , that divides and at the same time units all individual aspects under the single ecology of the cultural fabric. In other words, things are as they are in the world, good or bad, because of this Diversity principle - what may be considered...

"Mind The Gap" THE TRADEMARK PHRASE ASSOCIATED with London Underground. Like many things British, a tourist would rather bear this in mind after a visit to London and its Underground. It's written on the edges of the platform. It's spoken over on the loudspeakers on the stations during rush hours. It's heard even inside the train during the announcements for next station. Other than that, there is a coffee mug given to me as a present by a dear friend in London that proudly proclaims "Mind the Gap". And then there is this lovely black T-shirt that imprints so on your chest. And there are certain other garments also but which I prefer not to use.. As if, the 'gap' is everywhere. Well, this blog that I (hope to) beat around with is not about London, Underground, travel, or anything so related. The title should rather read: Mind, the Gap. But I purposefully dropped the comma in hopes of riding on the popularity that I saw standing ther...