Do we need a rebrand of the business analyst role? Experts in the field Debra Paul, Jamie Toyne and Michelle Shakesheff put their heads together to discuss the current BA market, and the ongoing implications for BAs. Topic discussed include: the current demand for BAs; recruitment challenges; the need for a broad BA skillset; rebranding the BA role; changing the narrative; role clarity; the need for BAs to keep learning; and more! If you enjoyed this BA Brew, you may find the following resources of interest. ARTICLES Filling the Business Analysis Skills Gap BA Recruitment and Retention: A Mult ..read more

Have you heard of Character Crafting and how it can be used to build resilience and leadership skills? In this enlightening chat our special guest, Helen Holder, discusses the positive character traits and behaviours central to the BA role… and how we can develop and maintain them. Topics discussed include: the Personal Strength inventory; character vs. the cult of personality; identifying your character strengths and weaknesses; developing through practice; and the power of theT Lego persona. Helen Holder has over 10 years’ experience working as a BA for public sector organisations. Passionat ..read more

Do you love a success story? BA Apprentice of the Year 2024 Lorna Mylett is this week’s special BA Brew guest. She shares her experience of the Business Analyst Apprenticeship supported by her employers DWP, and AssistKD. Topics discussed include: learning and applying new skills and understanding; the value of learning as part of a group and having a mentor; and what it’s like to be thrown at the deep end at the IRM UK BA Conference Europe. If you enjoyed this BA Brew, you may find the following resources of interest. ARTICLES Meet Lorna Mylett, Business Analyst Apprentice of the Year 2024 Th ..read more

Tricky business problem? Get those (creative) thinking caps on! In this week’s BA Brew the Crew discuss how creative thinking can help business change professionals challenge the status quo, think expansively and come up with effective solutions. Questions addressed include: What is creative thinking? How can you create an environment for creative thinking? What are the potential barriers? What are your top 3 creative thinking techniques? You may find the following articles, course, free learning and BA Brews useful: ARTICLES Zombie Penguin Business Analysts: Creativity Techniques and ..read more

In this special BA Conference Europe BA Brew, AssistKD CEO Debra Paul is joined by three BA Conference legends: Shane McGlynn, Rachel Levermore, and James Archer (who started the ball rolling in the first place!) The BA Conference Europe is Europe’s foremost Business Analysis conference, which has evolved over the past 16 years to over 500 attendees and 6 streams of talks. This BA Brew celebrates: the dedication and enthusiasm of the Advisory Board who tune in to the latest thinking and different perspectives everyone behind the scenes who helps to make this wonderful conference happen th ..read more

Are you an Activist, a Theorist, a Pragmatist or a Reflector? Our latest BA Brew could help you find out and get the most from your learning. The Brew Crew are joined by former Apprentice and now BA at the Environment Agency Cat Warren to talk about some of the different learning models (Kolb, Bloom and Honey and Mumford). They look at how the different learning approaches work with training courses, course manuals and eLearning and explore how understanding other people’s different learning styles helps with facilitation and stakeholder engagement. The following resources are relevant to the ..read more

This BA Brew is AssistKD’s second BA Question Time. Many of the questions focus on role clarity, a hot topic for BAs. Mike Williams is host, with expert panellists Jo Frances and Jonathan Hunsley providing the answers and insights. This week’s questions are: ❓What is the difference between a Business Analyst and a Business Architect? ❓What is the difference between a Business Analyst and a Service Designer? ❓How can a growth mindset support change professionals in general? ❓ What are the overlaps between a Business Analyst and a Functional Analyst? Do you have a question our the next BA Questi ..read more

If you’re concerned about the impact of Artificial Intelligence on your business or your job, this BA Brew is a must-watch. Debra Paul and Pete Thompson discuss the benefits, risks and opportunities with Donald Farmer – one of the foremost thinkers, researchers and presenters in the field. Topics discussed include: automating processes; cost savings; intellectual property; caring about the human element; inherent bias in AI; the need for new requirements; mitigating for unexpected adverse effects and more. Donald Farmer is a visionary data and analytics strategist with over 30 years’ experienc ..read more

This BA Brew is all about bravery, asking what bravery is and how we can develop it. Charlie Payne and Kay Hardy join the Brew Crew to try to answer these questions and more. The discussion includes: how elements of police training can also apply to business analysis; a great skiing analogy; building resilience; psychological safety; power poses; and more. During the BA Brew, Amy Cuddy’s TED talk Your Body Language May Shape Who You Are is referenced, and also her book Presence. #businessanalysis #businessanalyst #bravery #challenging #businesschange #bodylanguage #managingstakeholders #design ..read more

If you are interested in Agile, you won’t want to miss this. This BA Brew is all about the second edition of ‘Agile Business Analysis: Practical guidance for IT professionals’ by Lynda Girvan and Debra Paul. Watch as the authors discuss what readers can expect from the revised and updated edition, including: ⭐ the latest Agile developments ⭐ new techniques ⭐ new thinking ⭐ real-life case-studies where experienced practitioners share challenges and lessons learned. The wide-ranging discussion covers organisational agility and the role of the BA; the relevance of the Agile Manifesto; how to appl ..read more