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SWOT analysis

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A really useful tool to help collect together all of your thinking from your external analysis of opportunities and threats and your internal analysis of strengths and weaknesses.

by carolinecopeman last modified Aug 05, 2010 04:06 PM

A simple and straightforward explanation of how to use this valuable tool can be found in the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit's Strategy Survival Guide on SWOT.

Use SWOT to collect together thinking and to help you summarise the issues you need to consider as part of your strategy: SWOT helps you consider the internal:

Strengths and

Weaknesses, and the external

Opportunities and

Threats...as you face your future.

One of the criticisms of SWOT is that you can use it and still have your thinking remain in the same place rather than have it evolve and grow. This may be more a function of how you use it than a drawback of the tool itself, but it makes sense to focus on aspirations and moving forward when you use any of these strategy tools. 

Take a look at the work of Stavros, Cooperrider and Kelley: Inspiration to SOAR, if you want a different approach to assessing:-

Strengths and 

Opportunities - with a focus on

Aspirations and

Results - SOAR! 

The link takes you to two resource files - an article and an inquiry diagram.

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