Personal SWOT Analysis Exercise:
Making the most of your talents and opportunities

You are most likely to succeed in life if you use your talents to their fullest extent. Similarly, you’ll suffer fewer problems if you know what your weaknesses are, and if you manage these weaknesses so that they don’t matter in the work you do.

So how you go about identifying these strengths and weaknesses, and analysing the opportunities and threats that flow from them? A SWOT Analysis is a useful technique that helps you do this.

Strengths

• What advantages do you have that others don’t have (for example, skills, certifications, education, or connections)?
• What do you do better than anyone else?
• What personal resources can you access?
• What do other people (and your boss, in particular) see as your strengths?
• Which of your achievements are you most proud of?
• What values do you believe in that others fail to exhibit?
• Are you part of a network that no one else is involved in? If so, what connections do you have with influential people?

Weaknesses

• What developmental feedback have you received?
• Are you completely confident in your education and skills training? If not, where are you weakest?
• What are your negative work habits (for example, are you ever late, disorganised, or short tempered)?
• What tasks do you usually avoid because you don’t feel confident doing them?
• Do you have personality traits that hold you back in your field? For instance, if you have to conduct meetings on a regular basis, a fear of public speaking would be a major weakness.
• What do the people around you see as your weaknesses?

Opportunities

• What new technology can help you? Or can you get help from others or from people via the internet?
• Is your industry growing? If so, how can you take advantage of the current market?
• Do you have a network of strategic contacts to help you, or offer good advice?
• What trends do you see in your company, and how can you take advantage of them?
• Are any of your competitors failing to do something important? If so, can you take advantage of their mistakes?
• Is there a need in your company or industry that no one is filling?

Also, look at your strengths, and ask yourself whether these open up any opportunities. And look at your weaknesses, and ask yourself whether you could open up opportunities by eliminating those weaknesses.

Threats

• What obstacles do you currently face at work?
• Are any of your colleagues competing with you for projects or roles?
• Is your job (or the demand for the things you do) changing?
• Does changing technology threaten your position?

Could any of your weaknesses lead to threats

This Exercise was created by MPI Learning Principal Consultant Sarah Jones