SWOT analysis remains the most commonly used strategic planning tool in the world, and unfortunately, it is the most abused one. If you don’t follow some simple guidelines, the anti-strategy squad may undermine a good SWOT analysis:
1. Laundry List: SWOT is not designed as the whole thing about everything that happens in your business, so throw away the laundry list of 10-15 items in each area and edit it into the top 3-5. If we really use it as a thinking and planning tool, we need to edit it as projects that will run or disrupt business this year.
2. Reasons and Effects: Great, you have the number one market share, but placing it as an advantage does not help others understand the “reasons”. List the reasons for the first market share and may be transferred.
3. From SWOT to Strategy: SWOT analysis can provide forums with rigorous discussions on key business issues. But what about that? Consider using the SWOT alignment tool to convert SWOT into a potential strategy. This is an example of a new commercial graphic novel, Strategist and Anti-Strategy Team:
In online games Strategic People Learning System,The management team at Technobody provides an example of how SWOT robots derail a good SWOT analysis:
