SWOT Analysis Template

SWOT analysis is an excellent self analytical tool to evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis framework provides a good background to review the position, strategies, ideas of the organization and of course, the self. This analysis is used in organizations for business planning, competitor evaluation, development of business and product, marketing, research analysis and strategic planning. To evaluate all these, a template will be of great help. The templates are like guides that help in listing down the factors that affect an individual or a group. This analysis is also known as situational analysis if used by an organization for evaluating the competitors and partners in a particular situation.

Why is SWOT Analysis Important?

The template is in the form of a grid that is further divided into four different section. Each one of the sections are referred to as strength, weakness, opportunities and threats. The analysis of this matrix helps you in developing the strategies to exploit and utilize the inner strength in the best possible way and work on the internal weaknesses. Strength and weaknesses are the internal components of an individual as well as for an organization. Whereas, opportunities and threats are for analyzing the external factors that directly or indirectly affect an individual or an organization.

In simple terms, we can say that SWOT analysis matrix helps us in generating data or information to match the goals, mission, capabilities, capacities and environment of an individual or a group. In personal template, strength comprises tangible and intangible positive attribute that are internal and within our control, weakness includes the factors that too are in our control that distract or obstruct us from achieving our goal. This analysis indirectly helps in building confidence as well. Opportunities are the external factors that attract us and give us a reason to work hard and develop to achieve them and last comes the threats that too are external factors that are not in an individual's control and can hamper the personal goals. Following are the examples where this analysis can be used for evaluating the four mentioned aspects.

A Few Examples

• An idea for business
• Potential competitors and partners
• A brand or product
• Opportunities for acquisition
• A company
• Strategic options for launching a new product
• A procedure or method
• A service being outsourced
• Opportunities for investment
• Career opportunities

The analysis intends to assess and analysis the data in a subjective manner. The template for SWOT displays the analysis in a logical order that contributes in understanding, decision-making, presentation, and discussion. The template promotes proactive thinking instead of depending on the instinctive and habitual reactions. Here is a format of the analysis with some questions that you need to answer during the assessment process.

STRENGTH	WEAKNESS
What are you good at? What resources do you have? What are the positive things that others like in you?	What are the areas in which you need improvement? What are the resources that you lack? What others do not like in you?
OPPORTUNITIES	THREATS
What are the opportunities open for you? What are the areas that can be good for you? How can you convert your strengths into opportunities?	What can harm you? Who are the competitors? What kind of threats can be there because of your weaknesses?

So, we can see that if the analysis is realistically conducted, one can take the advantage of the strengths, opportunities can be utilized efficiently and the threats and weaknesses can be reduced to improve the overall functioning of an organization as well as of an individual. This analysis method can be used in other way also that is, matching and converting. Matching is done to explore the advantages and converting is to transform the weaknesses into strengths. Other than this analysis, some team building and individual games especially designed for SWOT analysis can also be used.