Reframing the BA Value Proposition: Reflections from the BA Managers Forum

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of attending the AssistKD BA Managers Forum. Beyond the excellent sessions, it was a fantastic opportunity to reconnect with former colleagues and make new connections across the profession working in many different industries. I’m already looking forward to seeing some of those new faces at our upcoming Hippo BA networking events.

The day was a deep dive into how we move the profession forward and the sessions I attended focused on three core pillars: capability, identity and leadership.

Beyond the framework: People over process

The day kicked off with a session on Team capability assessment led by Karen Newnham We explored the wealth of frameworks available to us, from SFIA9 and Government Digital and Data standards to BCS and IIBA competency models. However, the resounding takeaway was that a framework is only ever a conversation starter.

You can possess the most sophisticated skills matrix in the world, but if you aren't focusing on the person behind the desk, you'll never truly unlock their potential. We discussed the inherent difficulty of honest self-reflection in reviews, yet it’s that very honesty that allows us to grow. 

Moving forward, I’m keen to ensure the development conversations I have at Hippo are less about "ticking boxes" and more about collaborative, two-way dialogues anchored in the day to day work we do with our clients. 

Defining our identity: The state of the nation

The morning continued with an ideation based session from Pip Hall and Stuart Mullinger on the State of the (Business Analysis) Nation.

On our tables we discussed and wrote down the many challenges the BA role is facing right now. However, the one that always sticks with me the most is: the BA brand. I feel too often, we are mislabeled as "junior Product Owners" or "Delivery Manager support," a narrative that fails to capture the unique value we bring.

The consensus in the room was that while what we do remains consistent, how we do it must be fluid and adaptable to our environment. This resonated strongly with the work we’ve been doing at Hippo on our Service Catalogue. By articulating our services clearly, we can shift the focus from misconceptions to measurable impact, ensuring our profession is visible and valued across all disciplines.

I’m looking forward to seeing the outputs of the session once Pip and Stu have collated the feedback. 

Leading with Intent: Positive Deviance

The day concluded with an inspiring talk by Rob Baker, FCIPD, MAPP of Tailored Thinking on being a "Positively Deviant" leader. 

This session shifted the focus to the "human" side of leadership — moving from simply adding value to making people feel truly valued.

Two concepts that Rob spoke about particularly stood out:

• Active Constructive Responding: Using Shelly Gable’s framework, I’ve been reflecting on how I "show up" when a colleague shares good news. Are my responses building energy, or inadvertently draining it?
• Job Crafting: The idea of making small, intentional adjustments to a role to align it with an individual's strengths and passions is a powerful tool for re-engaging team members and fostering high performance.

Looking Ahead

The forum was a powerful reminder that our strength as BAs lies in our ability to blend technical rigor with human empathy. This is especially necessary now that we are surrounded in the workplace by AI usage and integration day to day. I left feeling energised to bring these insights back to my team — tailoring my approach to the individual, refining the BA profession’s brand and ensuring every interaction is an opportunity for positive growth.

If we met for the first time on Friday, let's keep the conversation going! I hope to see many of you at our future Hippo networking events.