Sample SWOT Analysis - Common Mistakes to Avoid
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Sample SWOT Analysis:
Over the 10 years of conducting SWOT Analysis workshops and training, I
took note of several common SWOT Analysis mistakes derived from various
causes. Below are the samples:-
SWOT Factor - Strengths
As the Strengths, it is an Internal factor and it involves your own
organization or your own operation or department. Due to this generic
definition, a normal response is resulted when team members tried to list all
the strengths of the organization..
One common mistake for the Strengths, it is not evaluated against your
competitors. If you fail to do so, then the Strengths will not help your
organization to bring in more revenue or compete with your competitors. Hence,
it has no impact to the organization in terms of competitiveness.
SWOT Factor - Weaknesses
Another Internal Factors involved your own organization. There could be
several issues are weak in your organization example those pertaining to non-fulfillment
of certain promises. but no being recognized. Instead, team members
focuses departmental weaknesses instead of organization level weaknesses.
One common mistake is team members avoid to raise issue that did not
fulfill the requirement of customer satisfaction which may be policy related
or involved certain people.
SWOT Factor - Opportunities
This is an External Factors which deal with issues beyond the control of an
organization. It may involve economy, government policies, currency etc. Due
to the fact it is external factor, team members tends to overlook issues in
this factors. Another influential factor is Opportunities are not realized
yet.
One common mistake in this Opportunities is team members tends to take an
intention for improvement to an internal weaknesses as an Opportunities.
Example: Instead of recognizing losing talented employee as a weakness
in your organization, you decide to take action for "To Acquire Talented
Employees" as an Opportunities.
SWOT Factor - Threats
An External factor deals with events that may cause lose of business,
customer or market share. This is one factor that highlights. Team member may
identify potential lose of customer due to performance gap exist in own
organization as a Threats.
A common mistake in the Threats is that team members failed to recognize a
long term negative effect of certain announcement example Change of Government
investment or import/export policies, tax restructure etc etc.
The above sample mistakes in SWOT Analysis can be avoided should you
research enough samples from other organizations. Proper training to the SWOT
Analysis is a good way to align each others understanding in the application
of SWOT Analysis as well as the relevant templates. The objective of the SWOT
Analysis is to align the thinking to ensure strategies formulated has impact
to the organization.
About the Author
Dr. LM Foong, PhD writes and publishes TQM articles, ebooks, case studies, trainer manual and
other TQM Related information. He also publishes
SWOT Analysis Blog
regularly.
