BA Brew - A Business Analysis Podcast

How do you build rapport with stakeholders, and why does it matter so much for successful business analysis and service design?

In BA Brew Episode 127, Lisa Hudson, Carlos Pullen-Ferreira and Michelle Little from AssistKD discuss why building rapport goes beyond being friendly or liked. It's about creating trust, communicating openly and developing relationships that help people work together effectively.

Discover practical approaches to stakeholder engagement, including active listening, finding common ground, keeping commitments and rebuilding trust when previous projects have gone wrong.

In this episode:

• The difference between rapport and friendliness
• Why trust matters in stakeholder relationships
• What happens when rapport is missing from projects
• How to approach stakeholders who are reluctant to engage
• Practical techniques for improving communication
• Carlos's RAPPORT mnemonic for building stronger relationships

Whether you're an experienced business analyst, service designer or just starting your career, this episode offers useful insights into one of the most important professional skills.

Explore our Business Analysis training: https://www.assistkd.com/Why-AssistKD/service-design-training

Explore our Service Design training: https://www.assistkd.com/Why-AssistKD/business-analysis-training

Discover more BA Brew episodes: https://www.assistkd.com/learning-zone/ba-brew-podcast

Subscribe for more conversations about business analysis, service design and professional development.

#BusinessAnalysis #StakeholderEngagement #BusinessAnalyst #BABrew #ServiceDesign

How do you build a Business Analysis Community of Practice that people actually want to be part of?

Jonathan Hunsley and Carlos Pullen-Ferreira are joined by Mahvish Khurum, Principal Business Analyst at the Home Office, who leads a community of more than 400 BAs.

They discuss how Communities of Practice can build capability, improve consistency, encourage collaboration and support professional development.

Mahvish shares practical lessons from growing and sustaining the Home Office BA community, including why consistency matters, how to create different ways for people to participate, the importance of volunteers and why successful communities need to keep listening to their members.

If you're building or running a Business Analysis or change community, this episode is full of practical ideas you can use.

In this episode: what a Community of Practice is; making the business case; getting people involved; maintaining engagement; creating a regular rhythm; supporting volunteers; measuring success; and keeping the community relevant.

What is the ‘secret stakeholder’ in Business Analysis, and how can organisational culture influence your stakeholders, projects and change initiatives?

In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley and Lisa Hudson are joined by Danny Kalkhoven to explore a stakeholder you won’t find on your power-interest grid: organisational culture.

Culture can influence how people behave, how information is shared, how decisions are made and how your work as a Business Analyst is perceived. But how do you identify and manage something that can be difficult to see or define?

Danny shares practical examples from his own experience, including a carefully planned workshop that failed because the culture of the organisation made open information sharing almost impossible.

They discuss:

✔ What the ‘secret stakeholder’ means for Business Analysts

✔ How organisational culture affects stakeholder management and engagement

✔ How to spot informal networks and hidden influence

✔ Why proven Business Analysis techniques can fail in different cultures

✔ What everyday behaviours can reveal about an organisation

✔ How to adapt your BA approach to different organisational cultures

✔ Why finding an organisational ‘tour guide’ can help you understand how things really work

The conversation builds on the ideas Danny presented at the European Business Analysis Conference 2026.

If you work in Business Analysis, stakeholder management or organisational change, watch the full episode to discover why understanding the culture around your stakeholders can be just as important as identifying the stakeholders themselves.

➡️ Explore more BA Brew episodes: https://www.assistkd.com/learning-zone/ba-brew-podcast

➡️ Explore Business Analysis training from AssistKD: https://www.assistkd.com/our-business-training-courses-classes

Subscribe to AssistKD for more BA Brew conversations covering Business Analysis, Business Architecture, Service Design, Digital Solutions and organisational change.

What is it like to work as a business analyst with a hearing impairment?

In this episode of BA Brew, Kerry is joined by Abi and Mike, who share their personal experiences of hearing impairments and how it has affected their working lives.

For business analysts, meetings, workshops, stakeholder conversations and collaborative sessions are a fundamental part of the job. But hearing impairments can make those situations significantly more challenging.

Abi and Mike discuss:

• The different ways hearing impairments can affect people

• The unexpected importance of lip reading

• Following conversations in busy meetings and workshops

• Why background noise can create a “wall of noise”

• The additional concentration and fatigue hearing loss can cause

• How hearing loss can affect confidence at work

• Hearing aids and assistive technology

• Using captions, transcription and AI tools

• The UK Government's Access to Work scheme

• Reasonable adjustments for training and examinations

• How colleagues and facilitators can make meetings more accessible

Abi also shares how Access to Work (https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work) helped her obtain assistive technology that sends voices directly to her hearing aids, helping her participate more confidently in collaborative environments.

And their advice isn't only for people experiencing hearing impairments. Mike encourages anyone who can advocate for people with accessibility needs to “step up and support other people.”

Find out more about AssistKD and business analysis: assistkd.com

📩 Have an idea for a future BA Brew? Contact [email protected]

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What does it take to become a Senior Business Analyst, and how can you prepare for the next stage of your business analysis career?

In this episode of The BA Brew, Mike, Lisa and Iurii discuss what being a Senior Business Analyst really means, the skills and experience needed to progress, and the career opportunities available to experienced BA professionals.

They explore the importance of strong core business analysis skills, stakeholder engagement, communication, negotiation and conflict management, as well as the experience and business knowledge that distinguish a senior BA.

The conversation also covers practical ways to progress from Business Analyst to Senior Business Analyst, including:

• Developing and broadening your BA skills and experience

• Taking on challenging projects and additional responsibility

• Building strong stakeholder relationships

• Developing communication, negotiation and conflict-management skills

• Collaborating effectively with senior stakeholders

• Identifying gaps in your skills and experience

• Mentoring and supporting other Business Analysts

• Building your professional network and engaging with the wider BA community

• Exploring career paths beyond the Senior BA role

The panel also considers where a career in business analysis can lead, from BA management and mentoring to product management, consulting, training, business architecture and other roles that draw on business analysis capability.

Whether you're a junior Business Analyst, an experienced BA preparing for promotion or already working at senior level, this episode offers practical advice for taking greater ownership of your professional development and planning your next career move.

Ready to take the next step in your business analysis career?

Whether you're building your core BA skills, working towards a recognised professional qualification or developing the advanced capabilities needed for a more senior role, AssistKD offers business analysis training for every stage of your career.

Explore our Business Analysis courses, BCS qualifications and professional development training, available through live virtual classrooms, face-to-face training and self-paced eLearning.

👉 Find the right Business Analysis course for you: https://www.assistkd.com/our-business-training-courses-classes

Subscribe to The BA Brew for more conversations about business analysis skills, careers and professional development.

Why do so many organisations still struggle to deliver great customer experiences?

In this episode of BA Brew, Stuart Mullinger speaks with Dr Debra Paul and Jonathan Hunsley about their new BCS book, Service Design: A Practical Guide to Creating Customer-Centric Services, and explores why service design has become an essential discipline for organisations seeking to improve customer experience and business transformation.

The discussion covers practical service design techniques, professional standards, collaboration across change professions and how organisations can design services that create better outcomes for customers.

In this episode you'll learn:

✔ Why service design matters more than ever

✔ How to improve customer experience through service design

✔ The Service Design Framework explained

✔ Why business analysts, service designers and business architects work better together

✔ Practical techniques including the Service Definition Canvas and Minimum Viable Service

✔ How AI is influencing the future of service design

✔ Where the profession is heading over the next decade

Whether you're a service designer, business analyst, business architect, digital transformation leader, customer experience professional or change manager, this discussion offers practical insights into creating better organisational services.

Learn more about Service Design

➡ Service Design Guide: https://www.assistkd.com/Why-AssistKD/service-design-training

➡ Service Design Courses: https://www.assistkd.com/courses/service-design-courses

Subscribe for more BA Brew discussions on business analysis, service design, business architecture, digital transformation and organisational change.

Technical skills are only part of becoming a successful Business Analyst.

Learning how to communicate with confidence, influence stakeholders and ask the right questions is what helps great Business Analysts stand out.

Jonathan Hunsley is joined by Emily Saunderson, Head of Profession for Business Analysis at the Department for Education, and Dr Carlos Pullen-Ferreira, Principal Consultant at AssistKD, to discuss how Business Analysts can find their voice, build confidence and increase their influence.

Whether you're new to Business Analysis or an experienced Business Analyst, this discussion explores practical ways to increase your influence, develop professional confidence and grow your Business Analysis career.

In this BA Brew episode:

• What it means to find your Business Analysis voice
• Building confidence as a Business Analyst
• Speaking up in stakeholder workshops and stakeholder meetings
• Influencing business decisions
• Becoming a trusted adviser
• Business Analysis leadership
• Mentoring and coaching
• Networking for Business Analysts
• Developing your Business Analysis career
• Helping the next generation of Business Analysts

Emily also shares the remarkable story of being told she would never become a successful Business Analyst before eventually leading the business analysis profession at the Department for Education.

LEARN MORE

• BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis Courses
• BCS Advanced International Diploma in Business Analysis Courses:
• Business Analysis Career Guide
• BA Brew Podcast Hub
• Business Analysis Conference Europe

Service frameworks are a powerful yet often overlooked tool that can fundamentally change how teams understand, collaborate, and achieve outcomes.

In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley from AssistKD is joined by Chris Pyatt and Victoria Banner to discuss how service frameworks help business analysts, business architects and service designers clarify their value, improve collaboration and navigate complex organisational change ecosystems.

The discussion covers:

• What a service framework actually is – and how it defines the value a role delivers
• Why business analysis, architecture and service design overlap more than we think
• How frameworks create clarity on roles, responsibilities and boundaries
• The role they play in reducing confusion, conflict and duplication across teams
• How they support career growth, capability building and even recruitment decisions
• Practical advice on getting started – and why you don’t need to build everything at once

Whether you are a business analyst, business architect, service designer or other digital change professional, this episode offers practical advice for improving conversations and outcomes.

EXPLORE ASSISTKD TRAINING

AssistKD offers Business Analysis and Service Design training online, in person and through eLearning, with over 30 years' experience in professional development.

Relevant courses for this episode:

• BCS Business Analysis Practice - https://www.assistkd.com/courses/business-analysis-diploma-courses/bcs-certificate-business-analysis-practice
• BCS Business Architecture - https://www.assistkd.com/courses/architecture-courses/bcs-certificate-business-architecture
• A4Q Business Service Design - https://www.assistkd.com/courses/service-design-courses/a4q-certificate-business-service-design

WATCH THIS EPISODE

Watch all episodes of the BA Brew on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxdeXIxtEOU&list=PLEvIolukjrawamafeBkNM3pELcNqVrPN6

Once you learn business analysis skills, do they ever really switch off?

In this episode of BA Brew, Mike, Ruth, Kerry and Stu discuss how BA thinking becomes embedded into everyday life - shaping how we solve problems, make decisions and interact with others.

The discussion covers:

• Why BA skills naturally carry over into everyday situations

• Real-life examples of using BA thinking outside of work

• When analysis and problem-solving can be unhelpful

• The risk of “analysis paralysis”

• How to recognise when to switch off BA mode

• Techniques like circles of control, root cause thinking and options analysis in daily life

• The importance of empathy, presence and reading the room

Whether you're a business analyst, change professional or team leader, this episode offers practical insights into balancing analytical thinking with real-world human situations.

EXPLORE ASSISTKD TRAINING

AssistKD offers Business Analysis and Service Design training online, in person and through eLearning, with over 30 years' experience in professional development.

Relevant courses for this episode:

• BCS Certificate in Business Analysis Practice
• BCS Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis
• BCS Certificate in Modelling Business Processes

Eexplore AssistKD's full range of Business Analysis training courses here: https://www.assistkd.com/our-business-training-courses-classes

Informal networks are one of the most powerful – and often overlooked - forces in organisations. For Business Analysts, understanding how information really flows can make the difference between struggling with change and successfully influencing it.

In this episode of BA Brew, Jonathan Hunsley is joined by Michelle, Fiona and Carlos to explore the role of gossip and informal networks in the workplace – and how they impact organisational change.

The discussion covers:

• What “gossip” actually means in a workplace context

• Why informal networks exist and how they create psychological safety during change

• The difference between formal communications and how information really spreads

• How informal networks can support better stakeholder engagement and change outcomes

• The risks of negative gossip, politics and organisational culture

• How Business Analysts can use informal networks to sense-check, influence and support change

Whether you are a Business Analyst, change professional, service designer or team leader, this episode provides practical insights into the human side of organisations – and how to work with it, not against it.

EXPLORE ASSISTKD TRAINING

AssistKD offers Business Analysis and Service Design training online, in person and through eLearning, with over 30 years’ experience in professional development.

Relevant courses for this episode:

• BCS Stakeholder Engagement

• BCS Digital Business Change

• BCS Benefits Management and Business Acceptance

• BCS Modelling Business Processes

Explore AssistKD's Business Analysis full range of training courses here: https://www.assistkd.com/our-business-training-courses-classes