To some, there is a mountain of stress and worry. To me, I get extremely excited and pumped up! I have learned these large projects, while stressful at times, provide the greatest opportunity to grow your skills and craft as a Business Analyst. These are the projects that will help define your career and will be the building blocks to get you to the next level!

Since I am not directly engaged in many projects nowadays, it had been awhile since I had these feelings. But recently, as I made the decision to take a giant leap with TheBAGuide.com and send it into an area I have little familiarity, one of these seemingly endless and impossible projects stands before me.

It got me thinking...why don't I feel as stressed as others when I am about to tackle one of these behemoths? After some self reflection I realized I tend not to focus on the large scale of the project at hand. Instead I focus hard on outlining my process to achieve success, and then I take one step at a time.

For those of you who feel the wave of anxiety creep in when these gigantic projects come your way, don't fear any longer. Here are my 4 steps to begin any large project.

1.) Understand the Problem

Large projects are generally an evolution from numerous critical pain points or opportunities within the business. The decision is made to try to address as many of the areas of need at once. While this can be a great idea, this can also cause some initial constraints. Your first step when being assigned to any project is understanding the problem you are trying to solve. Get comfortable with why the project was approved and validate what the business is trying to achieve.

2.) Define the Scope

Now that you understand the problem, you need to get a grasp on the bounds of the project. Just because the project is big in nature, does not mean the scope is endless. You need to find and document what those boundaries are. Fully wrap your arms around what truly will help to solve the problem and get the business to agree on what is in and what is out. Trust me when I say, when you hit the second half of the project phases, having a loosely defined scope will cause you more stress and heartburn than you can ever imagine. Clearly define the scope up front, before any work is done, and when those "oh we need this too" enhancements come up, you can easily explain what can be done as part of this project and what will be done in potential future enhancement phases.

3.) Make a Plan