Written By Daniel Grist (Senior Consultant a t CMC Consultancy)
For the past few years, I’ve been one of the many faces in the crowd at the IRM Business Analysis Europe Conference. I’d soak up ideas, scribble notes, and leave with that familiar buzz of “I want to do more of this.” This year, I’ll be stepping onto the stage.
I’ve spoken before at various events, both internally within the organisations I’ve worked in and externally, including a BCS session. But the BA Europe Conference felt different. It’s a space where the BA community comes together to challenge, reflect, and push the boundaries of what we do. And I felt like I had something worth saying.
“Requirements are not apples.” It’s a phrase I’ve held onto for years. It started as a bit of a rant about the term “requirements gathering” and grew into something more. It became a way of thinking about how we approach problems, how we listen, and how we dig deeper.
When a colleague suggested I consider speaking at IRM, I didn’t start from scratch. I thought about the ideas that had stuck with me. The ones I’ve seen play out in real projects. The ones I’ve found myself repeating in workshops and conversations. This topic felt close to home, and I knew I could build something meaningful around it.
Preparing for the talk has involved a lot of reading, reflecting, and refining. I’ve expanded my own thinking, tested ideas in internal sessions at CMC, and presented to other organisations to get feedback. Each time, I’ve tweaked the message, sharpened the delivery, and tried to make it more useful. Hopefully, people leave the session with practical tools they can use in their projects.
If you’re thinking about speaking at a future event, here’s my advice. Pick something you care about. You don’t need to be the world’s leading expert. If the topic grips you, you’ll naturally want to learn more, challenge your own thinking, and share it with others. That passion is what makes a talk land.
And don’t wait until you feel “ready.” You probably already have something valuable to say. The BA community is full of curious, generous people who want to hear real stories, not polished perfection.