What are some of the best practices for conducting a SWOT analysis of your healthcare facility or program?

Without clarity of purpose, the SWOT analysis data will be skewed. The purpose should be similar to the mission, greater than the company and the needs of the organization, and extends beyond the pain of the targeted customers. How do you find the purpose? Ask meaningful questions why are we doing this work, what impact can we make, and what would happen if we didn't pursue this work what would happen? The timeframe depends on the severity of the project or operation size. The longer requires more data but delayed time to start the task. If the analysis becomes out of touch, a simpler approach is the GAP analysis. What tasks need to be completed to bridge the gap from start to finish?

One of the best ways to identify your weaknesses is to talk to your employees. Ask questions such as, "What would you improve?" "Why?" "How would you go about doing that?" You'd be amazed at the perspective and insight you can gain from doing such.

A great way to gather data is to look at your market. Are there changes in the market and how you customers are now interacting with your company? During the pandemic, many companies were used to customers coming in for consultations or scheduling face to face meetings. Suddenly, everything moved onto a virtual platform. The market changed, seemingly overnight. Look at your customer data and analyze your traffic metrics. How are customers interacting with your team? Be open to developing new ways to engage customers.

In todays time we have an abundance of data to gather and essentially able sway and support any decision. The key is to clean the data and mine through what is meaningful and relevant to the analysis with a unbiased opinion.

When communicating to the stakeholders, it is also important to have them validate the results. As you are having them validate, you are actually starting the process to gain the buy-in of the analysis.

Having the best SWOT analysis is meaningless without properly formulating a strategy to execute the data. The follow up is just as important as the data. When presenting the data with stakeholders the data has to be presented in a manner a 3rd grade sitting in on the presentation would be able to follow along.

The best improvement analyses and subsequent implementations are those that are practiced consistently. A SWOT analysis, or any other organizational status review is only as useful as you make it.

Communication is key in healthcare management. When it breaks down, your team suffers, and ultimately the patients Yet, it's the most common deficit I note among healthcare managers and administration. Expectations and goals, need to be defined. Be direct, honest, and open.