Bernie Anderson

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Do Your Due SWOT

There's nothing like a good SWOT analysis.

SWOT begins with the internal.
What are your strengths?
What are the weaknesses?

This is insight. Self-examination. How am I doing? What value am I bringing to the table?

In our current environment the second part of the SWOT analysis most timely.

What are the opportunities?
What are the threats?

This is external. I call this outsight. It's looking to the horizon and seeing what's there. Outsight is a critical part of the leader's job. Leaders of organizations and businesses should always be scanning the skyline, looking for storms or cold fronts, along with the threats and opportunities that sometimes arrive with these rogue weather systems.

COVID-19 was a clear threat we should have been spotted long before it's arrival. Good leadership is already looking for opportunities to encourage, expand, stabilize, or grow in the aftermath. How do we get better? How do we improve our health care? Our economic engines? Our supply chains? Our creative endeavors?

SWOT analysis is something every leader should do regularly.

If you're interested in knowing more, I am doing several sessions in an online Summit called "Growing Your Business While SHeltered in Place," one of which is how to do a quarterly SWOT analysis in your organization. It's completely free with no strings - and there are several helpful talks by other business leaders in my community. Sign up and listen to the courses at your leisure during April.