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Actual for You - How To Conduct A Successful S.W.O.T. Analysis
Project Failures and Project SuccessSome organizations and project managers tend to resort to simplistic view when it comes time to judge if the projects they are assigned to manage is a success. The tendency is more due to the most popular success criteria to measure the success from just the triple constraints of CTR or cost, time, and resource performance points of view.In my view, there are really a lot of other success criteria or parameters on top of the triple constraints to measure success of a project and it has to be viewed from different stakeholders’ point of view.Project is considered a Success when one is completed ahead of schedule or on time, within budget, which has been executed safely and has met or exceeded the many project performance parameters in technical, safety, quality, plant capacity, features, produc
Although "Pareto" is named after the economist Vilfredo Pareto,
it was Dr. Joseph M. Duran who applied the thinking to
management best practices.
Dr. Juran advises us to concentrate on the "vital few" sources
of problems (and in this context, the actions which will
give us the greatest return) and not be distracted by those
of lesser impact or importance.
To conclude, be as creative as you can be in your problem solving, think 'outside the box'. Get others to do the same. As much as I hate them, just think of "yellow stickies" and how a complete disaster became a huge income generator.
If you are worried about change just imagine what will happen if you do nothing!
"Insanity: doing the same
thing over and over again
and expecting different
results." Einstein
Footnotes
======================
When you graduate from Culinary School, you might choose to work in a restaurant, at a resort, or in catering. The job choice you make can set the direction for your career. Working in a restaurant is very different than working in the catering business for instance. There are different skills required for these jobs, and working in one field does not give you qualifications for the other. Keep this in mind before deciding which Culinary Career you intend to pursue. After you graduate, you have the opportunity to review the skills you have and decide from there what food service venue you want to focus your career on. During the first several years of your culinary you will spend a lot of time practicing your skills and then finding your niche.One of the basic skills you will utilize throughout your Culinary Career is your technical skill. Th
This is a powerful and highly successful technique that can be applied to an individual, a group, a team, a company, a plan – think about it, even a website! Again, experiment with it. If it helps you to focus your (and your team’s) efforts in the right direction, it’s worth it.
The process is to ask and answer a number of specific questions for each of the 4 categories, documenting the answers. This process, in itself is simple enough. However, so that you are not disappointed with the outcome, take the time you need, get the answers you need, face the facts and above all, take action.
TIP Whether working on this for yourself or with your team, always keep in mind the goal you want to achieve for each category.
So, in this context, treat 'you' as either yourself, your team, your improvement group, your company, your business.
The starting point of a successful SWOT analysis is to understand that there are 4 general objectives, one for each part of the analysis, the goal you wish to achieve.
Typical Format - the most common approach and widely used format is to construct a 2 row by 2 column matrix with the following information...
STRENGTHS in top left quadrant
Capitalise
on your
strengths
WEAKNESSES in top right quadrant
Address
your
weaknesses
OPPORTUNITIES in bottom left quadrant
Take full
advantage
of the
opportunities
available
THREATS in bottom right quadrant
Deal with or
minimise the
impact of threats
you face
Although each of the above statements can be regarded as action oriented, they are, in themselves, meaningless. We can't use them to communicate exactly what our plans are going to be, why we have the plans in the first place, what resources we need and who will implement the plans.
So, let's ask a few fundamental questions to put some meat on the skeleton...
---Sidebar---
Add to or tailor the questions to suit you, your team, your organization.
---End Sidebar---
STRENGTHS
Answer from your own point of view, your customers’
your teams', your suppliers' and others.
WEAKNESSES
Answer from your own point of view, your customers’ and
others. Face the Truth
OPPORTUNITIES
technology, demographics, legislation, education
Use PDCA (see footnotes) to identify those that will give you
the greatest return
THREATS
Use PDCA (see footnotes) to prioritize
O.K., we have done the data gathering, the surveys, the questioning, the 'soul searching'. Redraw the matrix when questioning round is complete replacing the questions asked in each quadrant with a summary of the answers.
Easy for me to say I know but...
As long as you have been factual
As long as you have been honest especially with yourself
As long as you are ready and prepared to accept the answers
As long as you are prepared to TAKE ACTION
You have the foundation here to take a snapshot of where you are today, what's working for and against you, and the basis for a series of action plans to get you to where you want to be tomorrow.
Regardless of which quadrant you may be studying, the key
question to ask yourself is...
"What will give us the biggest return"
Many of us are familiar with the "Pareto Principle", perhaps more familiar with the term "80-20 Rule"
Pareto Principle
Why the 80-20 rule? Approximately 80% of trouble comes from 20%
of the problems. Also, quite often, 80% of the results we
seek, will come from 20% of our efforts - as long as we are
focused and prioritize.
Although "Pareto" is named after the economist Vilfredo Pareto,
it was Dr. Joseph M. Duran who applied the thinking to
management best practices.
Dr. Juran advises us to concentrate on the "vital few" sources
of problems (and in this context, the actions which will
give us the greatest return) and not be distracted by those
of lesser impact or importance.
To conclude, be as creative as you can be in your problem solving, think 'outside the box'. Get others to do the same. As much as I hate them, just think of "yellow stickies" and how a complete disaster became a huge income generator.
If you are worried about change just imagine what will happen if you do nothing!
"Insanity: doing the same
thing over and over again
and expecting different
results." Einstein
Footnotes
=======================
From the point of view of an outside observer it would appear that every project is doomed to be late, over budget or both. For large public construction projects in the UK such as the Millennium Dome, Wembley Stadium and more recently the London Underground refit, this would truly appear to be the case.Even on a smaller scale many product development projects tend be misguided in what they will achieve within the planned time frame. There are normally a number of stock excuses for such a failing. These can range from “There was an unexpected change made by the customer”, “We underestimated the amount of time required” or even “We didn’t understand the risks involved”.In the arena of customer / supplier projects there seems to be an increasing trend to win the project and then worry about how to deliver within the cost, timing and qual
Capitalise
on your
strengths
WEAKNESSES in top right quadrant
Address
your
weaknesses
OPPORTUNITIES in bottom left quadrant
Take full
advantage
of the
opportunities
available
THREATS in bottom right quadrant
Deal with or
minimise the
impact of threats
you face
Although each of the above statements can be regarded as action oriented, they are, in themselves, meaningless. We can't use them to communicate exactly what our plans are going to be, why we have the plans in the first place, what resources we need and who will implement the plans.
So, let's ask a few fundamental questions to put some meat on the skeleton...
---Sidebar---
Add to or tailor the questions to suit you, your team, your organization.
---End Sidebar---
STRENGTHS
Answer from your own point of view, your customers’
your teams', your suppliers' and others.
WEAKNESSES
Answer from your own point of view, your customers’ and
others. Face the Truth
OPPORTUNITIES
technology, demographics, legislation, education
Use PDCA (see footnotes) to identify those that will give you
the greatest return
THREATS
Use PDCA (see footnotes) to prioritize
O.K., we have done the data gathering, the surveys, the questioning, the 'soul searching'. Redraw the matrix when questioning round is complete replacing the questions asked in each quadrant with a summary of the answers.
Easy for me to say I know but...
As long as you have been factual
As long as you have been honest especially with yourself
As long as you are ready and prepared to accept the answers
As long as you are prepared to TAKE ACTION
You have the foundation here to take a snapshot of where you are today, what's working for and against you, and the basis for a series of action plans to get you to where you want to be tomorrow.
Regardless of which quadrant you may be studying, the key
question to ask yourself is...
"What will give us the biggest return"
Many of us are familiar with the "Pareto Principle", perhaps more familiar with the term "80-20 Rule"
Pareto Principle
Why the 80-20 rule? Approximately 80% of trouble comes from 20%
of the problems. Also, quite often, 80% of the results we
seek, will come from 20% of our efforts - as long as we are
focused and prioritize.
Although "Pareto" is named after the economist Vilfredo Pareto,
it was Dr. Joseph M. Duran who applied the thinking to
management best practices.
Dr. Juran advises us to concentrate on the "vital few" sources
of problems (and in this context, the actions which will
give us the greatest return) and not be distracted by those
of lesser impact or importance.
To conclude, be as creative as you can be in your problem solving, think 'outside the box'. Get others to do the same. As much as I hate them, just think of "yellow stickies" and how a complete disaster became a huge income generator.
If you are worried about change just imagine what will happen if you do nothing!
"Insanity: doing the same
thing over and over again
and expecting different
results." Einstein
Footnotes
======================
It’s Not The Economy Stupid, It’s The Hiring PracticesSlipshod hiring practices, managers and ineffective corporate recruitment policies are to blame for white-collar professionals unable to find work.“White collar professionals who can’t find work in the 21st Century shouldn’t blame the economy only,” says Eva Jekins of VIP Innovations. She cites “incompetent corporate recruiting practices” and “under-trained, over-tasked hiring managers who don’t prioritize the importance of the hiring process enough to focus or take the time to define the position itself rather than the person in the position.”Where Have All The People Gone? Today’s marketplace is experiencing high job turnover rates and a prevalence of unfilled jobs. And the future looks bleak. “In the next five years, a Baby Boomer retirement wave is going to leave
Answer from your own point of view, your customers’ and
others. Face the Truth
OPPORTUNITIES
technology, demographics, legislation, education
Use PDCA (see footnotes) to identify those that will give you
the greatest return
THREATS
Use PDCA (see footnotes) to prioritize
O.K., we have done the data gathering, the surveys, the questioning, the 'soul searching'. Redraw the matrix when questioning round is complete replacing the questions asked in each quadrant with a summary of the answers.
Easy for me to say I know but...
As long as you have been factual
As long as you have been honest especially with yourself
As long as you are ready and prepared to accept the answers
As long as you are prepared to TAKE ACTION
You have the foundation here to take a snapshot of where you are today, what's working for and against you, and the basis for a series of action plans to get you to where you want to be tomorrow.
Regardless of which quadrant you may be studying, the key
question to ask yourself is...
"What will give us the biggest return"
Many of us are familiar with the "Pareto Principle", perhaps more familiar with the term "80-20 Rule"
Pareto Principle
Why the 80-20 rule? Approximately 80% of trouble comes from 20%
of the problems. Also, quite often, 80% of the results we
seek, will come from 20% of our efforts - as long as we are
focused and prioritize.
Although "Pareto" is named after the economist Vilfredo Pareto,
it was Dr. Joseph M. Duran who applied the thinking to
management best practices.
Dr. Juran advises us to concentrate on the "vital few" sources
of problems (and in this context, the actions which will
give us the greatest return) and not be distracted by those
of lesser impact or importance.
To conclude, be as creative as you can be in your problem solving, think 'outside the box'. Get others to do the same. As much as I hate them, just think of "yellow stickies" and how a complete disaster became a huge income generator.
If you are worried about change just imagine what will happen if you do nothing!
"Insanity: doing the same
thing over and over again
and expecting different
results." Einstein
Footnotes
======================
Perhaps you have seen the Matco or Snap-On Tool Guys out there peddling their tools to local mechanics in your community. Indeed they have to be good at sales, but more importantly they must be good at customer service too. They have to work with their customers and they must also be careful to get paid, as these independent business guys are generally independent contractors or franchisees and they are responsible for that outlay. Good customer service means more sales, referrals and getting paid first and that equates to their bottom line and most importantly their cash flow too.How can you provide better customer service for a mobile tool business? Well, you can make sure that you show up every single week at the exact same time and if you are not going to make it you need to call and let everybody know or a week ahead of time let everybo
Use PDCA (see footnotes) to prioritize
O.K., we have done the data gathering, the surveys, the questioning, the 'soul searching'. Redraw the matrix when questioning round is complete replacing the questions asked in each quadrant with a summary of the answers.
Easy for me to say I know but...
As long as you have been factual
As long as you have been honest especially with yourself
As long as you are ready and prepared to accept the answers
As long as you are prepared to TAKE ACTION
You have the foundation here to take a snapshot of where you are today, what's working for and against you, and the basis for a series of action plans to get you to where you want to be tomorrow.
Regardless of which quadrant you may be studying, the key
question to ask yourself is...
"What will give us the biggest return"
Many of us are familiar with the "Pareto Principle", perhaps more familiar with the term "80-20 Rule"
Pareto Principle
Why the 80-20 rule? Approximately 80% of trouble comes from 20%
of the problems. Also, quite often, 80% of the results we
seek, will come from 20% of our efforts - as long as we are
focused and prioritize.
Although "Pareto" is named after the economist Vilfredo Pareto,
it was Dr. Joseph M. Duran who applied the thinking to
management best practices.
Dr. Juran advises us to concentrate on the "vital few" sources
of problems (and in this context, the actions which will
give us the greatest return) and not be distracted by those
of lesser impact or importance.
To conclude, be as creative as you can be in your problem solving, think 'outside the box'. Get others to do the same. As much as I hate them, just think of "yellow stickies" and how a complete disaster became a huge income generator.
If you are worried about change just imagine what will happen if you do nothing!
"Insanity: doing the same
thing over and over again
and expecting different
results." Einstein
Footnotes
======================
Everyone needs one. Not everyone has one. It's the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) – the single thing you tout that sets you apart from your competition. Yet discovering a truly unique selling proposition is daunting and rare. Here are some straightforward tips to help you make your marketing message stand out in a crowd.Study your competition. What are they saying? How are they saying it? You need to know your playing field before you jump into the game. Whatever their message, you want yours to be different.Be creative. It doesn't matter if your business, product, or service really is just like your competition's and nothing at all sets you apart (although I think this is unlikely). So long as you're the only one saying what you're saying, your message will be heard. I once helped a massage parlor doub
Although "Pareto" is named after the economist Vilfredo Pareto,
it was Dr. Joseph M. Duran who applied the thinking to
management best practices.
Dr. Juran advises us to concentrate on the "vital few" sources
of problems (and in this context, the actions which will
give us the greatest return) and not be distracted by those
of lesser impact or importance.
To conclude, be as creative as you can be in your problem solving, think 'outside the box'. Get others to do the same. As much as I hate them, just think of "yellow stickies" and how a complete disaster became a huge income generator.
If you are worried about change just imagine what will happen if you do nothing!
"Insanity: doing the same
thing over and over again
and expecting different
results." Einstein
Footnotes
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