Last week I attended BA Conference Europe 2023 in London. It was a massive event, with around 500 BA professionals, dozens of speakers, and a whole lot going on!
Thoughts on the content…
With 70 speakers presenting over three days, there was no way to see everything I wanted. However, I was delighted by the talks I did get to attend. I can’t cover them all there, but I’ve tried to pick out some of the highlights…
The keynote speakers were superb. Data journalise David McCandless spoke about his work presenting data through creative and powerful infographics. Rob Baker (Positive Deviant at Tailored Thinking) spoke on why the future of work (in a world of AI) is Human, and Sabrina Cohen-Hatton shared both her personal (and moving) story of overcoming personal circumstances to becoming Chief Fire Officer at West Sussex Fire & Rescue and her tips on making better decisions under intense pressure. All three were really inspirational, and really set the tone for the BA Conference.
Artificial Intelligence was a recurring theme, and (having heard great things about her already) I was keen to hear Dr Kitty Hung talk on the topic. She’s conducted a lot of research into generative AI, and gave some great insights into how this developing technology will shape businesses in the future. She argued that BA professionals will need to become adept at using generative AI as another tool in our toolbox, and gave some tips on building powerful prompts.
Michelle Shakesheff and Catherine Plumbridge led a great workshop session on expanding the range of BA techniques we use in our day-to-day work. A straw poll in the session suggested we (rather shamefully) rely on a very small number of techniques in our work, despite there being a huge range available. Michelle and Catherine brought along resource packs covering dozens of techniques, giving attendees the opportunity to identify and learn about some new approaches they could take away to put into practices. A great session, with two very fun hosts!
I loved hearing Caroline Beasley talk about operating models. She offered a really clear explanation of what an operating model is (and looks like) and some great tips on how to develop current and target operating models in your business analysis work. It was a useful session for me, as my own work often involves trying to articulate a vision for improved business operations that encapsulates multiple perspectives – people, structures, culture, processes, technology, and information.
A number of talks considered the future, both for business analysis and more widely. Jamie Toyne and Joe Newbert both discussed the shape of the BA profession in the future – the challenges and opportunities the BA role will need to face.
Jamie did a great PESTLE analysis of the factors the will drive changes to the BA role in the future. Of course, AI loomed large, but Jamie also identified a huge range of other factors, such as remote working, environmental drivers, income inequality, and governments playing regulatory “catch-up”.
Joe highlighted the key skillsets and mindsets that business analysis professionals would need in the future. His skillsets included “Intrapreneur”, “Polymath”, and “Early Adopter” – flagging the need for BAs to really push themselves out of their comfort zone and get active. I loved the mindset groups Joe identified: “Collaborator”, “Concierge”, “Adventurer”, and “Alchemist”. I could see in each of these aspects of my own approaches to business analysis, but also felt a call to action to really think about deploying a particular BA mindset as a conscious choice.
Louise Cotton talked about performing Health Checks within a BA Community of Practice (COP), and shared her experience of doing this at Just Eat. I speak to a lot of BAs working to build and sustain COPs, and trying to get a feel for what is and isn’t working can be tough – BAs often work alone on their projects, so opportunities to share can be limited. Her approach, based on Spotify’s Squad Health Check method, is fairly light-touch but powerful, and its simple scoring mechanism gives a great way to rapidly diagnose issues and track changes over time. I use a similar approach when reviewing process performance, and it can be a really useful conversation-starter with stakeholders.
The last talk I attended at this year’s BA Conference was Sam Merrick’s latest tale ‘Back to the Future State – Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roadmaps”. If you’ve not come across Sam’s stories before, I recommend looking out for them – he uses really creative illustrations, animation, poetry, and (bad) puns to explain business analysis concepts and techniques. This year he looked at business capabilities – possibly more of an “architecture” thing, but I think we forgave him that.
Thoughts on the people…
In recent years – and particularly through my work with IIBA UK – I’ve got to know loads of business analysis professionals. Some of these are just starting out as business analysts, while others are experienced practitioners, leaders of BA teams, or figures at the forefront of the profession.
Attending Conference gave me a chance to catch up in-person with some of those I’ve previously encountered online, as well as meeting loads of new faces. I recall another attendee walking up to a group of us and saying “I’m making it my mission to meet people” while proffering a handshake. I thought that was great; it takes bravery to introduce yourself to strangers, and this person really took the bull by the horns. And it paid off, because of course we were delighted to meet her and chat! I took her initiative as an example and regular prompt to get past my own social inhibitions and introduce myself to others.
They say you shouldn’t meet your heroes, but I got to chat to some of mine, and was not disappointed! One of the things I love most about the business analysis profession is how the leading figures and voices are so approachable, giving, and keen to connect. The prospect of approaching the person who wrote a seminal book might seem daunting, but everyone is so happy to chat!
I was totally thrilled for some of the Conference speakers I already knew. Seeing them beat their own doubts and nerves in delivering talks to their professional peers has been really moving.
Next year
I’m definitely considering submitting a presentation topic next year. It’s really inspiring seeing my peers challenge themselves to talk at event like this and then absolutely nail it! For some of the speakers, presenting at Conference was a massive personal achievement, and I’m hugely proud of them for doing so well (and you’d never have guessed how nervous they were!).
And even if I’m not speaking, I’ll definitely be there cheering in the audience.