SWOT to think

 

You think what you think, right? Wrong. As wise thinker you should think what you decide to think. In organizational context you certainly decide to think those things which are most relevant to success of your organization. On your free time you think what you wish to think, or perhaps you just give the thoughts to come to you, or perhaps you just rest. But that all interesting what happens in your free time is out of the scope of this blog.

 

 

 

 

Instead our topic is SWOT you decide to think when you operate on your professional mode. What to think is rather broad theme for a blog and therefore I thought that why not use good old SWOT framework in this new context. It helps us to focus on something essential.

 

How that SWOT fits into this picture of thinking? It brings up one angle which is important when you decide what to think. It helps you to see whether your thinking revolves around Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities or Threats. Let us be saved from an executive who would focus almost exclusively on Weaknesses (for those wishing a deeper taste of this are adviced to listen Pínk Floyd's Another Brick in the Wall: intro).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4SKL7f9n58

But similarly, let us be saved from an executive or, God mercy, from a board of directors who would live solely immersed into the beautiful world of endless opportunities. And what is said about focusing solely to W or O, goes similarly with a S and T as well.

 

So, what is point here? You need balance, you need to think, not just O but also S, W and T - right? That is right, that is one point, a relevant point I think. Hence, let us all remember the good old SWOT in our thinking.

 

Having said that I would like to sail back to a bit more troubled waters. Certainly to decide what to think is actually a very challenging task. Balanced use of SWOT is a good start, but perhaps just a star on a life long journey to know what to think.

 

 

At this point I would like to leave you with two thoughts, which on their part suggest that deciding what to think is really a complex task. First, how you decide to balance SWOT in your thinking, to you choose to stress equal amount of every corner or something else. I would imagine that as a leader who wish to create new and inspire people around you decide to be rather generous with O and S. That is just fine. Secondly, are you sure that you decide what you think? What was the most recent issue which thrusted into your mind but which you decide to leave aside or push away? And what was the latest thing which would have never occurred to you unless you had decided to dig it up?