Discover, analyze, innovate, communicate encapsulates my business analysis approach. This approach works not only in business analysis but in my daily life as well.
Discover
Learn the domain, stakeholders involved, issues, and opportunities. Learn as much as you can without bringing your own ideas or coming to any conclusions or judgments.
Analyze
Gather facts, metrics, and supporting facts and interpretations for what you have discovered. Root cause analysis is a core focus, getting that deep understanding and the why of a situation.
Innovate
Take what you have learned and come up with innovative solutions that create real value for the stakeholders involved. This is the time to think outside of the box. Play with the pieces you have discovered during the discover and analyze phase.
Communicate
The purpose of communicating is to have the stakeholders understand your perspective and understanding. Communication is not necessarily speaking or writing. It can be being a role model or guiding the stakeholders through scenarios so that they come to the same conclusions as you have. Picking how to communicate is based on what you are communicating and who you are communicating to.