Business analysis is an inherently people-centric profession. It's hard to imagine how a BA could function without building a wide network of stakeholders within the organisation in which they operate. Yet networking doesn't have to stop at the organisational border—there are significant advantages for practitioners who expand their professional networks far and wide. Even though external networking can seem intimidating at times, it certainly pays off.

The Advantages of External Networking for Business Analysts

It's usually the most ambitious practitioners who build wide professional networks. Those networks don't need to be restricted purely to the BA world, it's normal to build networks with other change professionals too. These wide networks allow experience to be shared and new ideas to percolate across different industry domains. Imagine starting a brand new major transformational programme of work—if you know somebody in a different industry who has done something similar, there might be lessons learned that can be shared. This might allow a project to avoid potentially significant pitfalls. The fact that they're in a different industry probably means that there's no competitive reason to avoid sharing general, non-confidential project stories.  

Networking is not only advantageous from a project perspective, there are also personal and career advantages too. It's often those who are best connected who are the first to hear about exciting new roles. Not only this, a practitioner with an established reputation within their community is likely to be in a strong position if they choose to apply for a role in a different organisation. The same is true of anyone who is unexpectedly made redundant—those with a strong network often find those that they've helped in the past will go out of their way to forward details of potential roles.

On top of this, networking is a great way to raise a practitioner's personal and professional energy. Ask anyone who has just been away to a conference or other community event—they'll tell you that they are exhausted but also excited about what they have learned. Building connections feels good, particularly in a world where regular remote working is normal, it's a great way to fight that slight feeling of isolation which can occasionally creep in.

How to Engage with the Business Analyst Community

A key question many practitioners ask is "how can I start to form a network so that I can start engaging with the wider community?". Particularly when the day job is extremely busy, networking and community engagement can seem frivolous. Much like personal or professional development, it is an activity you can skip — it is 'important' but rarely 'urgent'—however if you do skip it, a time will come where you really wish you hadn't! Strong networks take years to build, and to paraphrase an old expression: "the best time to start building a network was when you started your career. The next best time to start is today".

This highlights the importance of making time for networking. This does not need to be a chore; a practitioner might start by carving out a few hours a month in their calendar to attend events. This can be in work time, or outside of core hours, depending on the context in which you work. Consistency is key. Unfortunately, those who only undertake networking when they want something tend to be seen as somewhat selfish, and over time this can tarnish a BAs professional reputation. It's important to be prepared to give far more than you ever receive from a professional community; after all this is the way that a community grows.

The next step is to look for opportunities for networking. It is worth exploring online social media networks such as LinkedIn where you can discuss ideas with others and to hear about (and register for) virtual and real-world industry events. For example, you might hear about an interesting community webinar or evening networking session. When you attend these, you are likely to meet others who you connect with online, so your professional network grows.

There are also regular in-person networking events run by professional associations such as BCS and IIBA. This is in addition to the many excellent conferences that run by enthusiasts around the world. One that warrants particular mention is the BA Conference Europe which takes place 19-21 September 2022 in London. This conference has been running for well over a decade, bringing together practitioners from all over the world. Run over three days,  it provides attendees with the perfect opportunity to hear presentations from other BA practitioners, with networking during the breaks. If you want to 'fast track' building a professional network, this would be an excellent place to start. It is hard to recommend this conference enough!

Business Analysis Networking: Getting Started is Key

There are so many networking opportunities out there, practitioners are spoilt for choice. The advantages of engaging with the wider community and networking are so great, the biggest challenge is knowing where to start. The best advice is to just get started — the sooner you get started, the sooner your network will begin to expand.

Looking to update your BA toolkit? Check out AssistKD's wide choice of business analysis courses.