Why You Should Attend a Business Analysis Conference

You may not see much value in attending a business analysis conference. You may think that the main value will involve getting out the work routine and seeing a different city. You may be ambivalent towards attending. Whatever your thoughts, I want to urge you to consider attending a conference at the local or national level soon, and I’ll tell you why.

Attending a conference sends a message that you think your job is important and so is your career growth. Select a conference that suits your interests and/or your company’s current needs. Do some research ahead of time to see who will be speaking, their credentials and what topics will be covered. Look at the Linked In profiles for the speakers as well. This can help you get an idea of their style and whether you will enjoy listening to them. Choose topics that help you stretch your knowledge, push your comfort zones, or are completely new to you. Ask yourself what you hope to get out of the sessions and note those before you attend. You can then use those notes to help you discern whether the session(s) met your needs and fulfilled your purpose for attending.

Attending a conference helps you understand where you line up with the rest of the business community. Talking to your fellow business analysts and comparing notes can help you get an objective view of the rest of the business. By exchanging experiences and ideas with other BAs, you can start to get a feel for where you line up against others in your field. You can start to see where you may have a high level of expertise or get a feel for where you may need to brush up and bolster your knowledge. Use those conversations to ignite your interest in other areas you may not have considered yet. Allow your own enthusiasm to help fire up others so that they can walk away feeling empowered and excited to learn more.

Attend a conference to hear how other people solve complex problems in their own environments. Not every workplace is the same and not every piece of software being developed will mature in the same ways, however you can always pick up a good piece of advice whenever you talk to your peers. Inspiration is very often the result of a chance conversation. Talk to as many folks as possible. Get to understand their problems space and inquire as to how they are handling the particular challenges in their context. Sometimes the solution you have been struggling to develop has been devised and implemented by another team. They can help you by letting you know the pitfalls and issued they faced. Standing on the shoulders of others can definitely help you rise above in a difficult situation.

Finally, it’s good to network. Getting to know other analysts can help you feel better about yourself and your place in the career. By sharing your experiences, triumphs and tragedies with people outside your day-to-day life, you can gain some new perspectives, get some advice, and even some much needed affirmation. Getting to know new people and getting to know their circumstances can help you much better understand, appreciate, and value the work you do.

Your local IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis) will likely offer a local conference once a year. Attend it as the cost to your employer and to you should be low. Macgregor Communications puts on the BA World conference in various locations around the U.S. and Canada. Visit their website to get an idea of conferences that are coming soon. After attending a few of these, you may even realize how much you have to offer your fellow BAs and decide to deliver a session yourself.