Tag Archives: weakness

Beyond the SWOT – the ESHF Framework

Enjoy, Suffer, Hope, Fear (ESHF)

Human beings are peculiar phenomena.  More than ability and logic, our decisions and actions are defined by our emotions and feelings.  Dan Areily has written about how our irrationality sets us apart.  Jonathan Haidt, and other psychologists preceded Dan in researching how this leads to creativity and to our happiness.

The ESHF Framework can help us become aware of the motivation and velocity we are moving with.  Projecting into the future Horizons (near/far/distant) we can take charge of our journey towards the goals that are important for us.  We always achieve what we want!

ESHF for:  _______________________________________________

E-njoy

 Horizon

S-uffer

 Horizon
NO
S

A

R

NOSAR do I enjoy working towards, thinking about, helping others for>

 1/2/3 NO
S

A

R

NOSAR do I suffer (tolerate) working towards, thinking about, helping others for>

 1/2/3

H-ope

 Need

F-ear

 Need
NO
S

A

R

NOSAR do I hope to have achieved, thought through>

 NO
S

A

R

NOSAR do I fear will come in my way, or bring me pain>

* N: Needs; O: Objectives; S: Specifications; A: Activities; R: Results (Requirements)

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Doing a SWOT?

Whenever I’ve done the SWOT, for whatever it might be, I realized the points I would put down got a little confused as I went ahead to complete the SWOT.  Perspective would change even as I thought through the points.  Opportunities and Threats would become confused about who or what I had to focus on.

I realized if we had a framework which guided our thinking with constant questions, it would do so much for the quality of the SWOT, its completeness, consistency of perspective, and relevance.  Here I share a framework for doing the SWOT for an Individual, as well as another for an Organization/Team.

Happy SWOTing!!

1.  SWOT for an Individual

SWOT for:  ________________________________________________

S-trength

 Trend

W-eakness

 Trend
C

A

S

K

B

<enter here what current Competencies, Attitudes, Skills, Knowledge, and Behaviors, are helping you to achieve what is needed>

 +/-/=

<enter here whether trend is ‘+ve’,     ‘-ve’, or ‘flat’>

 C

A

S

K

B

<enter here what current Competencies, Attitudes, Skills, Knowledge, and Behaviors, are preventing you from achieving what is needed>

  +/-/=

<enter here whether trend is ‘+ve’,     ‘-ve’, or ‘flat’>

O-pportunity

 Need

T-hreat

 Need
C

A

S

K

B

<enter here what current Competencies, Attitudes, Skills, Knowledge, and Behaviors, are you working on which will help you to achieve what you expect will be needed.  Look at trends in S and W, as well as any new C-A-S-K-A-Bs you realize that you are working on.>

 <enter here for which need a point is an opp-ortunity> C

A

S

K

B

<Look at downward trends in S and W to identify which Competencies, Attitudes, Skills, Knowledge, and Behaviors, might prevent you from achieving what will be needed>

 <enter here for which need a point is a threat>

2.  SWOT for an Organization/Team

SWOT for: ______________________________________

S-trength

 Trend

W-eakness

 Trend
  • Market/Customer – needs, behavior, trends
  • Competencies – includes reservoirs of Knowledge, Skill, Attitude
  • Processes – includes policies, methods, standards, best practices
  • Capacity – includes people, funds, resources, infrastructure
  • Vision – includes values, motives, and beliefs

<enter under each heading what current facts are helping the organization to achieve what is needed>

 <enter here whether trend is ‘+ve’,     ‘-ve’, or ‘flat’>
  • Market/Customer – needs, behavior, trends
  • Competencies – includes reservoirs of Knowledge, Skill, Attitude
  • Processes – includes policies, methods, standards, best practices
  • Capacity – includes people, funds, resources, infrastructure
  • Vision – includes values, motives, and beliefs

<enter under each heading what  current facts are preventing the organization from achieving what is needed>

 <enter here whether trend is ‘+ve’,     ‘-ve’, or ‘flat’>

O-pportunity

 Need

T-hreat

 Need
  • Market/Customer – needs, behavior, trends
  • Competencies – includes reservoirs of Knowledge, Skill, Attitude
  • Processes – includes policies, methods, standards, best practices
  • Capacity – includes people, funds, resources, infrastructure
  • Vision – includes values, motives, and beliefs

<enter under each heading what current initiatives are you working on which will help the organization to achieve what you expect will be needed.  Look at trends in Strengths above and Weaknesses, as well as any new Competencies, Processes, Capacity, etc.that you realize the organization is working on.>

 <enter here for which need a point is an opp-ortunity>
  • Market/Customer – needs, behavior, trends
  • Competencies – includes reservoirs of Knowledge, Skill, Attitude
  • Processes – includes policies, methods, standards, best practices
  • Capacity – includes people, funds, resources, infrastructure
  • Vision – includes values, motives, and beliefs

<Look at downward trends in Strengths and Weaknesses to identify which of the above (bulleted) attributes might prevent the organization in the future from achieving what will be needed.>

 <enter here for which need a point is a threat>

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