This year I attended IRM’s BA Conference Europe 2022 for the very first time in my many years as a business analyst. I absolutely loved it, and am now back from London and in the post-conference-comedown trying to process my thoughts on the event and my experience.
What grabbed my attention?
Without a doubt, Dr Alan Watkins’ keynote speech was the most arresting and challenging talk I’ve ever attended. In a thumbnail-sketch PESTLE analysis, Alan presented a truly alarming picture of the number, scale, and “wickedness” of the challenges humanity faces today. I really would not have been surprised if there were some tears shed around the room. However, Alan was not pessimistic, and he argued that these challenges could be addressed – and that we as BAs are really well placed to be part of the solutions.
His challenge to us in the audience was therefore to become activists ourselves. I need more time to think about how I’ll respond to this challenge, and what changes I’ll be making in my work. I want to talk to other BAs and get their views and ideas. Watch this space.
Another keynote, this time from Roger Burlton, also got my mind whirring. He talked about business architecture, and presented a really clear, coherent argument for applying architecture and analytic techniques through planning, designing, building, and operating the business.
Christina Lovelock’s talk ‘Leaders, Followers and Trusted Advisors’ and Jamie Toyne’s ‘How Do We Tackle the Business Analyst Skills Shortage?’ both dealt with subjects close to my heart. Christina gave a great explanation of how views of leadership and followership have evolved over time, and how the BA role fits so well into the “trusted advisor” position. Jamie discussed the demand for business analysis skills, the challenges in developing the people we need, and what we might be able to do to foster future talent. Having (for much of my career) bemoaned the fact that “nobody understands business analysis”, it’s great to hear people talking so clearly about the role, and its ability to unlock potential value for organisations now and in the future.
I must also mention my fellow IIBA UK colleague Sam Merrick’s story ‘The Vampire and the Stakeholders’! Sam has previously achieved fame with last year’s presentation for his creative use of images, animation, storytelling, and rhyme when talking about BA skills and techniques. He delivered once again with this story about finding appropriate techniques to engage with different types of stakeholder. Useful, inventive, and superbly funny (if you like cheesy puns!).
What can I use in my work?
The chance to learn from experts is one of the very best things about BA Conference Europe.
A particular standout for me was a session with Paddy Dhanda and Grant Wright’s ‘The Power of Persuasion – How to Create Change through the Art of Storytelling’. These guys are fantastic storytellers, and showed how you can craft an engaging story to convey your message using simple-but-effective structures. Their work at The Visual Jam is seriously worth checking out if you haven’t already and want to get better at visual communication. I really want to look at using more storytelling in my communication with stakeholders, so I’m sure I’ll be following their work closely for further inspiration and tips!
Graham Newton and Charlie Payne from National Grid also addressed working with stakeholders in their session on making collaboration more effective. They brought lots of tips on eliminating potential blockers and hazards before they happen through effective planning. Getting really clear on the purpose of a meeting (generating ideas, sorting ideas, or prioritising ideas) sounds simple, but so easily gets cursory attention.
A few of the sessions I attended made use of tools such as Slido or Mentimeter to get audiences asking questions and actively engaging in content. I’d not come across these before, but they seem really useful when you want input from your audience without vocal individuals dominating discussion
Connecting with fellow BA professionals
Probably the most important component of BA Conference Europe for me was the opportunity to meet so many of my peers. As Better Business Analysis currently consists of a sole business analysis professional – me – I really value opportunities to connect with others in the industry.
There were many people who I have encountered virtually in the last couple of years, and it was great to finally see these folks in three dimensions at last! Meeting these people in a more informal context than a Zoom discussion or webinar also gave a lovely opportunity to find out more about them, and also to have deeper conversations about those aspects of business analysis we’re really nerdy about.
As I was on the IIBA UK stand, I got to meet a host of BAs I’d not spoke to before; we got a lot of interest in our events and our annual mentoring scheme. so I’m hoping to meet many of them again in the coming weeks and months!
BA Conference Europe 2022 was also an opportunity to meet some of the “superstars” in the business analysis world. I got to speak to people who wrote some of the books on the shelf above my desk, and while I am still in quiet awe of these people, it’s lovely how approachable they are in real life. They say you should never meet your heroes, but every one of them was brilliant up-close too!
It’s also great to think that some of the other attendees at the conference – possibly for the first time – may be the stars of our profession in years to come!
Who wasn’t there?
In my role at IIBA UK, I’m responsible for helping to build connections between business analysis professionals, growing the community, and fostering the sharing of knowledge and experience. I find myself very conscious that there are going to be many BAs that didn’t know about the conference, didn’t think it offered enough value for them to attend, or that wanted to attend but couldn’t for some reason. I even found myself mind-mapping potential blockers, as I really want as many BAs as possible to access the kind of benefits BA Conference Europe offers.
I think cost is a really significant issue. As I was there to man the IIBA UK stand, I didn’t have to pay for my ticket to conference. Tickets are far from cheap – £1,595 for the full 3 days – and almost all of the BAs I spoke to were attending courtesy of their (usually large) employers. Perhaps there are ways of making the event more affordable (such as different payment models). Building the evidence base for the value received by attendees is essential.
Beyond BA Conference Europe – and particularly in my work with IIBA UK – I want to increase the opportunities for business analysis professionals to connect with each other and share knowledge and experiences. This means enabling more events to more people, offering value in an affordable, accessible way, and making more connections myself within the BA community.
Returning next year?
IRM and the conference committee did a great job of organising this year’s event, and BA Conference 2023 is already in my calendar for next September. With luck, I shall be there as part of IIBA UK’s team once more. I’ll also give serious thought to submitting an idea for a talk; I’m so inspired by the bravery and generosity of all those who spoke in front of audiences – particularly for the first time or while suffering from acute nerves. Any suggestions for topics would be welcome!
In the meantime, I’ll continue to fly the flag for BAs to grow their networks and engage in this talented, creative, and friendly community.