SWOT Analysis Session

1. In Preparation forStrategic Planning Facilitator’s Guide SWOT Analysis Session

2. Agenda • Set-Up (30 min) • Ground Rules (15 min) • Warm-Up (30 min) • Strengths (30-45 min) • Weaknesses (30-45 min) • S/W Actions (45 min) • Opportunities (30-45 min) • Threats (30-45 min) • O/T Actions (45 min) • Wrap-Up (30 min) • Total~ 5-6 Hrs Don’t forget to add breaks and lunch Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

3. Ground rules Do • This process is about the future and we need to evaluate the present with an eye to the future. • This is the time for brutal honesty and absolute realism– this is not a sales tool. • Be analytical and specific. • We’ll log all thoughts and ideas and filter later. • When we filter, we’ll be highly selective. You’ll have to make crucial trade-offs which may include passing on some opportunities and abandoning some markets in order to focus on what you do best. Don't • Try to disguise weaknesses. • Merely list errors and mistakes. • Lose sight of external influences and trends. • Allow the SWOT to become a blame-laying exercise. • Ignore the outcomes at later stages of the planning process. Next step • This will be used as input to strategic planning. May be refined or adjusted during the next step. Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

4. 30-min WARM-UP Start the session by looking externally. Quickly fill in your top three target markets (markets not products). If you’re doing this as an internal organization, think about other businesses that perform the same function you perform. Give yourself a competitor or a benchmark to compare your self to. Adjust the characteristics accordingly. Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

5. INTERNAL ASSESSMENT: STRENGTHS (30-45 min) Strengths – internal to your business; characteristics or qualities of your business/ organization that make you better than your competitors. Add any additional strengths that are unique to your business. All strengths should be assets to growth. • THOUGHT PROVOKERS • Advantages of proposition? • Capabilities? • Competitive advantages? • USP's (unique selling points)? • Resources, Assets, People? • Experience, knowledge, data? • Financial reserves, likely returns? • Marketing - reach, distribution, awareness? • Innovative aspects? • Location and geography? • Price, value, quality? • Accreditations, qualifications, certifications? • Processes, systems, IT, communications? • Cultural, attitudinal, behavioral? • Management cover, succession? • Philosophy and values? • STRENGTHS (with back-up) • One • Two • Three FACILITATOR TIP: You may want to consider breaking the conversation into: tangibles, intangibles, and processes Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

6. INTERNAL ASSESSMENT: WEAKNESSES (30-45 min) Weaknesses – internal to your business/ organization; characteristics or qualities of the way you work that make you less competitive than your competitors. Add any additional weaknesses that are unique to your business/ organization. These weaknesses constrain growth. • THOUGHT PROVOKERS • Disadvantages of proposition? • Gaps in capabilities? • Lack of competitive strength? • Reputation, presence and reach? • Financials? • Own known vulnerabilities? • Timescales, deadlines and pressures? • Cash flow, start-up cash-drain? • Continuity, supply chain robustness? • Effects on core activities, distraction? • Reliability of data, plan predictability? • Morale, commitment, leadership? • Accreditations, etc? • Processes and systems, etc? • Management cover, succession? • WEAKNESSES/CONSTRAINTS (with back-up) • One • Two • Three FACILITATOR TIP: You may want to consider breaking the conversation into: tangibles, intangibles, and processes Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

7. INTERNAL ASSESSMENT: Action Steps (45 min) • Based on the criteria of corporate growth, • identify top 3-5 strengths and how you can exploit them so that they are competitive assets you can leverage to get accelerated growth. • Identify top 3-5 weaknesses that, if you do nothing, will constrain your opportunities for growth. Find solutions/workarounds for the constraints, mitigating their risk to your plan. • STRENGTHS • abc • def • ghi • WAYS TO EXPLOIT • xxx • yyy • zzz • WEAKNESSES • abc • def • ghi • WAYS TO REDUCE • xxx • yyy • zzz Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

8. EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT: OPPORTUNITIES (30-45 min) Opportunities -- external to your business. They exist either within your industrial sector or outside of your sector. Add any additional opportunities that are unique to your business. Keep in mind, opportunities may have a “shelf-life” • THOUGHT PROVOKERS • Market developments? • Competitors' vulnerabilities? • Industry or lifestyle trends? • Technology development and innovation? • Global influences? • New markets, vertical, horizontal? • Niche target markets? • Geographical, export, import? • New USP's? • Tactics: eg, surprise, major contracts? • Business and product development? • Information and research? • Partnerships, agencies, distribution? • Volumes, production, economies? • Seasonal, weather, fashion influences? • OPPORTUNITIES (and timing) • One • Two • Three FACILITATOR TIP: You may want to consider breaking the conversation into: INDUSTRY opportunities and EXTERNAL FACTORS (politics, economics, etc) Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

9. EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT: THREATS (30-45 min) Threats -- are external to your business. They exist either within your industrial sector or outside of your sector. Add any additional threats that are unique to your business. • THOUGHT PROVOKERS • Political effects? • Legislative effects? • Environmental effects? • IT developments? • Competitor intentions - various? • Market demand? • New technologies, services, ideas? • Vital contracts and partners? • Sustaining internal capabilities? • Obstacles faced? • Insurmountable weaknesses? • Loss of key staff? • Sustainable financial backing? • Economy - home, abroad? • Seasonality, weather effects? • THREATS • One • Two • Three FACILITATOR TIP: You may want to consider breaking the conversation into: INDUSTRY opportunities and EXTERNAL FACTORS (politics, economics, etc) Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

10. EXTERNAL ASSESSMENT: Action Steps (45 min) • Based on the criteria of corporate growth, • identify top 3-5 opportunities and how you can exploit them so that they are market assets you can leverage to get accelerated growth. • Identify top 3-5 threats that, if you do nothing, will constrain your opportunities for growth. Find solutions/workarounds for the threats, mitigating their risk to your plan. • be sure to include any relevant market timing • OPPORTUNITIES • abc • def • ghi • WAYS TO EXPLOIT • xxx • yyy • zzz • THREATS • abc • def • ghi • WAYS TO REDUCE • xxx • yyy • zzz Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide

11. Wrap-Up and Next Steps • SWOT analysis should be summarized for all participants. • Bring SWOT analysis to Planning Sessions • Provide a copy of the facilitators documents for any organizations who participated in the session – they can then cascade this exercise to others. Fialkowski, Executive Advisor SWOT Facilitators Guide