Most of us have a book sitting half-read somewhere or fully read and already forgotten. You get to the last page, nod along with a few ideas, and then go back to work pretty much the same as before. The reading wasn’t wasted exactly, but it didn’t really change anything either.
Usually that’s less about how you read and more about what happens after. A book can hand you a new way to run a stakeholder workshop, or a story that makes you see a messy project differently, but if nothing happens once you close it, the idea fades fast. Give it a week and most of what you read turns into “yeah, that was a good book,” with the actual details gone.
Try one chapter, one question
Instead of reading the whole thing and hoping something sticks, it helps to slow down after each chapter or story and ask yourself one thing: what would this look like in my current work?
Let’s say a chapter talks about a BA who pushed back on a vague requirement. Don’t just admire it, think about the vague requirement sitting in your own backlog right now and what pushing back on it could actually look like this week. Or if a story is about someone who moved from a technical role into BA, think about what in your own background already carries over.
Talk about it with someone
Ideas tend to get clearer once you say them out loud. If you are reading alongside a peer or a mentor, even ten minutes after a chapter can help, just talking through what stood out and whether you agree with it. Disagreeing is often more useful than agreeing, because it makes you work out what you actually think instead of nodding along.
If you don’t have anyone to read with, the community works just as well. Bring a chapter or a line that stuck with you to a discussion thread and see what others took from it.
Try one small thing before moving on
What separates someone who grows from a book and someone who just finishes it usually comes down to something small: trying one thing before reading further. Ask a question you wouldn’t normally ask. Try writing a user story the way the book suggests or notice a moment where you would usually stay quiet and say something instead.
Reading this way takes longer, but it tends to actually shift how you work, which rushing through in a weekend rarely does.
A new book worth reading this way
Which brings us to a book worth reading one story at a time.
Our community just launched The Ascent, a collection of stories, experiences, and insights from professionals on the business analysis profession, and we are genuinely proud of this one.
The Ascent brings together 23 business analysts from more than 10 countries, sharing real stories from their careers, their journeys, challenges, lessons, successes, and advice. It’s not one expert telling you how it should go, it’s a collective writing for each other, so the stories feel closer to what you are actually dealing with than most career books manage. Whether you are starting your BA career or taking the next step, there is a perspective in here for you.
The Ascent is out now on Selar, and it’s free to download.
Conclusion
A book won’t do the work for you. The value usually shows up later, in a workshop you ran a bit differently, a question you finally asked, a decision that felt a little clearer than it would have otherwise. The Ascent is worth starting with, not because it covers everything, but because the people in it were once exactly where you are now.
Monthly Webinar Reminder
