Dmitri Maklakov is Head of Business Analysis at Godel. We recently sat down with Dmitri to talk about his interesting journey to Head of BA, the division’s plans over the next 12 months, and to get to know him a little better.
Dmitri, who did you dream of becoming when you were younger?
I suppose the first thing I remember myself, and not from stories, is the tram driver. Later in childhood, I had desires to become a translator and journalist. I still think that my “signals” into space were not clear enough, so neither were meant to be. But you could say to some extent, the work of an analyst requires me to both ‘translate’ and ask tricky questions.
Where did you study and how did you get into IT?
I have a degree in Law; however, I never actually pursued this avenue. My first job after university led me to Business Analysis; I started writing technical specifications, conducting interviews with users and making demos and presentations. After that, getting directly into the IT sector was a matter of technology.
What has been the biggest challenge in your job so far?
I always think that the biggest is yet to come. But looking back, it seems to me that my first engagements in Godel were full of challenges as a whole. The combined role of BA and ADC, the abundance of the client’s systems and their integrations, difficult stakeholder management with a bunch of business owners scattered across different client departments, and in general, a much less flexible approach than I was used to.
This also happened around the time when the UK were going through the biggest shakeup in data protection in over a decade with GDPR. Perhaps all this was one of the main challenges – at least this is how it felt at the time. I was fortunate to have a small but very united team to help me and work through the challenges together.
Can you tell us something you have overcome in your career?
At the beginning of my journey, it was difficult for me to admit to myself and to those around me, that I didn’t know how to do something. I could spend a lot of time and energy trying to figure it out. Although asking would be a much more effective solution, which is something that I have learnt over time and am able pass on that advice to others.
What do you value in your teammates?
I highly value openness. I like it when people are not shy about giving and receiving feedback, both constructive and positive. I also admire dedication. Nevertheless, we spend at least a third of the day at work, this is the serious part of life. If you work reluctantly, without a fuse, then, in my opinion, it’s all in vain. Of course, if we talk about the division, then we are talking about sincerity and giving help and support – this is also very valuable.
Can you remember your first day at Godel?
I remember it like it was yesterday! On June 12 2017, I arrived at Godel and straight away, I was supported by the team, with my onboarding involving a variety of introductions. After a few weeks at the GCP (Godel Corporate Portal) and under strong guidance, I was given my first client project to work on.
When I was given the opportunity to become Head of BA , I felt completely ready to take on new responsibilities and I think that has something to do with the support of the team around me.
By what criteria will you be able to assess that your work as Head of BA is successful?
On the one hand, we can say that we must fulfil the KPI’s that are available for each quarter and for the year – this is unconditional. In addition to this, if we in the division, and other colleagues who work with us understand that the values of people, quality and empowerment is the truth about us – to me, that will feel like a success.
What are your plans for the next 12 months?
It’s quite an exciting time for us – we are growing and have new locations. The main plans for growth are to make sure we don’t lose out on delivery quality and that the team are still comfortable working in the larger division. We are in the process of allocating our new Talent Managers and implementing the plans for Education. The team are currently doing a course on business analysis in the Data domain, expanding the number of PO course trainers, and discussing other educational activities.
Very soon we will be bringing together a small group of juniors for the BA Foundation again. We have not done this for a long time. Both the lecturers of the course and the mentors are waiting for the opportunity to pass on their knowledge to beginners.
What do you like to do in your free time?
Currently, my main hobby is running, I have been doing it for about a year now, I am also a huge fan of Formula 1 racing. The season has just begun and promises to be interesting. I also collect some vinyl records and recently began to discover the world of coffee alternatives!
Finally, what is your favourite quote?
“He who never makes an effort, never risks a failure.”