How SWOT analysis works: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats

This is a decision-making and planning technique. Suitable for both a team and a single person.

SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) 1 the method can be used to evaluate:

• Problem solutions (suppose you have several ways to reach a goal and you don't know which goal is the best);
• Company, team, community (yours or competitors);
• Some principle or method. For example, even the SWOT technique itself can be evaluated. I'll show it at the end. 🙂

I will attach a template at the end for you to use.

Here's how it works:

1. Let's say you want to rate something. You can write it down or just keep it in your mind.
2. Draw it square with four sections: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. For example, the following:

1. OR draw one table, if you want to compare several options in one reflection:

1. OR you can just write everything in the form of a simple list. Or not write at all and discuss orally, if only you remember what you discussed. 😉
2. then, strengths: What is the value of an object that is exceptional, the best, what are the advantages, what is good about it?
3. Weaknesses: how is the valued object inferior in quality, not equal to competitors, what is bad?
4. Possibilities: looking into the future, what useful things can happen, what can you do, how can you use the valued object, what strengths can emerge in the future?
5. Threats: looking to the future, what do you have to worry about, what could go wrong, what weaknesses might arise in the future?

With these answers, you can make a decision at least a little better.

And here are some useful templates, which can be used:

• Can download Powerpoint and Google slides templates from SlidesGo;
• The design tool Canva has dozens of free and several hundred paid ones design templates; 2
• Decision tool Alignment.io has both SWOT analysis and more evaluation methodologies;
• Marketing companies "Venudu" templates and rescue questions. 3

Of course, you can do everything yourself, beautiful rendering is not important here, it is not worth paying attention to the presentation.