swot analysis SWOT analysis method and examples, with free SWOT template The SWOT analysis is an extremely useful tool for understanding and decision-making for all sorts of situations in business and organizations. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Information about the origins and inventors of SWOT analysis is below. The SWOT analysis headings provide a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or business proposition, or any other idea . Completing a SWOT analysis is very simple, and is a good subject for workshop sessions . SWOT analysis also works well in brainstorming meetings. Use SWOT analysis for business planning, strategic planning, competitor evaluation, marketing, business and product development and research reports. You can also use SWOT analysis exercises for team building games . Note that SWOT analysis is often interpreted and used as a SWOT Analysis 2x2 Matrix , especially in business and marketing planning. In addition to this 2x2 matrix method, SWOT analysis is also a widely recognized method for gathering, structuring, presenting and reviewing extensive planning data within a larger business or project planning process. See also PEST analysis , which measures a business's market and potential according to external factors; Political, Economic, Social and Technological. It is often helpful to complete a PEST analysis prior to a SWOT analysis. In other situations it may be more useful to complete a PEST analysis as part of, or after, a SWOT analysis. See also Porter's Five Forces model , which is used to analyse competitive position. Please note: If you use SWOT Analysis as a 2x2 matrix method , then technically Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors (generally the case anyway), whereas Opportunities and Threats are external factors (this can
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swot analysis
SWOT analysis method and examples, with free SWOT template
The SWOT analysis is an extremely useful tool for understanding and decision-making for all sorts of situations in business and organizations. SWOT is an acronym for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats. Information about the origins and inventors of SWOT analysis is below. The SWOT analysis headings provide a good framework for reviewing strategy, position and direction of a company or business proposition, or any other idea.
Completing a SWOT analysis is very simple, and is a good subject for workshop sessions. SWOT analysis also works well in brainstorming meetings.
Use SWOT analysis for business planning, strategic planning, competitor evaluation, marketing, business and product development and research reports. You can also use SWOT analysis exercises for team building games.
Note that SWOT analysis is often interpreted and used as a SWOT Analysis 2x2 Matrix, especially in business and marketing planning.
In addition to this 2x2 matrix method, SWOT analysis is also a widely recognized method for gathering, structuring, presenting and reviewing extensive planning data within a larger business or project planning process.
See also PEST analysis, which measures a business's market and potential according to external factors; Political, Economic, Social and Technological. It is often helpful to complete a PEST analysis prior to a SWOT analysis. In other situations it may be more useful to complete a PEST analysis as part of, or after, a SWOT analysis. See also Porter's Five Forces model, which is used to analyse competitive position.
Please note: If you use SWOT Analysis as a 2x2 matrix method , then technically Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors (generally the case anyway), whereas Opportunities and Threats are external factors (this can be more difficult, since it requires you to ignore internal threats and opportunities). The SWOT 2x2 'internal/external' matrix method thus only considers external threats and opportunities.
As a more general guide, here is a free SWOT analysis template worksheet (doc file), and the same free SWOT analysis tool (pdf format).
If you have difficulty opening the above doc file here are two other formats:
A SWOT analysis measures a business unit, a proposition or idea; a PEST analysis measures a market.
A SWOT analysis is a subjective assessment of data which is organized by the SWOT format into a logical order that helps understanding, presentation, discussion and decision-making. The four dimensions are a useful extension of a basic two heading list of pro's and con's ( free pro's and con's template here).
SWOT analysis can be used for all sorts of decision-making, and the SWOT template enables proactive thinking, rather than relying on habitual or instinctive reactions.
The SWOT analysis template is normally presented as a grid, comprising four sections, one for each of the SWOT headings: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. The free SWOT template below includes sample questions, whose answers are inserted into the relevant section of the SWOT grid. The questions are examples, or discussion points, and obviously can be altered depending on the subject of the SWOT analysis. Note that many of the SWOT questions are also talking points for other headings - use them as you find most helpful, and make up your own to suit the issue being analysed. It is important to clearly identify the subject of a SWOT analysis, because a SWOT analysis is a perspective of one thing, be it a company, a product, a proposition, and idea, a method, or option, etc.
SWOT analysis is commonly presented and developed into a 2x2 matrix, which is shown and explained within the SWOT analysis matrix section.
swot analysis matrix - in business/marketing - internal v external factors
Modern SWOT analysis in business and marketing situations is normally structured so that a 2x2 matrix grid can be produced, according to two pairs of dimensions.
Strengths and Weaknesses, are 'mapped' or 'graphed' against Opportunities and Threats.
To enable this to happen cleanly and clearly, and from a logical point of view anyway when completing a SWOT analysis in most business and marketing situations, Strengths and Weaknesses are regarded distinctly as internal factors, whereas Opportunities and Threatsare regarded distinctly as external factors.
Here is the explanation in more detail:
Strengths and Weaknesses
the internal environment - the situation inside the company or organization
for example, factors relating to products, pricing, costs, profitability, performance, quality, people, skills, adaptability, brands, services, reputation, processes, infrastructure, etc.
factors tend to be in the present
Opportunities and Threats
the external environment - the situation outside the company or organization
for example, factors relating to markets, sectors, audience, fashion, seasonality, trends, competition, economics, politics, society, culture, technology, environmental, media, law, etc.
swot matrix (2x2 matrix using internal/external categories)
Here is a typical extension of the basic SWOT analysis grid into a useful 'action-based' 2x2 SWOT matrix.
The SWOT analysis in this format acts as a quick decision-making tool, quite aside from the more detailed data that would typically be fed into business planning process for each of the SWOT factors.
Here the 2x2 matrix model automatically suggests actions for issues arising from the SWOT analysis, according to four different categories:
strengths (internal) weaknesses (internal)
opportunities(external)
strengths/opportunities
obvious natural priorities
Likely to produce greatest ROI (Return On Investment)
Likely to be quickest and easiest to implement.
Probably justifying immediate action-planning or feasibility study.
Executive question: "If we are not already looking at these areas and prioritising them, then why not?"
weaknesses/opportunities
potentially attractive options
Likely to produce good returns if capability and implementation are viable.
Potentially more exciting and stimulating and rewarding than S/O due to change, challenge, surprise tactics, and benefits from addressing and achieving improvements.
Executive questions: "What's actually stopping us doing these things, provided they truly fit strategically and are realistic and substantial?"
threats(external)
strengths/threats
easy to defend and counter
Only basic awareness, planning, and implementation required to meet these challenges.
Investment in these issues is generally safe and necessary.
weaknesses/threats
potentially high risk
Assessment of risk crucial.
Where risk is low then we must ignore these issues and not be distracted by them.
Where risk is high we must assess capability gaps and plan to
Executive question: "Are we properly informed and organized to deal with these issues, and are we certain there are no hidden surprises?" - and - "Since we are strong here, can any of these threats be turned into opportunities?"
defend/avert in very specific controlled ways.
Executive question: "Have we accurately assessed the risks of these issues, and where the risks are high do we have specific controlled reliable plans to avoid/avert/defend?"
N.B. SWOT analysis is a very flexible tool. Its use is not restricted to business and marketing. Be mindful that when SWOT is used in situations outside of business and marketing, strict categorization of the SWOT dimensions (according to 'internal' and 'external' factors) can be limiting, and so a more open interpretation of the model can be helpful in such circumstances, especially when assessing Opportunities and Threats.
Also be mindful that if using the SWOT analysis model only as a 2x2 matrix, which assumes the categorization of internal and external factors (and notably limiting the assessment of threats and opportunities to external factors only), that it is very easy then to miss certain threats and opportunities that can exist (internally) within the company/organization. Some internal threats and opportunities can be substantial, for example, opportunities such as: energy-saving, process-improvement, training, advertising, or discontinuing loss-making products, or threats such as: desertion or key staff, the loss of major contracts, to name just a couple of typically ever-present threats within large commercial corporations.
Be mindful therefore that the 'simplified' SWOT 2x2 matrix 'internal/external' method is not a reliable tool alone for identifying all threats and opportunities within organizations, or indeed any other situation.
You will note from the origins of SWOT analysis below that the methodology did not begin, and was not operated as the simple 2x2 'internal/external' matrix that we commonly see today. Particularly, the original application of the model did not restrict threats and opportunities to just external factors. Instead, six key aspects of the business in question (namely: product, process, customer, distribution, finance, admin) were each assessed using the SWOT model. Each aspect was considered according to all four SWOT elements. Thus today when we apply the SWOT model to an entire business, if we disregard internal threats and opportunities, so the analysis can exclude some potentially serious issues.
swot analysis - different applications
SWOT analysis is a powerful model for many different situations. The SWOT tool is not just for business and marketing. Here are some examples of what a SWOT analysis can be used to assess:
a company (its position in the market, commercial viability, etc) a method of sales distribution a product or brand a business idea a strategic option, such as entering a new market or launching a new product a opportunity to make an acquisition a potential partnership changing a supplier outsourcing a service, activity or resource project planning and project management an investment opportunity personal financial planning personal career development - direction, choice, change, etc. education and qualifications planning and decision-making life-change - downshifting, relocation, relationships, perhaps even family planning?..
Whatever the application, be sure to describe the subject (or purpose or question) for the SWOT analysis clearly so you remain focused on the central issue. This is especially crucial when others are involved in the process. People contributing to the analysis and seeing the finished SWOT analysis must be able to understand properly the purpose of the SWOT assessment and the implications arising.
SWOT analysis template
Here is a larger illustration of SWOT analysis.
Note that this format is not presented or proposed as a 2x2 'internal/external' matrix; it's a more open demonstration of the sorts of issues and questions which can be addressed when using the SWOT format as part of business planning and decision-making.
Subject of SWOT analysis: (define the subject of the analysis here)
Disadvantages of proposition? Gaps in capabilities? Lack of competitive strength? Reputation, presence and reach? Financials? Own known vulnerabilities? Timescales, deadlines and pressures?
Marketing - reach, distribution, awareness?
Innovative aspects? Location and geographical? Price, value, quality? Accreditations, qualifications,
Cashflow, start-up cash-drain? Continuity, supply chain robustness? Effects on core activities, distraction? Reliability of data, plan predictability? Morale, commitment, leadership? Accreditations, etc? Processes and systems, etc?
Management cover, succession?
opportunities
Market developments? Competitors' vulnerabilities? Industry or lifestyle trends? Technology development and
innovation? Global influences? New markets, vertical, horizontal? Niche target markets? Geographical, export, import? Market need for new USP's? Market response to tactics, e.g.,
surprise? Major contracts, tenders? Business and product development? Information and research? Partnerships, agencies, distribution? Market volume demand trends?
Seasonal, weather, fashion influences?
threats
Political effects? Legislative effects? Environmental effects? IT developments? Competitor intentions - various? Market demand? New technologies, services, ideas? Vital contracts and partners? Obstacles faced? Insurmountable weaknesses? Employment market? Financial and credit pressures? Economy - home, abroad?
Seasonality, weather effects?
free SWOT analysis template worksheet version (doc file)
This SWOT analysis example is based on an imaginary situation. The scenario is based on a business-to-business manufacturing company, who historically rely on distributors to take their products to the end user market. The opportunity, and therefore the subject for the SWOT analysis, is for the manufacturer to create a new company of its own to distribute its products direct to certain end-user sectors, which are not being covered or developed by its normal distributors.
Subject of SWOT analysis example: the creation of own distributor company to access new end-user sectors not currently being developed.
strengths
End-user sales control and direction. Right products, quality and reliability. Superior product performance vs
competitors. Better product life and durability. Spare manufacturing capacity. Some staff have experience of end-
user sector. Have customer lists. Direct delivery capability. Product innovations ongoing. Can serve from existing sites. Products have required accreditations. Processes and IT should cope.
Management is committed and confident.
weaknesses
Customer lists not tested. Some gaps in range for certain sectors. We would be a small player. No direct marketing experience. We cannot supply end-users abroad. Need more sales people. Limited budget. No pilot or trial done yet. Don't have a detailed plan yet. Delivery-staff need training. Customer service staff need training. Processes and systems, etc
Management cover insufficient.
opportunities
Could develop new products. Local competitors have poor products. Profit margins will be good. End-users respond to new ideas. Could extend to overseas. New specialist applications. Can surprise competitors. Support core business economies.
Could seek better supplier deals.
threats
Legislation could impact. Environmental effects would favour
larger competitors. Existing core business distribution risk. Market demand very seasonal. Retention of key staff critical. Could distract from core business. Possible negative publicity.
Vulnerable to reactive attack by major competitors.
See also the free PEST analysis template and method, which measures a business according to external factors; Political, Economic, Social and Technological. It is often helpful to complete a PEST analysis prior to competing a SWOT analysis.
See also Porter's Five Forces model.
more on the difference and relationship between PEST and SWOT
There is some overlap between PEST and SWOT. Similar factors appear in each. That said, PEST and SWOT are certainly two different perspectives:
PEST tends to assess a market, including competitors, from the standpoint of a particular proposition or a business.
SWOT in business and marketing tends to be an assessment of a business or a proposition, whether it is your own business or (less commonly) a competitor's business or proposition.
Strategic planning is not a precise science - no tool is mandatory - it's a matter of pragmatic choice as to what helps best to identify and explain the issues.
PEST analysis may useful before SWOT analysis where it helps to identify SWOT factors. Alternatively PEST analysis may be incorporated within a SWOT analysis, to achieve the same effect.
PEST becomes more useful and relevant the larger and more complex the business or proposition, but even for a very small local businesses a PEST analysis can still throw up one or two very significant issues that might otherwise be missed.
The four quadrants in PEST vary in significance depending on the type of business, for example, social factors are more obviously relevant to consumer businesses or a B2B (business-to-business) organization close to the consumer-end of the supply chain, whereas political factors are more obviously relevant to a global munitions supplier or aerosol propellant manufacturer.
All businesses benefit from a SWOT analysis, and all businesses benefit from completing a SWOT analysis of their main competitors, which interestingly can then provide useful points back into the economic aspects of the PEST analysis.
swot analysis history - the origins of the SWOT analysis model
This remarkable piece of history as to the origins of SWOT analysis was provided by Albert S Humphrey, one of the founding fathers of what we know today as SWOT analysis. I am indebted to him for sharing this fascinating contribution. Albert Humphrey died on 31 October 2005. He was one of the good guys.
SWOT analysis came from the research conducted at Stanford Research Institute from 1960-1970. The background to SWOT stemmed from the need to find out why corporate planning failed. The research was funded by the fortune 500 companies to find out what could be done about this failure. The Research Team were Marion Dosher, Dr Otis Benepe, Albert Humphrey, Robert Stewart, Birger Lie.
It all began with the corporate planning trend, which seemed to appear first at Du Pont in 1949. By 1960 every Fortune 500 company had a 'corporate planning manager' (or equivalent) and 'associations of long range corporate planners' had sprung up in both the USA and the UK.
However a unanimous opinion developed in all of these companies that corporate planning in the shape of long range planning was not working, did not pay off, and was an expensive investment in futility.
It was widely held that managing change and setting realistic objectives which carry the conviction of those responsible was difficult and often resulted in questionable compromises.
The fact remained, despite the corporate and long range planners, that the one and only missing link was how to get the management team agreed and committed to a comprehensive set of action programmes.
To create this link, starting in 1960, Robert F Stewart at SRI in Menlo Park California lead a research team to discover what was going wrong with corporate planning, and then to find some sort of solution, or to create a system for enabling management teams agreed and committed to development work, which today we call 'managing change'.
The research carried on from 1960 through 1969. 1100 companies and organizations were interviewed and a 250-item questionnaire was designed and completed by over 5,000 executives.Seven key findings lead to the conclusion that in corporations chief executive should be the chief planner and that his immediate functional directors should be the planning team. Dr Otis Benepe defined the 'Chain of Logic' which became the core of system designed to fix the link for obtaining agreement and commitment.
We discovered that we could not change the values of the team nor set the objectives for the team so we started as the first step by asking the appraisal question, for example, what's good and bad about the operation. We began the system by asking what is good and bad about the present and the future. What is good in the present is Satisfactory, good in the future is an Opportunity; bad in the present is a Fault and bad in the future is a Threat. This was called the SOFT analysis.
When this was presented to Urick and Orr in 1964 at the Seminar in Long Range Planning at the Dolder Grand in Zurich Switzerland they changed the F to a W and called it SWOT Analysis.
SWOT was then promoted in Britain by Urick and Orr as an exercise in and of itself. As such it has no benefit. What was necessary was the sorting of the issues into the programme planning categories of:
1. Product (what are we selling?)2. Process (how are we selling it?)
3. Customer (to whom are we selling it?)
4. Distribution (how does it reach them?)
5. Finance (what are the prices, costs and investments?)
6. Administration (and how do we manage all this?)
The second step then becomes 'what shall the team do' about the issues in each of these categories. The planning process was then designed through trial and error and resulted finally in a 17 step process beginning with SOFT/SWOT with each issue recorded separately on a single page called a planning issue.
The first prototype was tested and published in 1966 based on the work done at 'Erie Technological Corp' in Erie Pa. In 1970 the prototype was brought to the UK, under the sponsorship of W H Smith & Sons plc, and completed by 1973. The operational programme was used to merge the CWS milling and baking operations with those of J W French Ltd.
The process has been used successfully ever since. By 2004, now, this system has been fully developed, and proven to cope with today's problems of setting and agreeing realistic annual objectives without depending on outside consultants or expensive staff resources.
the seven key research findings
The key findings were never published because it was felt they were too controversial. This is what was found:
1) A business was divided into two parts. The base business plus the development business. This was re-discovered by Dr Peter Senge at MIT in 1998 and published in his book the Fifth Discipline (not '5th Dimension' as previously stated here - thanks J Hoffman for this correction,
28 Jan 2011). The amount of development business which become operational is equal to or greater than that business on the books within a period of 5 to 7 years. This was a major surprise and urged the need for discovering a better method for planning and managing change.
2) Dr Hal Eyring published his findings on 'Distributive Justice' and pointed out that all people measure what they get from their work and divide it by what they give to the work and this ratio is compared to others. If it is not equal then the person first re-perceives and secondly slows down if added demands are not met. (See for interest Adams Equity Theory and the Equity Theory Diagram pdf)
3) The introduction of a corporate planner upset the sense of fair play at senior level, making the job of the corporate planner impossible.
4) The gap between what could be done by the organisation and what was actually done was about 35%.
5) The senior man will over-supervise the area he comes from. Finance- Finance, Engineering-Engineering etc.
6) There are 3 factors which separate excellence from mediocrity:
a. Overt attention to purchasing
b. Short-term written down departmental plans for improvement
c. Continued education of the Senior Executive
7) Some form of formal documentation is required to obtain approval for development work. In short we could not solve the problem by stopping planning.
in conclusion
By sorting the SWOT issues into the 6 planning categories one can obtain a system which presents a practical way of assimilating the internal and external information about the business unit, delineating short and long term priorities, and allowing an easy way to build the management team which can achieve the objectives of profit growth.
This approach captures the collective agreement and commitment of those who will ultimately have to do the work of meeting or exceeding the objectives finally set. It permits the team leader to define and develop co-ordinated, goal-directed actions, which underpin the overall agreed objectives between levels of the business hierarchy.
translating SWOT issues into actions under the six categories
Albert Humphrey advocated that the six categories:
1. Product (what are we selling?)2. Process (how are we selling it?)
3. Customer (to whom are we selling it?)
4. Distribution (how does it reach them?)
5. Finance (what are the prices, costs and investments?)
6. Administration (and how do we manage all this?)
provide a framework by which SWOT issues can be developed into actions and managed using teams.
This can be something of a 'leap', and so the stage warrants further explanation. Translating the SWOT issues into actions, are best sorted into (or if necessary broken down into) the six categories, because in the context of the way that business and organizations work, this makes them more quantifiable and measurable, responsible teams more accountable, and therefore the activities more manageable. The other pivotal part in the process is of course achieving the commitment from the team(s) involved, which is partly explained in the item summarising Humphrey's TAM® model and process.
As far as identifying actions from SWOT issues is concerned, it all very much depends on your reasons and aims for using SWOT, and also your authority/ability to manage others, whom by implication of SWOT's breadth and depth, are likely to be involved in the agreement and delivery of actions.
Depending on pretext and situation, a SWOT analysis can produce issues which very readily translate into (one of the six) category actions, or a SWOT analysis can produce issues which overlay a number of categories. Or a mixture. Whatever, SWOT essentially tells you what is good and bad about a business or a particular proposition. If it's a business, and the aim is to improve it, then work on translating:
strengths (maintain, build and leverage), opportunities (prioritise and optimise), weaknesses (remedy or exit), threats (counter)
into actions (each within one of the six categories) that can be agreed and owned by a team or number of teams.
If the SWOT analysis is being used to assess a proposition, then it could be that the analysis shows that the proposition is too weak (especially if compared with other SWOT's for alternative propositions) to warrant further investment, in which case further action planning, other than exit, is not required.
If the proposition is clearly strong (presumably you will have indicated this using other methods as well), then proceed as for a business, and translate issues into category actions with suitable ownership by team(s).
This is my understanding of Albert Humphrey's theory relating to developing SWOT issues into organizational change actions and accountabilities. (I'm pleased to say that Albert kindly confirmed that this is indeed correct.)
There are other ways of applying SWOT of course, depending on your circumstances and aims, for instance if concentrating on a department rather than a whole business, then it could make sense to revise the six categories to reflect the functional parts of the department, or whatever will enable the issues to be translatable into manageable, accountable and owned aims.
Here is a summary of Albert Humphrey's impressive TAM® (Team Action Management) model , developed and used to speed up the process of initiating and controlling organizational change.
workshops
running workshops for motivation, team-building and improving performance
Workshops combine training, development, team-building, communications, motivation and planning. Participation and involvement of staff increases the sense of ownership and empowerment, and facilitates the development of organisations and individuals. Workshops are effective in managing change and achieving improvement, and particularly the creation of initiatives, plans, process and actions to achieve particular business and organisational aims. Workshops are also great for breaking down barriers, improving communications inside and outside of departments, and integrating staff after acquisition or merger. Workshops are particularly effective for (CRM) customer relationship management development. The best and most constructive motivational team-building format is a workshop, or better still series of workshops, focusing on the people's key priorities and personal responsibilities/interest areas,
which hopefully will strongly overlap with business and departmental aims too. Workshops can be integrated within regular monthly team meetings - an amazing amount of motivation progress and productivity can be accomplished with just a 90 mins workshop per month. Workshop facilitation by a team leader or manager develops leadership, and workshops achieve strong focus on business aims among team members. Workshops are very effective for training too - workshops encourage buy-in and involvement more than conventional training courses because they are necessarily participative, and the content and output are created by the delegates. Also, the relationship between workshop facilitator or workshop presenter and delegates is participative, whereas a 'trainer' is often perceived as detached, and the training material 'not invented here'.
There are many workshop format variations - here's a basic workshop format:
Prior to workshop session identify and agree via consultation with the team the aim/opportunity area to be addressed. It's helpful to refer to John Adair's Action-Centred Leadership model for examples of different workshop subject areas and their implications.
It's also important to decide workshop objectives in relation to the team's 'maturity', experience and development - refer to the Tuckman 'forming storming norming performing' model, and the Tannenbaum and Schmidt model to understand and agree the level of freedom and responsibility to give the team during workshops, and in agreeing workshop follow-up actions and responsibilities.
Set suitable date and venue for meeting and issue agenda, with verbal explanation/reassurance if necessary - see running meetings.
At start of workshop, introduce aim and process - agree expectations - answer queries. (5 mins)
Brainstorm the ideas and opportunities with the whole group - flip chart is best - see brainstorming. (10-20 mins)
Split the group into pairs or threes (more usually creates passengers) and ask them to come up with outline actions/initiatives/plans to achieve agreed purpose/aim. (20-30 mins)
Have groups present back their ideas - review and praise positives aspects in each, and gently agree areas which would benefit from improvement/refining. (max 5 mins per group)
Then task and agree for groups or individuals to refine outline plans into clear objectives (refer to SMARTER principles), during the workshop, or afterwards to be fed back to manager, which can then be followed up and coached during implementation.
Follow up, coach, encourage, support and invite ideas for future workshop items and process improvements.
tips on designing workshops
Workshops are an extremely flexible and effective method for training, learning, development, change management, team building and problem solving, and virtually any organizational challenge.
You can actually run any sort of workshop you want - your options are as wide as your imagination and certainly not limited to off-the-shelf or tried and tested formats.
Think about and then agree openly your aim(s) for each workshop or and/or session.
Invite suggestions from delegates beforehand as to workshop subjects and aims if you want to maximise commitment and empowerment.
It helps for certain aims to use a model or concept to explain the theory behind your intentions, for example if dealing with communications and motivation, helpful models are: Johari, Maslow,Mcgregor, Tuckman, Emotional Intelligence - these sort of concepts are interesting and accessible for students and organizational delegates of all types. There are many others on this site.
There are also lots of materials and templates on the free resources section which help to theme and underpin workshop sessions.
Split big groups into pairs or threes - this is more dynamic and produces more ideas - and gets the whole group working better, particularly when they present ideas and review with the whole group. As with teambuilding exercises, if you split into sub-teams of more than four it's advisable to have each team appoint a leader, or things can be chaotic and some members become 'passengers'.
Try to agree actions and accountabilities at the end of sessions and workshops which enable follow-up.
My approach to workshops is always to tailor the content and structure for the particular situation, which I would encourage you to do, rather than use off-the-shelf formats. Approach it like training design - what are you (or the delegates) seeking to achieve? Be specific - more specific than just 'team-building' or 'improving relationships' - you need to identify a specific element within a general aim.
Establish and agree a measurable output(s) or result(s) that represent the aim(s), and then work back from there in thinking how to structure the workshop or session(s).
Unless you have a good reason for using laptops and projector, have the delegates use flip chart paper and coloured marker pens, and hang the sheets around the walls. This enables delegates to be far more dynamic and creative than modern technology media.
Encourage people to use creative methods that are appropriate for their personal styles and learning styles.
Visual, spatial, creative people enjoy working with flip-charts, colours, 'post-it' notes, etc.
People-centred individuals and teams enjoy human interaction - role-plays, discussions, mutual interviews, etc.
Logical, numerate, process-oriented people are happier with more structured planning tools and computers.
Think about the sort of people in the workshop groups and provide tools, materials and methods that they will be comfortable using.
See the guidelines for team building games and exercises, the free team building games, and for business strategy: the free SWOT analysis template and examples, and the free PEST analysis template, which can all help in running successful workshops.
Facilitating effective workshops is a skill that comes with experience. Effective workshops require a facilitative and enabling approach - not a directing autocratic style, so concentrate on enabling and providing tools, knowledge, mechanisms, freedoms, processes, information, etc., that open people's minds and make connections between tasks and people, in an enjoyable, constructive and liberating
brainstorming process
brainstorming technique for problem-solving, team-building and creative process
Brainstorming with a group of people is a powerful technique. Brainstorming creates new ideas, solves problems, motivates and develops teams. Brainstorming motivates because it involves members of a team in bigger management issues, and it gets a team working together. However, brainstorming is not simply a random activity. Brainstorming needs to be structured and it follows brainstorming rules. The brainstorming process is described below, for which you will need a flip-chart or alternative. This is crucial as Brainstorming needs to involve the team, which means that everyone must be able to see what's happening. Brainstorming places a significant burden on the facilitator to manage the process, people's involvement and sensitivities, and then to manage the follow up actions. Use Brainstorming well and you will see excellent results in improving the organization, performance, and developing the team.
N.B. There has been some discussion in recent years - much of it plainly daft - that the term 'brainstorming' might be 'political incorrect' by virtue of possible perceived reference to brain-related health issues. It was suggested by some that the alternative, but less than catchy 'thought-showers' should be used instead, which presumably was not considered to be offensive to raindrops (this is serious…). Happily recent research among relevant groups has dispelled this non-pc notion, and we can continue to use the brainstorming expression without fear of ending up in the law courts…
brainstorming process
1. Define and agree the objective.2. Brainstorm ideas and suggestions having agreed a time limit.
3. Categorise/condense/combine/refine.
4. Assess/analyse effects or results.
5. Prioritise options/rank list as appropriate.
6. Agree action and timescale.
7. Control and monitor follow-up.
In other words:
plan and agree the brainstorming aim
Ensure everyone participating in the brainstorm session understands and agrees the aim of the session (eg, to formulate a new job description for a customer services clerk; to formulate a series of new promotional activities for the next trading year; to suggest ways of improving cooperation between the sales and service departments; to identify costs saving opportunities that will not reduce performance or morale, etc). Keep the brainstorming objective simple. Allocate a time limit. This will enable you to keep the random brainstorming activity under control and on track.
manage the actual brainstorming activity
Brainstorming enables people to suggest ideas at random. Your job as facilitator is to encourage everyone to participate, to dismiss nothing, and to prevent others from pouring scorn on the wilder suggestions (some of the best ideas are initially the daftest ones - added to which people won't participate if their suggestions are criticised). During the random collection of ideas the facilitator must record every suggestion on the flip-chart. Use Blu-Tack or sticky tape to hang the sheets around the walls. At the end of the time limit or when ideas have been exhausted, use different coloured pens to categorise, group, connect and link the random ideas. Condense and refine the ideas by making new headings or lists. You can diplomatically combine or include the weaker ideas within other themes to avoid dismissing or rejecting contributions (remember
brainstorming is about team building and motivation too - you don't want it to have the reverse effect on some people). With the group, assess, evaluate and analyse the effects and validity of the ideas or the list. Develop and prioritise the ideas into a more finished list or set of actions or options.
implement the actions agreed from the brainstorming
Agree what the next actions will be. Agree a timescale, who's responsible. After the session circulate notes, monitor and give feedback. It's crucial to develop a clear and positive outcome, so that people feel their effort and contribution was worthwhile. When people see that their efforts have resulted in action and change, they will be motivated and keen to help again.
personal brainstorming
for creativity, planning, presentations, decision-making, and organizing your ideas
Personal brainstorming - just by yourself - is very useful for the start of any new project, especially if you can be prone to put things off until tomorrow.
Planning a new venture, a presentation, or any new initiative, is generally much easier if you begin simply by thinking of ideas - in no particular order or structure - and jotting them down on a sheet of paper or in a notebook. Basically this is personal brainstorming, and it can follow the same process as described above for groups, except that it's just you doing it.
Sometimes it's very difficult to begin planning something new - because you don't know where and how to start. Brainstoming is a great way to begin. The method also generates lots of possibilities which you might otherwise miss by getting into detailed structured planning too early.
A really useful tool for personal brainstorming - and note-taking generally - is the wonderful Bic 4-colour ballpen.
The pen enables you quickly to switch colours between red, blue, black and green, without having to walk around with a pocket-full of biros.
Using different colours in your creative jottings and written records helps you to make your notes and diagrams clearer, and dramatically increases the ways in which you can develop and refine your ideas and notes on paper. To prove the point, review some previous notes in black or blue ink using a red pen - see how you can organize/connect the content, still keeping it all clear and legible.
This simple pen is therefore a brilliant tool for organizing your thoughts on paper much more clearly and creatively than by being limited to a single colour - especially if you think in visual terms and find diagrams helpful.
For example, using different colours enables you to identify and link common items within a random list, or to show patterns and categories, or to over-write notes without making a confusing mess, and generally to generate far more value from your thoughts and ideas. Keeping connected notes and ideas on a single sheet of paper greatly helps the brain to absorb and develop them. Try it - you'll be surprised how much more useful your notes become.
The principle is the same as using different colours of marker pens on a flip-chart. Other manufacturers produce similar pens, but the Bic is reliable, widely available, and very inexpensive.
The usefulness of different colours in written notes is further illustrated (please correct me or expand on this if you know more) in a wider organizational sense in the UK health industry. Apparently, black is the standard colour; green is used by pharmacy services, red is used after death and for allergies, and blue tends to be avoided due to poorer reprographic qualities (thanks M Belcher). As I say, correct me if this is wrong, and in any event please let me know any other examples of different coloured inks being used to organize or otherwise clarify written communications within corporations, institutions or industries.
Additionally I am informed (thanks T Kalota, Oct 2008) of a useful brainstorming/organizing technique using coloured pens when reviewing a written specification, or potentially any set of notes for a design or plan.
Underline or circle the words according to the following:
nouns/people/things black (entities)
verbs ('doing'/functional words) red (relationships)
adjectives/adverbs (describing words) blue (attributes)
This technique was apparently used for clarifying written specifications or notes for a database design, and was termed 'extended relational architecture', advocated by a company of the same name, at one time. (I've been unable to find any further details about the company or this application. If you know more please tell me.)
This method of colour-coding notes (using underlines or circles or boxes) to help clarification/prioritization/organization/etc can itself naturally be extended and adapted, for example:
verbs ('doing'/functional words) red (relationships)
adjectives (describing a noun/thing/etc) blue (attributes)
adverbs (describing a verb/function) green (degrees/range/etc)
timings/costs/quantities yellow (measures)
The colours and categories are not a fixed industry standard. It's an entirely flexible technique. You can use any colours you want, and devise your own coding structures to suit the situation.
In relation to the group brainstorming process above, see also the guidelines for running workshops. Workshops provide good situations for group brainstorming, and brainstorming helps to make workshops more productive, motivational and successful.
To create more structured brainstorming activities which illustrate or address particular themes, methods, media, etc., there is a helpful set of reference points on the team building games section. Unless you have special reasons for omitting control factors, ensure you retain the the essence of the rules above, especially defining the task, stating clear timings, organising participants and materials, and managing the review and follow-up.
