I was working recently with a client facilitating a strategic planning session for her organization and after going over the action items we came up against an obstacle that would have prevented her from carrying out one of the action items we had come up with to help her organization. I quickly pointed her to the SWOT analysis we had completed earlier. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. A SWOT analysis is a tool designed to help individuals and organizations identify who they are, what they have and where they are so that they can get to where they need to get to.
From the SWOT analysis, I was able to quickly point her back to one of the strengths we had identified earlier. That strength was what she would utilize and leverage to help her overcome the obstacle that came up. When you know what you have, you will have the means to get to where you want to get to. That's the importance of a SWOT analysis.
Usually, the SWOT is only utilized in organizations as a whole, but you can do one for yourself, your department, your marriage, or your career. It's amazing what you can discover about yourself and your organization when you utilize this tool. From self discovery comes the ability to take the appropriate action to get to our destination.
Remember the last time you were at the mall and you didn't know where a particular store was. To get directions, you probably needed to look at the mall map. To get to the particular store you first had to find the "you are here" arrow. That is what a SWOT does. It's your "you are here" tool.
Have you completed a SWOT analysis recently? Do you need help completing one? I can help you and guide your organization into completing one. Please let me know if you need help.
Our next class is a virtual mastermind on the 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth and in the first class, we talk about the Law of Awareness among other laws and principles of growth and success. This law says: "you must know yourself to grow yourself". We dig deeper into the use of a SWOT analysis and I will guide participants into completing their SWOT analysis. Check out the class here. I hope you can join us.
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Kemi Sorinmade
Leadership Success Coach, Trainer, Facilitator