Is your company having trouble doing a SWOT analysis? Many organizations face challenges when trying to assess their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Barriers such as unclear analysis methods and limited team participation can hinder the strategic planning process.

In this article, we will explore common SWOT analysis obstacles and offer practical solutions to help your company overcome them.

What’s SWOT Analysis?

SWOT Analysis is a framework used to evaluate a company’s competitive position and to develop strategic planning. It assesses internal and external factors, as well as current and future potential.

The analysis includes:

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

A SWOT table is presented as a square segmented into four quadrants, each dedicated to an element of SWOT. The analysis can be broken down into several steps and is used across various sectors, not just in businesses.

The ultimate goal is to develop a strategic plan based on the analysis. SWOT analysis has numerous benefits and can guide effective decision-making.

What’s SWOT For?

Conducting a SWOT analysis has many benefits. It helps assess an organization’s competitive position and develop strategic plans. It also evaluates internal and external factors, as well as current and future possibilities.

Identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats can pinpoint areas for improvement, capitalize on favorable external factors, and mitigate potential threats.

Additionally, it can be used to set goals and create a strategic plan by aligning strengths with opportunities, addressing weaknesses, and preparing for potential threats. This approach helps develop a clear roadmap that leverages strengths to capitalize on opportunities.

The Four Pieces of SWOT Analysis

What’s Good: Strengths

Identifying strengths in individuals or organizations shows the importance of internal attributes and competencies like skills, resources, and capabilities.

These can include advanced technological infrastructure, a skilled and experienced workforce, and a strong brand reputation.

Leveraging these strengths can create opportunities and counter threats. For instance, advanced technological infrastructure can improve operational efficiency and product development, keeping the organization competitive. A skilled workforce can contribute to innovation and problem-solving, helping the organization adapt to market changes. Additionally, a strong brand reputation can build partnerships and alliances, opening up new growth opportunities.

The specific skills, resources, and capabilities identified through the SWOT analysis form a solid foundation for creating a strategic plan to capitalize on strengths and navigate challenges.

What’s Hard: Weaknesses

Some weaknesses or areas of improvement that need to be addressed in the SWOT analysis could include:

• Inadequate resources
• Lack of skill expertise
• High employee turnover
• Poor company culture

External factors such as:

• Increasing competition
• Economic trends
• Rapidly evolving market conditions

Identifying these weaknesses can help in making strategic decisions and plans by providing an opportunity for organizations to address any underlying issues and align them with internal strengths and external opportunities.

By acknowledging and understanding weaknesses, organizations can develop strategies to:

• Mitigate their impact
• Allocate resources more effectively
• Remain competitive in the market

Addressing weaknesses within the SWOT analysis may present challenges or obstacles in the form of:

• Resistance to change
• Resource constraints
• Difficulty in finding solutions for certain weaknesses

It can also be challenging to balance the focus on weaknesses with the identification of opportunities and strengths, requiring organizations to prioritize and allocate resources strategically.

Chances to Shine: Opportunities

SWOT analysis helps find opportunities for growth by evaluating a company’s competitive position. The steps for conducting a SWOT analysis to uncover opportunities include brainstorming ideal conditions, assessing internal requirements, considering external influences, and formulating a future strategy.

A successful example is Kodak, which used SWOT analysis after filing for bankruptcy. This led to a new mindset, eliminating fear of failure, and a focus on innovation.

Watch Out: Threats

A SWOT analysis should consider potential threats. These could include changing consumer preferences, economic downturns, or technological advancements that might make current products or services outdated.

A SWOT analysis helps businesses identify and address these threats by exploring external factors that could hinder their success. This allows them to strategize ways to navigate these threats or turn them into opportunities.

Considering potential threats is crucial in a SWOT analysis. This evaluation provides businesses with a comprehensive understanding of the risks they might face and the necessary insights to effectively manage and mitigate these threats.

Putting it in a Grid: SWOT Table

Creating a SWOT table involves four basic steps.

First, identify ideal conditions for success. Then assess internal resources by identifying strengths, weaknesses, and gaps. Obtaining input from stakeholders is useful for this step.

The next step involves considering external factors impacting success, such as opportunities and threats.

Finally, strengths are aligned with opportunities, weaknesses are addressed, and potential threats are considered to formulate a future strategy.

SWOT analysis helps in identifying an organization’s strengths, areas for improvement, favorable external factors, and potential threats. It provides an extensive overview of an organization’s current and future potential, helping in making informed decisions.

By analyzing the company’s competitive position, a SWOT analysis can guide effective decision-making, contributing to the organization’s growth and success.

Doing SWOT Analysis Step by Step

Setting Goals

Setting effective goals involves a strategic approach.

First, start with a brainstorm session to identify ideal conditions for success. Then, assess internal strengths, weaknesses, and gaps, gathering input from relevant stakeholders. Consider external factors that could impact success and identify opportunities and threats. Formulate a strategy that aligns strengths with opportunities, addresses weaknesses, and mitigates potential threats.

SWOT analysis can inform goal-setting by assessing internal and external factors. Identify strengths and weaknesses to tailor goals, and consider opportunities and threats to set realistic goals and capitalize on available opportunities. Incorporating SWOT analysis can lead to more strategic and well-informed goal-setting, with a focus on leveraging strengths and addressing potential challenges.

Collecting Information

Collecting information is important for conducting a SWOT analysis. It helps to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that affect an organization.

Ways to collect relevant information include reviewing financial reports, obtaining feedback from stakeholders, and analyzing industry trends.

This process ensures that the resulting analysis is comprehensive and accurately reflects the organization’s current position.

The information is necessary for developing a strategic plan that aligns strengths with opportunities, addresses weaknesses, and mitigates potential threats.

Understanding these factors helps individuals and organizations make informed decisions and take proactive steps to achieve their goals.

Brainstorming Ideas

Effective brainstorming techniques:

• Start with a blank page to identify ideal conditions for success.
• Consider internal requirements by assessing strengths, weaknesses, and gaps.
• Obtain input from stakeholders for added benefits.

To evaluate and prioritize ideas:

• Identify external influences on success.
• Consider opportunities and threats.
• Formulate a strategy for the future, aligning strengths with opportunities and addressing weaknesses and potential threats.

Common pitfalls to avoid:

• Lack of diverse perspectives.
• Insufficient participation from all team members.
• Failing to provide a supportive and non-judgmental environment for all contributors.

Encourage open sharing of ideas without fear of criticism or judgment during brainstorming.

Choosing the Best Ideas

The best ideas should be determined by carefully considering the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified through the SWOT analysis.

When evaluating ideas, align strengths with opportunities, address weaknesses, and develop strategies to handle potential threats.

To choose the best ideas, prioritize those that leverage strengths and capitalize on opportunities. Also, address weaknesses and protect against potential threats posed by the ideas.

This ensures a strategic evaluation that aligns with the organizational context and current trends.

Making a Game Plan

Creating a game plan using SWOT analysis involves several steps:

• First, brainstorm ideal conditions for success.
• Second, assess internal requirements and gather input from stakeholders.
• Third, consider external influences and identify opportunities and threats.
• Finally, formulate a strategy for the future.

SWOT analysis helps to identify opportunities and threats by examining internal and external factors that could impact the success of a game plan. Setting goals and making strategic decisions makes the game planning process more focused, aligning strengths with opportunities, addressing weaknesses, and addressing potential threats.

Goal setting and strategic decision-making are important elements that shape the direction of the game plan. They help in leveraging strengths and opportunities while addressing weaknesses and threats.

SWOT Can Help You a Lot!

A SWOT analysis helps companies plan strategically. It looks at internal strengths, weaknesses, and external opportunities and threats. The analysis is divided into four quadrants: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. It encourages organizations to consider best and worst-case scenarios, align strengths with opportunities, and address weaknesses and threats.

For example, Kodak didn’t innovate because success made them complacent and resistant to change. A SWOT analysis could have helped them identify these internal and external challenges, guiding them to rethink their strategy and adapt to market changes. This could have helped Kodak avoid being overtaken by digital photography and struggling to adapt to new technology, ultimately saving the company from downfall.

An Example of SWOT in Action

Kodak’s specific strength was its employees’ culture of innovation and change. However, leaders becoming complacent and less receptive to change led to organizational fear and a lack of innovative focus. This created an opportunity to rethink corporate strategy and start fresh with a new mindset, allowing Kodak to focus on innovation again.

Additionally, technological advancements and changes in the market posed threats that the organization initially failed to adapt to.