What Is SWOT Analysis?

SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis is a framework used to

evaluate a company's competitive position and to develop strategic planning. SWOT analysis
assesses internal and external factors, as well as current and future potential.

A SWOT analysis is designed to facilitate a realistic, fact-based, data-driven look at the

strengths and weaknesses of an organization, initiatives, or within its industry. The organization
needs to keep the analysis accurate by avoiding pre-conceived beliefs or gray areas and instead
focusing on real-life contexts. Companies should use it as a guide and not necessarily as a
prescription.

KEY POINTS

 SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique that provides assessment tools.

 Identifying core strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats leads to fact-based
analysis, fresh perspectives, and new ideas.
 A SWOT analysis pulls information internal sources (strengths of weaknesses of the
specific company) as well as external forces that may have uncontrollable impacts to
decisions (opportunities and threats).
 SWOT analysis works best when diverse groups or voices within an organization are
free to provide realistic data points rather than prescribed messaging.
 Findings of a SWOT analysis are often synthesized to support a single objective or
decision that a company is facing

Components of SWOT Analysis

Every SWOT analysis will include the following four categories. Though the elements and
discoveries within these categories will vary from company to company, a SWOT analysis is
not complete without each of these elements:

Strengths
Strengths describe what an organization excels at and what separates it from the competition: a
strong brand, loyal customer base, a strong balance sheet, unique technology, and so on. For
example, a hedge fund may have developed a proprietary trading strategy that returns market-
beating results. It must then decide how to use those results to attract new investors.

Weaknesses
Weaknesses stop an organization from performing at its optimum level. They are areas where
the business needs to improve to remain competitive: a weak brand, higher-than-average
turnover, high levels of debt, an inadequate supply chain, or lack of capital.
Opportunities
Opportunities refer to favorable external factors that could give an organization a competitive
advantage. For example, if a country cuts tariffs, a car manufacturer can export its cars into a
new market, increasing sales and market share.

Threats
Threats refer to factors that have the potential to harm an organization. For example, a drought
is a threat to a wheat-producing company, as it may destroy or reduce the crop yield. Other
common threats include things like rising costs for materials, increasing competition, tight labor
supply. and so on.

How to Do a SWOT Analysis

A SWOT analysis can be broken into several steps with actionable items before and after
analyzing the four components. In general, a SWOT analysis will involve the following steps.

Step 1: Determine Your Objective

A SWOT analysis can be broad, though more value will likely be generated if the analysis is
pointed directly at an objective. For example, the objective of a SWOT analysis may focused
only on whether or not to perform a new product rollout. With an objective in mind, a company
will have guidance on what they hope to achieve at the end of the process. In this example, the
SWOT analysis should help determine whether or not the product should be introduced.

Step 2: Gather Resources

Every SWOT analysis will vary, and a company may need different data sets to support pulling
together different SWOT analysis tables. A company should begin by understanding what
information it has access to, what data limitations it faces, and how reliable its external data
sources are.

In addition to data, a company should understand the right combination of personnel to have
involved in the analysis. Some staff may be more connected with external forces, while various
staff within the manufacturing or sales departments may have a better grasp of what is going on
internally. Having a broad set of perspectives is also more likely to yield diverse, value-adding
contributions.

Step 3: Compile Ideas

For each of the four components of the SWOT analysis, the group of people assigned to
performing the analysis should begin listing ideas within each category. Examples of questions
to ask or consider for each group are in the table below.

Internal Factors

What occurs within the company serves as a great source of information for the strengths and
weaknesses categories of the SWOT analysis. Examples of internal factors include financial
and human resources, tangible and intangible (brand name) assets, and operational efficiencies.
Potential questions to list internal factors are:

 (Strength) What are we doing well?

 (Strength) What is our strongest asset?
 (Weakness) What are our detractors?
 (Weakness) What are our lowest-performing product lines?

External Factors

What happens outside of the company is equally as important to the success of a company as
internal factors. External influences, such as monetary policies, market changes, and access to
suppliers, are categories to pull from to create a list of opportunities and weaknesses.1

Potential questions to list external factors are:

 (Opportunity) What trends are evident in the marketplace?

 (Opportunity) What demographics are we not targeting?
 (Threat) How many competitors exist, and what is their market share?
 (Threat) Are there new regulations that potentially could harm our operations or
products?

Strengths Weaknesses
1. What is our competitive advantage? 1. Where can we improve?
2. What resources do we have? 2. What products are underperforming?
3. What products are performing well? 3. Where are we lacking resources?

Opportunities Threats
1. What new technology can we use? 1. What regulations are changing?
2. Can we expand our operations? 2. What are competitors doing?
3. What new segments can we test? 3. How are consumer trends changing?

Companies may consider performing this step as a "white-boarding" or "sticky note" session.
The idea is there is no right or wrong answer; all participants should be encouraged to share
whatever thoughts they have. These ideas can later be discarded; in the meantime, the goal
should be to come up with as many items as possible to invoke creativity and inspiration in
others.

Step 4: Refine Findings

With the list of ideas within each category, it is now time to clean-up the ideas. By refining the
thoughts that everyone had, a company can focus on only the best ideas or largest risks to the
company. This stage may require substantial debate among analysis participants, including
bringing in upper management to help rank priorities.
 Step 5: Develop the Strategy
Armed with the ranked list of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, it is time to
convert the SWOT analysis into a strategic plan. Members of the analysis team take the bulleted
list of items within each category and create a synthesized plan that provides guidance on the
original objective.

For example, the company debating whether to release a new product may have identified that it
is the market leader for its existing product and there is the opportunity to expand to new
markets. However, increased material costs, strained distribution lines, the need for additional
staff, and unpredictable product demand may outweigh the strengths and opportunities. The
analysis team develops the strategy to revisit the decision in six months in hopes of costs
declining and market demand becoming more transparent.

What is self-analysis? How to do self-analysis?

Meaning of self-analysis
 It is a systematic approach taken by every individual to evaluate their strength and weakness at
physical, intellectual as well as at an emotional level.
 It involves a wide variety of mechanism and technique to understand one’s thought and
behavior.
 Self-awareness is very important aspects in order to develop one’s identity.
 The process involves an understanding or comprehension of the individual’s subconscious and
conscious mind.
Why need self-analysis
 It is our casual habit that we always live in imagination. Either we lost in the future or think
about things happened in the past.
 In today’s competitive world, we do not fulfill the requirement of the present.
 Sometimes we lost in emotions.
 You need to realize qualities that you need to develop and habits which needs to be
eliminated.
 In order to make progress in personal and professional life, you need to evaluate yourself.
Steps to do self-analysis
1. Understanding your personality type

 First, you need to judge your attitude and behavior.

 You should be able to aware of your positive and negative emotion.
 You should know which kind of a person you are i.e whether you are an extrovert or introvert,
openness to experience, adaptable or not, etc.
 Always try to work out of your comfort zone.
 2. Thinking pattern

 If you start noting down every activity you performed, you will start noticing your thinking
pattern.
 You need to find out your thinking pattern because every action emerges from a certain kind
of thoughts.
 To know more about different types of thinking disposition.
 A good thinker has the ability to identify things in a better way.
3. Track yourself

 Note down each and every task you performed. This will be helpful in doing self-analysis.
 Keep track of your emotion i.e. which activities make you happier, angry, sad, feel stress, etc.
 Try to note your task in a notepad instead of using a mobile phone. This will help you to give
more value to your task.
4. Approaching appropriate height

 Built strong self-esteem. Do not care what others think about you.
 Do not over commit. Try to find out how capable you are in executing any task and work
accordingly.
 At the start don’t take anything as competition and start comparing yourself with others. Be a
learner. This will help you a lot in the beginning.
 You can also keep a role model of your life. This will help you to check your way of living
style.

To Overcome Fear and Hesitation in Public Speaking

Why Are People Afraid Of Public Speaking?

It may help you to know that you are not alone in your fear of public speaking. In many, it can
cause a fight or flight response. In fact, forty percent of Americans suffer from glossophobia.
What is glossophobia really? It is an anxiety disorder and a common fear – and it goes beyond
just being nervous or worrying about being in front of an audience.
Some of the physical symptoms you might feel include your heart racing and you may find it
harder to breathe (hint it is always helpful to take a couple of deep breaths). You could feel
sweaty, dizzy, or nauseous.
You might be shaking uncontrollably or even want to run out of the room. This can be from
starting your speech, or even before when making direct eye contact with members of the
audience.
Many people learn how to overcome their public speaking fears by learning relaxation
techniques and also by taking public speaking classes.
Another method that has proven to work is to practice exposure therapy (more on that),
however, it is very effective for people who may be suffering from various types of anxiety
disorders such as social phobia.
Understanding the power of positive thinking can also help you overcome your fear of public
speaking.
Whether you have glossophobia or are just nervous about your speech, the right tools will
give you the confidence you need to achieve your public speaking goals.

Here Are My Tips To Help You Overcome The Fear Of Public Speaking

As someone who’s made a career out of speaking publicly, I’ve personally tested and tried
each of these tips to help me grow as a speaker. This advice has also helped many people
learn how to overcome their fear of public speaking. Here are the key points that I’ve learned
and want to share with you.

1. Choose a Topic You’re Passionate About

When you care about something, it becomes easier to speak about it and get others invested
and passionate about what you’re talking about as well.
So if you’re going to speak on a topic, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about.
Overcome nervous public speaking feelings by choosing a topic that:

 Has had an inordinate impact on you

 You want to share with others
 You intensely feel others could benefit from knowing
 You can speak about it from the heart
Other people can benefit from the knowledge you have gained through your unique
experiences. Combine your passions with your desire to improve others’ lives to calm your
nerves and boost your confidence in front of an audience.

2. Get Organized

A big part of what causes fear of public speaking is not being prepared.
One of the best things you can do to help you feel more prepared and confident in your speech
is to stay organized.
Get your notes together and outline the main points of your speech. Plan how you are going
to start your speech to grab the attention of your audience within the first 30 seconds.
Consider color-coding certain parts of your speech so they are easy to refer to.
If you plan to use visual aids, get them together and practice using them. Know where you
will place them during your speech.
Make sure your technology is in working order as well. Be familiar with your laptop, tablet,
or phone and how to cast your screen or run a projector if that is what you will be using.
Ask questions about the presentation area so you know what to expect. Will there be a
podium? Will you have a microphone? Will you wait backstage before your speech or with
the audience?

3. Practice Practice Practice

Nothing takes the place of practicing and preparing for your speech. Write out a script of your
key points, but don’t read from the script word for word.
One of my best fear of tips to combat a fear of public speaking is to prepare for your speech
so well that you could answer any possible question thrown at you.
When someone asks me how he can build effective communication skills and improve his
public speaking, I quote the words of Elbert Hubbard, who said, “The only way to learn to
speak is to speak and speak, and speak and speak, and speak and speak and speak.”

4. Perform Your Speech In Front Of A Mirror

Practice your speech in front of the mirror as if you were speaking directly to someone. If you
really want to learn how to overcome stage fright, then pay attention to:

 Your facial expressions

 Your gestures
 Your body movements
 How welcoming you appear
When you have gentle expressions and a calm demeanor when you speak, you will be more
welcoming to your audience.

5. Record Yourself And Learn

Think about how top athletes go back and watch tapes of their gameplay to see how to
improve. To overcome your fear of public speaking, you would be essentially doing the same
thing by recording your speech.
Set up your phone or a video camera to record your speech. Record yourself giving the talk
from beginning to end. If you stumble over your words, forget something, or mess up, just
keep recording.
Then listen to it or watch it, and make notes on how you could make it better. Some people do
not like listening to the sound of their voice on tape, so it is important that you get used to
your own voice and speaking style.

6. Exercise Before You Speak

One of my tips for public speaking anxiety that you may not think of is to exercise before you
speak.
Exercise is a key factor to success. It sparks creativity, gets the blood flowing, and helps get
pent-up energy out.
Exercising before you speak could help tame the nerves and make you feel more relaxed
before your speech.

7. Focus On The Story You’re Telling, Not Your Audience’s Thoughts

When you’ve already done your research on your audience prior to your speech, you know
what they want or need to hear from your speech.
Because of this, you should rest well knowing your message will resonate.
There is always going to be someone in the audience on their phone or yawning. Remember
that there will always be people who are bored or tired. None of these audience reactions have
anything to do with you personally.
So then just focus on conveying that message or telling that story instead of what you think
the audience is thinking while giving your speech.
Some of the most important public speaking help I can give you is to be yourself. Let your
personality come through as you are talking to your audience and they will connect with you
on a human level — and want to hear more from you.
So get out of your head, focus on your story and wait for the applause at the end.

8. Relax, Meditate, And Use Positive Affirmations

In addition to breathwork, make sure you find ways to relax throughout your day and during
your speech.
Consider meditating or repeating positive affirmations to yourself to help you focus and build
confidence in yourself and your ability to speak confidently in public.
Learn to channel your nervous energy into positive energy. Being nervous is a form of
adrenaline. You can use it in a positive way to help give an impassioned presentation during
public speaking events.
Practice breathing exercises for anxiety. Shallow breathing makes anxiety worse, deep
breathing relaxes your body and brain. Shallow breathing comes from your chest; deep
breathing comes from your abdomen.
Find a quiet place to sit or lie down and practice belly breathing. With one hand on your
abdomen and the other on your chest, breathe in through your nose and let your belly expand.
Breathe out slowly through pursed lips, noting that your chest should be fairly still.

Confidence Building Exercise

Why is confidence important in the workplace?

Confidence in the workplace can have positive effects on your performance. This trait shows you
trust your ability to manage your responsibilities or achieve goals. As a result, employers often
seek confident candidates when making hiring or promotion decisions. Confidence can offer
several other workplace benefits, including:

 Improving your engagement at work

 Helping you communicate more effectively
 Influencing peers
 Making decisions more easily
 Lowering your anxiety and stress

16 confidence exercises
You can use the following exercises to help boost your sense of confidence personally and
professionally:

1. Smile more

Even if you feel nervous, smiling can help make you feel comfortable and improve your mood.
Smiling also serves as an example of positive body language, encouraging other people to
interact with you. Smiling while giving a presentation or recommendations can help your
audience perceive you as a confident individual and trust what you say.

2. Portray a confident appearance

Feeling confident about how you look can encourage confidence in other aspects of your life. For
example, wearing an outfit that makes you feel comfortable and powerful can help ease your
nerves for a job interview. You can also use this technique as a method of self-care, such as
getting a manicure or facial. Beyond providing confidence in your outward appearance, these
tactics can help you feel more relaxed. When you feel your best, it can enable you to project a
more confident image.

3. Keep a compliment journal

Begin your day by writing yourself some compliments. These compliments can focus on both
professional and personal traits and skills. For example, you may express appreciation for your
willingness to help others at work or your karaoke skills. This tactic allows you to focus on your
positive aspects rather than your insecurities. Documenting these compliments in a journal
enables you to return to them when you feel less confident.

4. Celebrate your wins

Focusing on the positive events in your life can help you maintain confidence. For example,
consider rewarding yourself if you begin a new habit or achieve a personal goal. Recognizing
these successes can help you feel confident about your abilities and motivate you for future
achievements.

5. Think about your skills

Another way to focus on your positive attributes is to think about or list the skills you possess.
You can perform this technique alone or ask family members, friends or colleagues for their
insights. Reflecting on these skills can help remind you of what makes you a talented person or
an effective employee. Once you identify these skills, you can focus on using and highlighting
them at work to showcase your strengths.
6. Reflect on your past achievements

Create a list of your proudest achievements to remind you of your successes. These
achievements can be both personal or professional. For example, you may mention events like
earning a medal in a race or getting accepted to college. You can also list results-related
achievements, such as increasing your organization's revenue. When you think about these prior
successes, it can give you confidence in your skills and abilities. You can use this confidence to
motivate you toward more achievements.

7. Confide in a friend

Find someone you can look to for support when you feel low self-esteem. For example, you may
ask a friend or trusted colleague if they would act as your "confidence buddy." These buddies
may offer helpful advice or motivational words to boost your confidence. Having this support
network can serve as an effective tool for managing stress and feeling more self-assured.
Remember to reciprocate the support they provide to help show your appreciation for them.

8. Replace negative thoughts with positive ones

Challenge your inner critic by replacing negative thoughts with positivity. Positive thinking can
help counteract feelings of insecurity by focusing your attention on what makes you great. To
help yourself engage in positive thinking, speak to yourself as you would to a friend. You can
offer yourself words of encouragement or support and highlight your most positive attributes.

9. Practice meditation

Meditation allows you to control your thoughts and can help you build your confidence. You can
learn how to observe your thoughts without judgment through mindfulness practice. You also
can visualize yourself accomplishing tasks and being successful. This anxiety-reducing practice
helps you fix your thoughts in the present moment and improve your mental well-being.

10. Share your opinions

You can practice being outspoken and confident by sharing your opinions more often. For
example, you may speak up and explain your ideas for an upcoming project during a work
meeting. If you still feel nervous speaking in front of others, you can privately share your
thoughts with your supervisor. The more you practice these habits, the more comfortable you
will feel performing them over time. Sharing these thoughts at work can help you feel like your
ideas matter and that others hear you.

11. Listen to your body's needs

Maintaining your physical well-being can help you feel more confident. When you feel good, it
often shows in your mood, behaviors and appearance. Healthy food and exercise habits can also
help reduce stress, allowing you to feel ready to take on your responsibilities confidently.
12. Do a power pose

As mentioned, positive body language can influence how you perceive yourself. Using a power
pose in private can help boost your mood and confidence when you feel nervous or
uncomfortable. A typical power pose involves standing with your legs shoulder-width apart and
your hands on your hips. For example, you may try using this technique before entering a job
interview or making a presentation at work.

13. Set achievable goals for yourself

Whether in your professional or personal lives, set SMART goals for yourself. This acronym
represents specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound goals. Setting small,
achievable goals can help you feel more accomplished. As you continue meeting these goals, it
can help encourage and motivate you to work toward setting and achieving even larger ones.

14. Give yourself a powerful alter-ego

Consider how someone you respect would approach the task when working on an assignment.
You can create an alter-ego that combines the qualities of your expert coworkers or a fictitious
character you admire. Taking on this persona can help separate you from your thoughts and
feelings of self-consciousness. Getting into character as this confident individual with expert
knowledge can help you feel more comfortable perceiving yourself this way.

15. Create a self-esteem collage

A self-esteem collage can serve as a visual reminder of your value. Place this collage somewhere
you will see it daily to give yourself a regular boost. When putting together this collage, include
images that represent your positive attributes. Every time you look at those images, you will
think about what makes you great or unique. You may also incorporate images that represent
your personal or professional aspirations. As a result, the collage can help serve as a reminder
and motivation tool for working toward those goals.

16. Listen to music

Listening to high-energy music can help influence your mood when you need a boost of
confidence. The music that motivates you may vary depending on your interests. For example,
rock music with heavy bass can help pump up some people's excitement levels or make them feel
powerful. You may also consider music that makes you dance to shake out your nervous energy.
Whatever genre you choose, make sure that it leaves you feeling happy, calm and ready to take
on any situation.
Concept of Emotional Intelligence and Significance
What is Emotional Intelligence?

The concept of emotional intelligence was first introduced by Peter Salovey and John Mayer and
later popularized by Dan Goleman. Salovey and Mayer defined emotional intelligence as:

"The accurate awareness of and ability to manage one's own emotions to facilitate thinking and
attain specific goals, and the ability to understand what others feel."

What is Emotional Intelligence?

How we respond to our challenges, express our emotions, and interact with others is more than a
gut reaction. Our responses are key skills we can use to make a difference in our lives and the
lives of others. These skills are often called “emotional intelligence” or "EI." Daniel Goleman,
psychologist and best-selling author, defines EI as the ability to recognize and manage our own
emotions as well as the ability to identify, understand, and influence the feelings of others.

Why is Emotional Intelligence Important?

Having a high level of emotional intelligence allows you to empathize with others, communicate
effectively, and be both self and socially aware. How we respond to ourselves and others impacts
our home and work environments. Living in this world means interacting with many different
types of people, as well as constant change and surprises. Being emotionally intelligent is key to
how you respond to what life gives us. It’s also a key component of compassion and
understanding the deeper reasons behind other people's actions.

EI is especially important when you are dealing with stressful situations like conflict, change,
and obstacles. During these times, it's critical to remember to practice kindness, and being in
touch with our emotions can help us do just that.

The Five Components of Emotional Intelligence

Goleman laid out five components that are critical for emotional intelligence.

 Self-Awareness. The ability to recognize what you’re feeling and also understanding
how your emotions and actions can affect others.
 Self-Regulation. Being able to regulate and manage the emotions you’re feeling while
waiting for the appropriate time and avenue in how to express them.
  Motivation. Emotionally intelligent people are motivated by things beyond money, fame,
or success. They’re also able to understand and desire the need to fulfill their own inner
needs and goals.
 Empathy. Having a high EQ means being able to understand what others may be feeling
and are going through and responding kindly and thoughtfully.
 Social Skills. Social skills are vital to emotional intelligence. When you’re aware of how
you’re feeling, what others are feeling, and able to communicate effectively, you’re ready
to interact well with others.

Understanding and putting these components into action thoughtfully and intentionally can make
a drastic difference in not just your life, but those around you. It will help you become more
empathetic towards other people and more aware of your social surroundings.

How do you improve emotional intelligence?

There's excellent news. The way we respond to ourselves and others can be improved. All of us
can work toward being more confident, positive, and kind. Here are a few ways:

 Pay attention to yourself. Notice how people respond when you speak. Notice how you
react when others speak. Do you rush to judgment? Does your facial express or body
language say one thing while your words (or lack of words) express something different?
Easy improvements can be made simply by noticing our go-to negative words,
expressions, and feelings and making adjustments.
 Use positive language. What we say impacts our thoughts and actions, as well as the
feelings of other people. Take charge of your environment by focusing on the positive
and using words that move yourself and others forward.
 Keep going. Recognize that everyone has temporary setbacks and struggles. Look for a
change in direction to keep going or find energy in a new path.
 Watch your stress level. When things are a bit crazy, negative emotions can rise to the
surface much faster and can be harder to control. Make sure to find time to relax; take a
break, and do an activity you enjoy or spend 10 minutes taking deep, refreshing breaths.
 Show compassion. We've said it before, and we'll say it again. Kindness takes practice.
Look for ways to show compassion and empathy to others, even when you feel they don't
deserve it. And if you need to ask for forgiveness, do it.