SWOT Like Superman: 4 Steps to Gaining Organizational Clarity
Don’t let a lack of organizational clarity be your Kryptonite.
Photo by Julia Kadel on Unsplash
Many NGOs leaned into their missions more deeply over the last two years; they strengthened relationships and stretched their programs and people to fulfill community needs in deeper ways. We learned important personal and professional lessons through these sprints: resiliency, the importance and interdependence of our personal and community safety nets, our boundaries, and awareness of our respective privileges and challenges.
Taking time to reflect on our progress and missteps will help us navigate through challenges and more quickly and effectively. It can be hard to take the time to do this and can be uncomfortable to face some truths, but it’s a critical way to develop self-awareness, a stronger organizational culture, and leadership across teams and levels.
How do we process these things and integrate them into our plans for 2022? As Emily and Amelia Nagoski recommended in their book, Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle, “planful problem-solving” is a key way to hone in on your frustrations.
Being a process enthusiast (I know...I’m a nerd), I like a quick SWOT analysis to gain clarity. Identifying your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats can help you identify your priorities for the future. If you have time and if it helps organize your thoughts, you can organize them for the different functions of your organization: Programs/Depts, People (Staff/Board/Volunteers), and Power (Earned Revenue, Contributed Revenue and Pro-bono goods and services).
I’ve created a SWOT analysis matrix with key guiding questions to get you started. To get your own free copy of the matrix below click here.
Folks who are in complex and/or dynamic situations or just need other means to process their thoughts could likely use a sounding board. Some people may see that they’ll need more information or capacity to tackle their opportunities and threats. I’m happy to offer a 30-minute confidential discussion with you to help you clarify your priorities and provide some first steps to tackle them. Let’s connect.
I hope this post serves you.