SWOT Right for the best match

If somebody had told me 2 years ago, that I would be a good teacher and actually enjoy teaching, I would have probably scoffed at them. Changing circumstances however, found me on a makeshift stage with an audience of 30, notepads and pens in hand waiting for me to share my insights and help them plan for their business better!!

A hindsight analysis later, with a Business coach friend of mine, proved that I had many of the core skills required to mentor, guide and teach and just the opportunity was required to get them all to the forefront.

Which got me to thinking, I always thought I knew myself well and all the opportunities that are available to me in the marketplace. If that were actually true, I should have proactively seized the multiple training and coaching opportunities that had earlier come my way.

Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, Threats (SWOT for short) — These are terms that we are all familiar with and have done the analysis multiple times for ourselves and our businesses — whether formally or informally.

Let’s be honest — how many times have we actually used the analysis to better ourselves and our company and pave a way forward. Most times, this analysis gets shelved and slowly forgotten.

These analyses, while insightful, are often not followed up as they are just that — an analysis, not a plan of action. So let’s learn how to SWOT right to get the best ideas to grown ourselves and our business

What’s required to SWOT right is to tie it up with a contextual plan of action, or as I call it, SWOT’s girlfriend LISA. There’s that old saying — behind every successful man, there’s a woman — So to make your SWOT successful, we need the woman behind, LISA, driving it!!

A SWOT done right gives you a clear perspective, a diagnostic even, of the path forward for yourself and your business, enables you with tools that you may not have known you earlier had and identifies the real hurdles you may face in your journey of building your business

Now comes the question — What actually does LISA do for the SWOT…

LISA gives your SWOT analysis a reality check:

· Are strengths actually relevant to capitalize on the opportunities or counter the threats

· Do your weaknesses actually effect your business — and if yes, how and what can you do about it

· Have you correctly identified opportunities in context of your strengths and weaknesses

· Are the threats actually affecting your business — and how and what can you do to counter

You may be able to get all this down in one sitting or may require to do multiple iterations. A free-flow of thought and a calm undisturbed time is required. The key to doing this right is to be honest, objective and open minded.

So Stay Calm and SWOT Right!! To identify your best match for your business in the marketplace