As digital transformation accelerates and AI tools become increasingly embedded in delivery work, the role of the Business Analyst is often reduced to following frameworks or automating outputs. This session challenges that narrative.

Drawing on real experiences across organisations, cultures, and delivery environments, I explore how rigidity, whether in strict adherence to textbooks, templates, or AI-driven outputs, can quietly increase delivery risk. Through practical cross-cultural stories and examples, this session reframes adaptability as a core BA capability rather than a “soft” skill.

The session invites BAs to reflect on how they apply frameworks, how they use AI, and how they exercise judgment in complex environments, without losing critical thinking.

Key messages:
a. Frameworks and AI are tools, not substitutes for critical thinking
b. Rigid analysis increases risk in complex, uncertain environments
c. Strong BAs adapt their approach to context, culture and stakeholders