Since 2009 AssistKD has supported and sponsored the BA Manager Forum (BAMF). A highly respected professional body, BAMF helped to develop the International Advanced Diploma in Business Analysis, co-ordinated employer efforts to launch the Level 4 Apprenticeship in Business Analysis and is the awarding body for the Expert BA Award.

Regular Events for BA Leaders

Over 100 BA Managers attend regular BAMF events where they:

• engage with and network with their peers
• participate in workshops and presentations, sharing knowledge and best practice;
• develop a common understanding of the (relatively new) BA Manager role;
• work together to advance the BA profession.

Easy-to-Download Business Analysis Resources

We did not realise until we counted, but the BA Manager Forum has now generated output from close to 100 presentations and workshops, across a wide range of BA leadership topics. These downloadable resources include white papers, webinars, session slides, presentation notes and workshop output with many ‘ready-to-use’ sessions.

For ease of accessibility, we have moved the BAMF content to this dedicated area of the AssistKD Learning Zone, where it will be updated after every Forum event. There’s something for everyone, we hope you find the resources useful.

Please find the BAMF output organised by topic, below. Or, if you are looking for something specific, click here to search all content by keyword.

If you would welcome more information on the BA Manager Forum and/or wish to attend future events, please e-mail lawrence.darvill@assistkd.com with your details. Forum events are open to anyone with management or leadership responsibility for business analysis in their organisation.

Output from BAMF November 2024

In November 2024 over 150 BA practice leaders gathered to attend our latest BA Manager Forum event. This was something of a “careers special”. Slides that accompanied the workshops can be viewed below. Articles based on the workshops will follow shortly.

Strength Spotting – a powerful practice enabling increased engagement, resilience and energy for yourself and team

Much has been written about the benefits of using our strengths across all aspects of our lives. Interestingly, many of us have difficulty identifying our own strengths and in those around us. In addition, most people who can name their strengths say they don’t use them all that much. This insightful and interactive workshop covered the key aspects of: the concept of strengths and empowerment, assessing strengths, being your best in work, recognising strengths in others and team dynamics. 

• Strengths Workshop - BAMF Nov 2024

Re-ignite Your Team: Exploring tools and techniques to engage and motivate experienced BAs who’ve run out of steam

This session looked at the challenges faced by organisations to play it right when it comes to creating an energised, productive working environment and professional BA community. We explored ways of breaking down barriers and lifting the motivation and engagement of the team, taking them to a place where individual team members are inspired to thrive and excel at work, rather than “just turn up” to deliver the minimum viable service.
Input and discussion included: investigation of today’s challenges with team motivation and engagement, sharing ideas to re-ignite a team, exploring and using new tools and techniques and building best practice.

• Re-ignite Your Team

Crafting your job and career: an interactive workshop for BA managers

People personalise all aspects of their lives - their cars, drinks, clothes, and holidays. Yet we are rarely invited to personalise our work. This is despite clear evidence showing the benefits of personalising work on performance, inclusion, wellbeing, engagement, and growth.
Job Crafting is about making small changes to how we act, interact, and think about our work. ‘Career Crafting’ takes this further and encourages us to craft our own career journeys, to align with our strengths, passions, and interests. This interactive workshop brought discussion on: the why, what, and how of job crafting, examples of what job and career crafting looks like in practice and explored practical ideas, tools, and frameworks that attendees could take back to their teams. 

• career crafting workshop - 15 November 2024

Institutionalisation – is it holding you or your team back?

Working for a long time for the same organisation or business area can have a negative impact on confidence which, if left unchecked, can affect career prospects and longer-term performance.
This session shared insights and reflections about institutionalisation in a work context, with open discussion on its effect and possible means of change. Discussion included: how it can distort our perceptions of the value and skills that we bring as business analysts, why the business analysis profession might be particularly susceptible to this and practical actions to break out of this mindset (including BA tools being put to good use)

• BAMF - Institutionalisation - Is it holding you or your team back

Creating True Work-Life Balance: Crafting a Career and Life you Love

In a world where career success often comes at the expense of personal wellbeing, executive coach Sam Kiani presented a refreshing approach to work-life balance. In this workshop, Sam explored why true success requires aligning your career with your life’s vision, avoiding burnout, and nurturing mental health along the way. Recognising that everyone’s path is unique, she offered actionable strategies for reflection and long-term sustainability. 

• Published_PDF BA Conference Sam PVL 15 Nov 2024