Making
the Most of Your T.alents and Opportunities
What
are YOUR strengths and weaknesses?
©
iStockphoto/vgajic
"Chance
favors the prepared mind."
–
Louis Pasteur
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 analyzing the
opportunities and threats that flow from them? SWOT Analysis is a useful
technique that helps you do this.
What
makes SWOT especially powerful is that, with a little thought, it can help you
uncover opportunities that you would not otherwise have spotted. And by
understanding your weaknesses, you can manage and eliminate threats that might
otherwise hurt your ability to move forward.
If
you look at yourself using the SWOT framework, you can start to separate
yourself from your peers, and further develop the specialized talents and
abilities you need to advance your career.
How
to Use the Tool
To
perform a personal SWOT analysis, print out our free worksheet, and write down
answers to the questions in each area below.
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?
Consider
this from your own perspective, and from the point of view of the people around
you. And don't be modest or shy – be as objective as you can.
And
if you have any difficulty with this, write down a list of your personal
characteristics. Some of these will hopefully be strengths! You can also learn
more about identifying your strengths in our article on "Your Reflected
Best Self™".
Tip:Think
about your strengths in relation to the people around you. For example, if
you're a great mathematician and the people around you are also great at math,
then this is not likely to be a strength in your current role – it may be a
necessity.
Weaknesses
What
tasks do you usually avoid because you don't feel confident doing them?
What
will the people around you see as your weaknesses?
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 often late, are you
disorganized, do you have a short temper, or are you poor at handling stress?
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.
Again,
consider this from a personal/internal perspective and an external perspective.
Do other people see weaknesses that you don't see? Do co-workers consistently
outperform you in key areas? Be realistic – it's best to face any unpleasant
truths as soon as possible.
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 (management or otherwise) 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?
Do
your customers or vendors complain about something in your company? If so,
could you create an opportunity by offering a solution?
You
might find useful opportunities in the following:
Networking
events, educational classes, or conferences.
A
colleague going on an extended leave. Could you take on some of this person's
projects to gain experience?
A new
role or project that forces you to learn new skills, like public speaking or
international relations.
A
company expansion or acquisition. Do you have specific skills (like a second
language) that could help with the process?
Also,
importantly, 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?
Performing
this analysis will often provide key information – it can point out what needs
to be done and put problems into perspective.
A
Personal SWOT Example
What
would a personal SWOT assessment look like? Review this SWOT analysis for
Carol, an advertising manager.
Strengths
I'm
very creative. I often impressing clients with a new perspective on their
brands.
I
communicate well with my clients and team.
I have
the ability to ask key questions to find just the right marketing angle.
I'm
completely committed to the success of a client's brand.
Weaknesses
I
have a strong, compulsive need to do things quickly and remove them from my
"to do" list, and sometimes the quality of my work suffers as a
result.
This
same need to get things done also causes me stress when I have too many tasks.
I get
nervous when presenting ideas to clients, and this fear of public speaking
often takes the passion out of my presentations.
Opportunities
One
of our major competitors has developed a reputation for treating their smaller
clients poorly.
I'm
attending a major marketing conference next month. This will allow for
strategic networking, and also offer some great training seminars.
Our
art director will go on maternity leave soon. Covering her duties while she's
away would be a great career development opportunity for me.
Threats
Simon,
one of my colleagues, is a much stronger speaker than I am, and he's competing
with me for the art director position.
Due
to recent staff shortages, I'm often overworked, and this negatively impacts my
creativity.
The
current economic climate has resulted in slow growth for the marketing
industry. Many firms have laid off staff members, and our company is
considering further cutbacks.
As a
result of performing this analysis, Carol takes the bold step of approaching
her colleague Simon about the art director's maternity leave. Carol proposes
that both she and Simon cover the job's duties, working together and each using
his or her strengths. To her surprise, Simon likes the idea. He knows he
presents very well, but he admits that he's usually impressed by Carol's
creative ideas, which he feels are far better than most of his.
By
working as a team, they have a chance to make their smaller clients feel even
better about the service they're getting. This takes advantage of their
competitor's weakness in this area.
Key
Points
A
SWOT matrix is a framework for analyzing your strengths and weaknesses as well
as the opportunities and threats that you face. This helps you focus on your
strengths, minimize your weaknesses, and take the greatest possible advantage
of opportunities available to you.
If
you're using SWOT Analysis to think about your own life and career, then click
here to look at our Life Plan Workbook. This helps you think through the things
that are important to you, and set the compelling personal goals that motivate
you towards success.