Finding weaknesses

- [Instructor] As much as finding strengths are a comfortable part of a SWAT analysis, finding weaknesses is one of the most uncomfortable internal examinations we can perform, whether as an individual or as part of an organization. It's not fun to find and expose vulnerabilities within oneself. We tend to be subjective. We try to soften our estimation of weak areas that are in our control while being more direct and sharing opinions about things that may belong to someone else or another part of the business. Very few realize that weaknesses are a form of opportunity and future strengths and should be embraced and owned as willingly as strengths. I'd like to share some examples with you on approaches and ideas you can use to objectively identify weaknesses. Using these examples as templates, you may find weaknesses that have the potential to be transformed into strengths as part of a follow-up action plan to a SWAT analysis. As with finding strengths, weaknesses are considered internal characteristics of a SWAT analysis and should be considered only after external factors have been identified. Weaknesses are inefficiencies or gaps in your makeup, execution, or performance that prevent you from achieving your goals. I want you to think about weaknesses as challenges or deficiencies that take away or block the value you and your teams create. Consider the following questions as guides when thinking about weaknesses. Where is significant or excessive spending taking place? What activities or operations are consuming excessive amounts of time? What manufacturing or supply resources are being excessively consumed or not easily replaced? What gaps exist in your skills or core competencies? What strategic goals are not being met? What tactical goals are not being met? What are the current problems with sales or profit margins? Where are the current problems with product or service defects? Are there any conflicts, problems, or difficulties within the organization? Are there any conflicts, problems, or difficulties with customers or suppliers? When setting out to discover and document weaknesses, it's important to be as objective as possible. Proper facilitation is a key element of creating a list that is both actionable and measurable. Don't simply pull together a handpicked team and ask for opinions in a high pressure setting. It's particularly useful to prepare questions regarding weaknesses in advance to minimize any reactive or emotional biases that affect the team's responses. As with finding strengths, be sure to be specific in your labeling and definitions of an individual weakness to avoid creating list entries that may also be labeled as strengths. In my experience, finding and leveraging weaknesses are some of the best resources an organization or individual can utilize, and often are overlooked gold nuggets from a SWAT analysis. When you objectives find weaknesses that you can act upon with clear metrics, you have the building blocks for powerful tools that enable new strengths and capture opportunities.