SWOT Analysis - Avoiding Errors

I thought this list of frequently encountered errors was interesting. Sorry ... it came from the "SWOT Analysis" article on Wikipedia.

Avoiding Errors

1. Conducting a SWOT analysis before defining and agreeing upon an objective (a desired end state). SWOTs should not exist in the abstract. They can exist only with reference to an objective. If the desired end state is not openly defined and agreed upon, the participants may have different end states in mind and the results will be ineffective.

2. Opportunities external to the company are often confused with strengths internal to the company. They should be kept separate.

3. SWOTs are sometimes confused with possible strategies. SWOTs are descriptions of conditions, while possible strategies define actions. This error is made especially with reference to opportunity analysis. To avoid this error, it may be useful to think of opportunities as "auspicious conditions".

360 Search on Environmental Scanning

Here's a quick list of environmental scanning sources that I compiled using 360 Search. One way we could do a literature search without a huge effort would be to create a list like this (or a better, more thoughtfully compiled one) and divide up the reading responsibilities.

Environmental Scanning Bibliography via 360 Search

I, of course, haven't yet dived into this material but the 360 output quickly placed on the web is a pretty nifty way to do it. :)

SWOT Analysis & Environmental Scanning

Quick MBA: Strategic Management. SWOT Analysis

I liked this one page easy to read description for several reasons: 1) It's easy to read (ha!) 2) The diagram clearly points up how strengths and weaknesses are subsets of internal analysis which are subsets of environmental scanning. Likewise threats and opportunities are subsets of external analysis and environmental scanning (See the box diagram).

In order to get a grade of "Excellent" maybe we need to be thinking about how to go about our environmental scanning rather than immediately jumping into creating S's, W's, O's, and T's.

Two questions:

1. How do we demonstrate that we've done a conscientious job of environmental scanning?
2. How do we insure that our analyses will be seen as thoughtful?

By the way, if you start investigating environmental scanning, you soon discover that a healthy part of it involves a literature review -- which ought to be right up our alley :)

SWOT: Going for an "A+"

Here are the 4 possible "grades" we could receive for our SWOT analysis along with the criteria for those "grades."

Excellent (3). Clear, thoughtful analysis of internal strengths and weaknesses. Demonstrated use of environmental scanning* for external threats and opportunities. Next steps from SWOT analysis delineated.

Good (2) Overall acceptable but lacking in a comprehensive analysis of internal and external factors.

Fair (1) Some analysis completed but not comprehensive and balanced in all four SWOT areas

Poor (0) Little or no analysis or environmental scanning

From Program Review Report Template for Student Services
and Administrative Support, page 3

Library Program Review 2008 URL

The URL for this blog is http://libraryprogramreview2008.blogspot.com/. You might want to bookmark it so you can find it easily in the future.

Program Review Rubric

Here's a copy of the (Program Review Rubric) which lays out what the final report will have to include. Don't overlook page 3 of the PDF where the criteria for the "grading" of the report is laid out and page 4 where definitions (like the meaning of "contact requirements" are given.

Suggested Labels

Here are some suggested labels/subjects that we might address with blog entries:

strengths
weaknesses
opportunities
threats
stakeholders
contact requirements
measurements