Incoming Business Analyst - Recommendations for Effective Communication Skills

Hi there,

congrats, first of all, to your full-time role.

In terms of your perception - you're spot on. Effective comms is one of the most crucial skills that an effective consultant needs to have. 

Rest asssured, however, that this is a continuous process you will go through and noone expects you to come in already fully polished - so would not over-do it on the preparation as the firms will put you through rigorous training and feedback loops to help you get where you need to be.  

That said, if you want to get a head start, in line with what the other coaches mentioned, I can stronly recommend the 2 classic resources (+ 1 more lesser known).. 

1. Pyramid Principle by Barbara Minto - the referenc work the entire industry is built on. A must read, be it before you start, or once you start. Most comms trainings will reference this resource.
2. Say it with Charts by Gene Zelazny - will give you great foundations for written communications / slide writing. At firms like BCG this resource is also used / referenced quite heavily for various comms trainings. 
3. Communications for Consultants by Rita Owens - would add this resources as it emphasizes very well the need to be variable in terms of communications style as a consultant, i.e. being able to tailor to your audience. The books 

Hope this helps. Feel free to reach out if you need further pointers.

Regards, Andi

I'd definitely recommend coaching. I was actually not a great communicator but 3 public speaking classes at Stern transformed how I present.

PASSIVE learning of communication is inherently flawed…right? You have to actually go do it.

Hi there!

Wow, that's a great question to ask. 

I'd recommend two books to being with:

1. Emotional Intelligence - Daniel Goleman
2. The Power of A Positive No - William Ury

Aside from this, you can read these two articles I wrote which synthesize my learnings from consulting and address how you can become a distinctive consultant in your first year:

• Free Guide: How to Become A Distinctive Consultant
• Free Guide: How to Manage for Lifestyle in Consulting

Best,
Cristian

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Hi,

Barbara Minto's Pyramid Principle is still the seminal book on effective business communication. I would strongly recommend you reading it and internalizing the key points at the earliest, even though you will be exposed to it sooner or later (it definitely will be covered in communication training in your firm).

All the best!

Hi there, thanks for the question and congratulations on your BA position !

First of all remember to cover both type of communications: spoken and written.

Books i recommend:

1. “The pyramid principle: Logic in Writing and Thinking” - by Barbara Minto. This is a classic for almost every consulting firm and helps covering spoken and written communication.

2. “Say It With Charts: The Executive's Guide to Visual Communication” - by Gene Zelazny, she was the Director of Visual Communications for McKinsey. Will give you a good grasp on graphs for your slides (you'll do plenty of those).

Best,

Alonso

Hello,

Congratulations on getting a full-time BA position!

“The Pyramind Principle” by Barbara Minto is good. I also recommend “Leading Organizations” by McKinsey partners Scott Keller and Mary Meaney.

You’ll also learn a lot about effective communication from observing others in your workplace and learning by doing! In my time as a business analyst, this was formative for me in terms of learning to be proactive, not being afraid to reach out, etc.