Activity: Identifying Your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
The beginning of a project is a good time for “definitions” – Defining the project, defining your needs, and defining what you do well. A SWOT activity (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) is a good way to begin to understand yourself and analyze both internal and external factors that will affect your impact on the project.
Purpose
When paired with the activity Understanding and Scoping the Project, a SWOT analysis can create an opportunity for invisible factors that might impact the project to be made visible. Completing and sharing your SWOT Analysis creates understanding of each others’ skills, personalities and environments.
Time
30-40 minutes (15-20 minutes individually, 15-20 minutes for reflection)
Materials
The MindTools Personal SWOT Analysis, a writing utensil
Who
Complete the SWOT Analysis individually and then share with your mentoring partner.
What
- Reflect on your strengths. What do you bring individually to the project that may be unique? What are your past experiences? What are your interests? Fill in the “Strengths” portion of the SWOT analysis with your answers.
- Next, reflect on your weaknesses. What skills would you like to improve as part of this project? Where might you need extra support? Where do you have fewer resources than others? Fill in the “Weaknesses” portion of the SWOT analysis with your answers.
- Finally, reflect on the threats to your project. Do your weaknesses expose you to any threats? What do you foresee the challenges of the project being? Fill in the “Threats” portion of the SWOT analysis with your responses.
- Share your SWOT analysis with your mentoring partner and compare and contrast your analyses. How will you use this to help inform your project?
Materials
Download the instructions for this activity.
