A very interesting article on Personal SWOT Analysis
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*Personal SWOT Analysis* *Making the Most of Your Talents and Opportunities.
*
*"Chance favors the prepared mind."*– Louis Pasteur
You are most likely to succeed in life if you use your talents to their
fullest extent. Similarly, you'll suffer fewer problems if you know what
your weaknesses are, and if you manage these weaknesses so that they don't
matter in the work you do. So how you go about identifying these strengths
and weaknesses, and analyzing the opportunities and threats that flow from
them? SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that helps you do this. What makes
SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you
uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by
understanding your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that
might otherwise hurt your ability to move forward. If you look at yourself
using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate yourself from your
peers, and further develop the specialized talents and abilities you need to
advance your career.
*How to Use the Tool*
- *Strengths*
- What advantages do you have that others don't have (for example,
skills, certifications, education, or connections)?
- What do you do better than anyone else?
- What personal resources can you access?
- What do other people (and your boss, in particular) see as your
strengths?
- Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
- What values do you believe in that others fail to exhibit?
- Are you part of a network that no one else is involved in? If so,
what connections do you have with influential people?
Consider this from your own perspective, and from the point of view of the
people around you. And don't be modest or shy – be as objective as you can.
And if you have any difficulty with this, write down a list of your personal
characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths!
*Tip:**
*Think about your strengths in relation to the people around you. For
example, if you're a great mathematician and the people around you are also
great at math, then this is not likely to be a strength in your current role
– it may be a necessity.
- *Weaknesses*
- What tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident
doing them?
- What will the people around you see as your weaknesses?
- Are you completely confident in your education and skills training?
If not, where are you weakest?
- What are your negative work habits (for example, are you often late,
are you disorganized, do you have a short temper, or are you poor at
handling stress?
- Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field? For
instance, if you have to conduct meetings on a regular basis, a fear of
public speaking would be a major weakness.
Again, consider this from a personal/internal perspective and an external
perspective. Do other people see weaknesses that you don't see? Do
co-workers consistently outperform you in key areas? Be realistic – it's
best to face any unpleasant truths as soon as possible.
- *Opportunities*
- What new technology can help you? Or can you get help from others or
from people via the Internet?
- Is your industry growing? If so, how can you take advantage of the
current market?
- Do you have a network of strategic contacts to help you, or offer
good advice?
- What trends (management or otherwise) do you see in your company,
and how can you take advantage of them?
- Are any of your competitors failing to do something important? If
so, can you take advantage of their mistakes?
- Is there a need in your company or industry that no one is filling?
- Do your customers or vendors complain about something in your
company? If so, could you create an opportunity by offering a solution?
You might find useful opportunities in the following:
- Networking events, educational classes, or conferences.
- A colleague going on an extended leave. Could you take on some of
this person's projects to gain experience?
- A new role or project that forces you to learn new skills, like
public speaking or international relations.
- A company expansion or acquisition. Do you have specific skills
(like a second language) that could help with the process?
Also, importantly, look at your strengths, and ask yourself whether these
open up any opportunities – and look at your weaknesses, and ask yourself
whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating those weaknesses.
- *Threats*
- What obstacles do you currently face at work?
- Are any of your colleagues competing with you for projects or roles?
- Is your job (or the demand for the things you do) changing?
- Does changing technology threaten your position?
- Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats?
Performing this analysis will often provide key information – it can point
out what needs to be done and put problems into perspective.
*A Personal SWOT Example*
What would a personal SWOT assessment look like? Review this SWOT analysis
for Carol, an advertising manager.
- *Strengths*
- I'm very creative. I often impressing clients with a new perspective
on their brands.
- I communicate well with my clients and team.
- I have the ability to ask key questions to find just the right
marketing angle.
- I'm completely committed to the success of a client's brand.
- *Weaknesses*
- I have a strong, compulsive need to do things quickly and remove
them from my "to do" list, and sometimes the quality of my work
suffers as a
result.
- This same need to get things done also causes me stress when I have
too many tasks.
- I get nervous when presenting ideas to clients, and this fear of
public speaking often takes the passion out of my presentations.
- *Opportunities*
- One of our major competitors has developed a reputation for treating
their smaller clients poorly.
- I'm attending a major marketing conference next month. This will
allow for strategic networking, and also offer some great
training seminars.
- Our art director will go on maternity leave soon. Covering her
duties while she's away would be a great career development
opportunity for
me.
- *Threats*
- Simon, one of my colleagues, is a much stronger speaker than I am,
and he's competing with me for the art director position.
- Due to recent staff shortages, I'm often overworked, and this
negatively impacts my creativity.
- The current economic climate has resulted in slow growth for the
marketing industry. Many firms have laid off staff members, and
our company
is considering further cutbacks.
As a result of performing this analysis, Carol takes the bold step of
approaching her colleague Simon about the art director's maternity leave.
Carol proposes that both she and Simon cover the job's duties, working
together and each using his or her strengths. To her surprise, Simon likes
the idea. He knows he presents very well, but he admits that he's usually
impressed by Carol's creative ideas, which he feels are far better than most
of his. By working as a team, they have a chance to make their smaller
clients feel even better about the service they're getting. This takes
advantage of their competitor's weakness in this area.
*Key Points*
A SWOT matrix is a framework for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses as
well as the opportunities and threats that you face. This helps you focus on
your strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and take the greatest possible
advantage of opportunities available to you.
Best Regards,
--
"When you're lonely, I wish you Love!
When you're down, I wish you Joy!
When you're troubled, I wish you Peace!
When things seem empty, I wish you Hope!
Have a Happy New Year!"
Vanakkam Subbu
