SWOT - your way to better performance

SWOT your way to better performance
Most performance management systems that are top down, focus on measuring performance through a map of results, behaviors and competencies. The entire systems are derived from the organizational strategy as outlined either through the strategy map or any other strategy definition and detailing methodology.
One of the defects of this approach is that it does not leverage or maximize the potential of the person who needs to deliver this performance. However clear the performance requirements may be, unless the person has the right set of skills, aptitude and knowledge, he will not be able to excel in the role. Even when these competencies are aligned, often the way these competencies get deployed will differ from how another person with similar competencies will behave in a similar role.
This is where a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) of the individual can help make a difference. The SWOT gives a good snapshot of the individual's approach as well as her competencies. Moreover, unlike other methods of competency mapping that require high degree of expertise and skills, a SWOT is relatively easier to implement and can deliver value at almost any level.
Steps to draw up a SWOT
The first step is to look at the Strengths and weaknesses of the individual.
Strengths
1. We can get an indication of strengths while considering questions such as:
2. What does the person like to do?
3. What areas of the roles does the person do well?
4. In what areas of the role does the person naturally get into more detail, often exhibiting an innate understanding of the technicalities of the work?
5. What unusual skill/s does the person bring to the job?
6. What unique resources does the person draw on?
7. What are others likely to see as strengths?
8. What particular needs of the organization are met?
Each individual is unique and has her strengths. Studies have shown repeatedly that those employees who enjoy doing what they do; they are more likely to be working in business units with lower employee turnover. Companies that have focused on employee strengths have seen time and time again, increase in productivity and employee loyalty.
Weaknesses
Similarly, personal areas of weaknesses can be deduced by asking questions such as:
1. What does the person dislike?
2. What areas of the role does the person perform poorly?
3. What areas of the role does the person prefer to either work at a task level, or prefers to remain at a high level?
4. Where does the person have fewer resources than others?
5. What are others likely to see as weaknesses?
Weaknesses like fear can result in a self-fulfilling prophecy. Keep your mind on them, and that's what you get. It can result in creating poor self-image, negative attitude and consequently poor performance. Working on improving a weakness may at best prevent failures, but it's only in developing strengths that success can be attained.
Opportunities
Now, once these Strengths and Weaknesses have been defined, the next step is to look at opportunities. Opportunities come out of the specific strengths of the individual as well as the role that the person is expected to play. Some pointers that help identify opportunities are:
1. Considering the strengths, what areas of the current role, and other related roles can the person play well?
2. Are there other processes in the business model where the individual's strengths can be leveraged?
3. What trends can the individual help the organization take advantage of?
When deciding the performance targets for the individual, stretch goals that centre on a person's opportunities which are likely to energize and excite the individual.
Threats
When looking at threats, ask:
1. What areas of the current role are likely to be compromised if the individual is put under stress?
2. What skills is the employee lacking?
3. What are the impediments to gaining more skills?
4. What trends could cause harm?
For areas that are potential threats, ensure that clear “acceptable minimum” targets are set, so that the individual does not compromise performance below these levels under any circumstances. Threats can also be used to examine and modify the employee's profile, so as to add value to the business vision and objectives. A possible likelihood and a potential benefit is that these threats can be converted into opportunities, since they are identified well in advance.
Analysis of SWOT findings
A SWOT analysis is always done with regard to an objective and is never obscure. Therefore the gathering of the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Weaknesses is only half the job done . The next step is to analyze the gathered details & create strategies for success both for the current situation and for the future.
This can be done by analyzing the four quadrants of the SWOT matrix:
QUADRANT 1
SO (Strengths-Opportunities) strategies QUADRANT 2
ST (Strengths-Threats) strategies
QUADRANT 3
WO (Weakness-Opportunities) strategies QUADRANT 4
WT (Weakness-Threats) strategies

1. Match internal strengths with external opportunities, and record the resultant SO (Strengths-Opportunities) strategies. These strategies focus on leveraging current opportunities with the available strength.
2. Match internal strengths with external threats, and record the resultant ST (Strengths-Threats) strategies. These strategies focus on vulnerable situations that require awareness.
3. Match internal weaknesses with external opportunities, and record the resultant WO (Weakness-Opportunities) strategies. These strategies focus on constraints that can be converted to opportunities, in the near future.
4. Match internal weaknesses with external threats, and record the resultant WT (Weakness-Threats) strategies. These strategies focus on problems that need immediate address.
Benefits of a SWOT
• It is simple and encourages collaboration among employees
• It is both cost and time effective
• It explores and integrates information both from internal sources and from external sources and is highly flexible
• Most businesses are efficient in analyzing their internal strengths and weaknesses but are not efficient with analyzing the external opportunities and threats and where they stand in relation to it. It is here that SWAT analysis is useful. It causes businesses to look beyond and to strategize accordingly
• It presents information about the industry in a structured manner, and aids in the formulation of effective strategies
• Helps focus effort on areas that give competitive advantage
• Gives an insight with regard to threats and how to react proactively to them and to convert them into opportunities
• SWOT analysis also helps to leverage team dynamics because when building a team of people with identical roles, it helps to have people with complementary SWOT profiles; thus providing for team synergy as well.
• It is a great team-building tool, since it involves every member of the team in the planning process.
Conclusion
A well managed SWOT will help a business see the overall picture. It will help isolate key issues and facilitate a strategic approach to address them.
SWOT is highly recommended because of its ease of use and its ability to scope the entire setting (playing field) i.e. both internal and external factors (environments), its ability to match between the two and because of its ability to chart out sound strategies thereafter.
Businesses can use a SWOT to position themselves to take advantage of opportunities, defend themselves against any threats and consequently ensure long-term success.
We here, at BeakWare, have ourselves benefited from SWOT and hence recommend it to you. Also, our HR solutions are carefully designed so as to enable you to implement and execute your SWOT analysis and benefit from it.