At the beginning of a UX research and design project a Stakeholder Interview should be conducted to find out the Business Goals, Existing Research including User Research, Competitors and Technological Limitations.
Interviews
Stakeholder Interview — UX Knowledge Base Sketches
Not sure how to enable your employees to develop their career and professional capabilities over time? Here's an easy way to get started with a proven process that works regardless of the age or size of your company.
Leadership
Five Questions Smart Managers Regularly Ask Their Employees — Thomvest Ventures
Anyone including non-designers can use this framework to analyse a product or service or analyse a piece of work for a potential client. You could even use this to review your own work as the tools and techniques I use leave little room for bias.