Is It Time For A Self-SWOT Analysis?

As a former marketer, it’s second nature for me to think about strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

But I always used to think of them in terms of a product or organization.

I didn’t think about a self-SWOT.

A few weeks back, in their first coaching session, a leader in the digital marketing space excitedly announced that they had come prepared for the session.

‘I’ve done my SWOT!’

Wow. I was impressed.

Only then did it sink in that a SWOT is a simple and useful framework for thinking through business strategies, and a useful approach for developing self-awareness and creating a strategic self-growth plan.

Let’s take a few minutes now - and make sure you always start with your:

Strengths

What do people compliment you on? What do they admire in you?

What do you really enjoy doing – when you’re truly in your element, what qualities and capabilities are shining through?

For many people, it’s very easy to be miserly with their own magnificence.

If you recognize that tendency in yourself, can you take some take time off from the uber-critiquing and list all the traits and skills that serve you well?

Because there’s always time to focus on:

Weaknesses

For your now and your future, where are the deficits?

Perhaps it’s a skillset you know you really need to get to grips with – if not excel at.

It can also be strength you overuse at times. In my case, being overly direct, overthinking/procrastinating and being too anchored in existing beliefs.

If you tend towards being too self-critical – and even if you don’t - enlist the support of a trusted colleague to share what makes you super effective as a leader, and what doesn’t. ?

Or send key collaborators a survey, sharing that it’s part of a self-growth program you’ve embarked on.

Opportunities

Would you say you tend to give more weight to opportunities, or threats?

(There’s no right or wrong here, just an ‘opportunity’ to understand your focus.)

If you pause for a moment, can you list all the opportunities that exist for you right now?

What new avenues could you pursue if you used the qualities and skills you possess - and applied them differently?

I pivoted from marketing - helping products and organizations build and realize their strengths and build competitive advantage - to supporting leaders appreciate and more fully realize their potential.

Where could your skillsets take you?

It’s always useful to evaluate options – regardless of your current situation and level of satisfaction.

Investigate, then evaluate.

Try and avoid quickly dismissing an area you want to move into, because you don’t have X or Y skills. You can always develop those.

And rather than hold back from a role expansion or shift because you don’t meet some criteria, consider how you can use and enhance the skills you already do possess.

Threats

What are the various permutations of knowns and unknowns in your life?

What are the ‘what if’s’ you hope won’t materialize, but haven’t planned for? The short term ‘unforeseens’ that can impact your effectiveness and reputation?

When your promised promotion doesn’t come through due to a market downturn, what options have you created?

Or when the Board composition changes and introduces a new strategy – that doesn’t align with your plan or priorities. What’s your back up?

And what are the longer-term threats that if you don’t address, may sabotage your success down the line?

Essentially, the threats that are linked to your weaknesses.

If you don’t stretch your team more (and you keep taking up the slack) you’re not going to create your succession plan – and so stunt your growth.

If you don’t start creating greater visibility for your team, they’ll move out.

If you’ve been thinking about your self-SWOT as you read this, what have you decided to address first?

Whatever it is, start small, and make sure you clearly identify how you will use your strengths effectively in that growth process.

? Andrea Stone, Stone Leadership