As a business analyst, you need to develop your ability to apply analytical thinking and problem-solving in order to resolve the challenges and opportunities that you encounter as part of your role. These competencies are fundamental when identifying the best opportunities for delivering the most value to a business. They are also of key importance when helping your stakeholders understand the changing impacts within their business when pursuing these opportunities.

The analytical thinking and problem-solving core competencies include the following:

• Creative thinking
• Decision-making 
• Learning
• Problem-solving
• Systems thinking
• Conceptual thinking
• Visual thinking

Let's now consider each of these core competencies and understand what they mean and how to apply them effectively when performing business analysis functions.