Next-Level BA: How to maximise your value-add

A half-day workshop for Business Analysts looking to take things to the next level.

What this course isn't...

This isn't about your traditional 'BA' skills - we won't be learning to write better requirements, user stories, or processes!

What this course is...

This is a course focused on a mindset shift (with the tools to back it up) to enable you to add more value as a BA. As projects become more ambiguous and agile, the expectations on a BA are changing in a way gives us the opportunity to make a bigger impact - if we have the skills to take advantage...

Workshop scope:

0. Intro / ‘Next-Level BA’ definition

Learn what makes a “Next-Level BA” – someone who jumps into projects early, stays focused on outcomes, regularly steps back to see the bigger picture, acts with purpose, and takes the initiative to lead. This introduction pushes BAs to move beyond the limiting “I’m just a BA” mindset and embrace a more proactive approach that doesn’t require formal authority to make an impact.

1. The evolving role of a BA

See how the BA role has changed from working on clearly defined, waterfall projects to handling small, ambiguous initiatives with constant change. We’ll look at how design now happens alongside build, how BAs wear multiple hats, and why organisations need BAs to be leaders who can handle uncertainty rather than just task-executors. Understand the difference between working “in” versus “on” a project to maximise your value.

2. Setting up good decision-making in a project

Develop ways to establish what success looks like from day one of any project. This practical framework drives better outcomes by creating alignment, building trust, and enabling smarter decisions throughout the project. You’ll create your own set of ready-to-use success criteria that you can bring out in workshops to guide projects toward meaningful outcomes rather than just outputs.

3. Defining the pathway for problem solving

Get to grips with “definedness” – understanding where your project sits on the spectrum from well-defined to highly undefined problems. Build a playbook for tackling different types of problems, knowing when to use existing approaches, when to adapt them, and when to create new ones. This thoughtful approach buys you time while you learn more about complex problems and increases your chances of success.

4. Ensuring the right things are being worked on

Go beyond “I delivered what I was asked to” and make sure you’re not just doing things right, but doing the right things. Create a practical checklist to assess whether initiatives will truly add value, address root problems, and align with what the business can actually implement. Learn to question scope consistently and push back when necessary to avoid wasting time on projects that won’t deliver real benefits.

5. Risk tolerance / ensuring you are adding value

Find the sweet spot between risk and cost by knowing when you’ve gathered enough information to proceed. Avoid analysis paralysis by tailoring your approach based on who will be affected, what systems are involved, how easily changes can be reversed, and your organisation’s history with similar work. Design approaches that reduce the impact of mistakes, allowing for faster, more cost-effective decision-making.

6. ‘Selling’ in the decision-making process

Build a clear approach to influencing decisions through effective storytelling. Learn to establish the need for change, reinforce what success looks like, address potential barriers upfront, present your solution convincingly, and provide a clear path forward. Create decision-maker profiles to help customise your approach to different stakeholders based on whether they focus more on the journey or destination, respond to emotion or logic, and other key characteristics.

7. Other potential stumbling blocks (plus how to look after yourself!)

Understand that projects don’t exist in isolation – organisational culture, maturity, history, and competing priorities all affect your ability to deliver. Learn to assess these factors systematically and adjust your approach accordingly. Recognise your circles of influence and control to protect yourself from burnout when facing organisational barriers that can’t be changed, accepting that some challenges simply can’t be overcome!

8. Recap

Bring together all aspects of being a Next-Level BA, committing to consciously developing and applying these skills in your work. Remember that while these concepts aren’t complicated, deliberately putting them into practice will significantly improve your effectiveness and impact as a BA.

Who's the workshop for?

This course is designed for experienced Business Analysts. If you are used to working ‘in’ projects but are ready to take more control in shaping them, then this is the perfect course for you!

What will you get out of the course?

You will walk out of this workshop with some genuinely practical skills to help put you in a leadership position within a project environment (shaping the approach, and course that the project takes).

Course structure

The course will run 1:00 – 5:00 with afternoon tea provided.

Venue

Venue is TBD - but will be in Palmerston North CBD.