IndigoCube, South Africa's leading business analysis specialist, has partnered with Dr Kobus Neethling, the world's leading whole brain practitioner, to develop an instrument to help business analysts approach their craft with all four quadrants of their brain.
The partnership is aimed at enhancing the discipline of business analysis in South Africa and beyond. It is the latest in a range of whole brain instruments developed by Neethling, who is also president of the SA Creativity Foundation, author of more than 70 books, holder of six degrees, and one of the most influential people in the country.
Neethling has also developed whole brain instruments for sports such as cricket, rugby and soccer; for executives, HR, new parents, teachers, the medical profession, and many more.
"People in all professions become more proficient when they know what their brain profile is, and how to compensate for a bias in any one area," says Neethling. "IndigoCube management supplied us with the inputs we needed to populate the instrument, and then be able to measure existing and candidate business analysts."
"Business analysts are required to think in the most holistic manner possible," says Ziaan Hattingh, MD of IndigoCube, which trains and mentors business analysts for the corporate market in South Africa.
"They have to be the linkage between IT and business, extracting requirements and translating those accurately and meaningfully in terms the IT team can articulate and use to build systems that serve the business's purpose."
The four quadrants of the brain, L1 and L2, and R1 and R2, each play a specific role in shaping behaviour. L1 is concerned with fact-finding; L2 with planning and organising; R1 with strategic thinking; and R2 with awareness and acceptance finding.
Using data from IndigoCube, Neethling prepares the ideal profile for a business analyst; this is then measured against candidates and existing business analysts to see where they are proficient or deficient. Where deficient, training and mentoring can be provided. It also ensures the wrong candidates are not brought into the system.
"More than most people, business analysts need to use all four quadrants of their brain,” says Hattingh. "They need to gather facts, to do detailed planning and organising, think strategically, and communicate ideas so as to gain support and stimulate passion. In fact, it can be argued that a business analyst who is not using all four quadrants of his brain will not deliver the results required of him. This makes the whole brain instrument of immeasurable value for IndigoCube."
South Africa has a critical shortage of some 600 business analysts, a fact which has impacted negatively on the economy, adds Hattingh. "In this regard, we view our partnership with Dr Neethling as a crucial one to help build the skills base in South Africa."
"Every time we apply our whole brain instruments in particular market sectors, the results are dramatic," says Neethling. "An instrument such as this is applicable across many sectors of the IT market.”
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