As a business analyst, we are the guide to help clients through the journey of a change.
To be an effective guide we need to understand not only what the journey is, but also any of the side roads the client may go down.
If the client decides they are going to pursue a direction that is not in their best interest, and won’t get them closer to the change they are looking for, we need to understand what that direction would entail. We can’t simply tell the client what direction to follow, we need to explain the shortcomings and the pitfalls in the alternative paths.
A client may need to look over the cliff to determine that is not the direction to go. The client needs to choose the path, and as a business analyst, we need to give them the knowledge and the understanding to choose the best path.