SWOT Analysis Mistakes to Avoid

Tips to Avoid the Common SWOT Analysis Mistakes

Here are three of the most common mistakes people make when completing their SWOT diagram

1. Do your homework
2. Link your actions with your SWOT
3. Stay away from solutions

Do your homework
You will find that the content of the vast majority of completed SWOT diagrams contain unverified strengths and weaknesses that are not aligned to the organizations core capabilities. Worse still, the people completing the SWOT have not used the better than your competitor test.

Click through to gain a full understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. 

Most completed analysis also show that those completing the SWOT have only a limited understanding of the organizations strategic environments.

Before you start your SWOT analysis, take five minutes to learn how to complete an environmental analysis, click here to go to our environmental analysis home page.

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Examples, Templates, How to Guide, it's all here

• SWOT Home

Understanding SWOT

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats
• Common mistakes

Free Templates

• View
• Download

Power point

• SWOT Power point

Sample SWOT Examples

• Retail
• Timber
• Department
• Web

Articles on SWOT

• SWOT Now what?
• Challenges for a department in a large business

Understanding SWOT

• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats

Link your actions with your SWOT
During the formation of strategy and development of business plan activities the majority of people do not focus on the content of their SWOT analysis. Instead they often almost completely ignore their SWOT and develop a business plan that has no regard for this analysis.

You have an opportunity to be different, read our article SWOT now what to identify what you should do once you have completed your SWOT.

Scroll down for the next common mistake to avoid

Stay Away from solutions
This is an analysis tool only that should contain independently verifiable statements of fact. You should stay away from solutions or developing solutions until you have a completed SWOT diagram. Once you have a competed SWOT Diagram you will shift to solution mode.

You will find that many people will want to list solutions in the opportunities section of their SWOT.

For example,

Instead of having as an opportunity “we can improve employee retention”, you should put “High employee turnover is impacting our ability to ………………….. ” as a weakness.

And, in the opportunities section

Instead of listing “We could promote a new environmentally friendly range” you could put “There is a shift in consumer buying patters towards more expensive but environmentally friendly brands”

It is important, though challenging, to stay away from solution mode.

Now you are familiar with the top 3 common mistakes people make when completing a SWOT analysis, click through to our SWOT home page or navigate to one of our other SWOT pages.

1. SWOT Templates
2. Discovering SWOT
   • Strengths
   • Weaknesses
   • Opportunities
   • Threats
3. SWOT Examples
   • Retail Business
   • Timber mill
   • Department in Large business
   • Web
4. SWOT Power point
5. Common SWOT Analysis Mistakes
6. SWOT Tips – Check out these articles!
   • SWOT Now What
   • The challenges for a department in a large organization