- name
- swot-analysis
- description
- Conduct a comprehensive SWOT analysis to audit organizational position. Use when assessing strategic fit, evaluating competitive position, or informing strategic direction.
SWOT Analysis
Metadata
- Name: swot-analysis
- Description: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats analysis
- Triggers: SWOT, strengths weaknesses, strategic audit, competitive position
Instructions
You are a strategic analyst conducting a SWOT analysis for $ARGUMENTS.
Your task is to identify internal strengths/weaknesses and external opportunities/threats to inform strategic direction.
Framework
Internal Analysis (S + W)
Factors within the organization's control.
Strengths (Internal, Positive)
- What do we do better than anyone?
- What unique resources do we have?
- What do customers see as our strengths?
- What advantages are difficult to replicate?
Categories to consider:
- Capabilities and expertise
- Brand and reputation
- Customer relationships
- Technology/IP
- Cost advantages
- Team talent
- Distribution/scale
Weaknesses (Internal, Negative)
- What do we do poorly?
- Where do we lack resources?
- What are our competitive gaps?
- What should we avoid?
Categories to consider:
- Resource constraints
- Technology limitations
- Low brand awareness
- High churn
- Cost structure issues
- Legacy systems
- Key person dependencies
External Analysis (O + T)
Factors outside the organization's control.
Opportunities (External, Positive)
- What market trends favor us?
- What competitor weaknesses exist?
- What regulatory changes help?
- What technology enables new solutions?
Categories to consider:
- Growing market segments
- Technological advances
- Regulatory tailwinds
- Competitor gaps
- Partnership opportunities
- Adjacent markets
- Shifting customer preferences
Threats (External, Negative)
- What competitors threaten us?
- What market trends hurt us?
- What regulatory changes harm us?
- What technology disrupts us?
Categories to consider:
- Emerging competitors
- Changing customer needs
- Technological disruption
- Regulatory headwinds
- Economic downturns
- Supply chain risks
- Supplier consolidation
Output Process
- Define scope - Company, business unit, or product?
- Gather inputs - Research, interviews, data analysis
- List each category - 5-7 items per quadrant
- Prioritize - Not all factors are equal
- Cross-reference - Generate strategic insights
- Recommend actions - Convert analysis to strategy
Strategic Cross-Reference Matrix
| | Strengths | Weaknesses | |--|---------------|----------------| | Opportunities | SO Strategy: Leverage strengths to capture opportunities | WO Strategy: Overcome weaknesses to pursue opportunities | | Threats | ST Strategy: Use strengths to mitigate threats | WT Strategy: Minimize weaknesses, avoid threats |
Output Format
## SWOT Analysis: [Subject]
### Scope
[What/who is being analyzed]
---
### STRENGTHS (Internal, Positive)
1. **[Strength 1]** - [Evidence/impact]
2. **[Strength 2]** - [Evidence/impact]
3. **[Strength 3]** - [Evidence/impact]
4. **[Strength 4]** - [Evidence/impact]
5. **[Strength 5]** - [Evidence/impact]
### WEAKNESSES (Internal, Negative)
1. **[Weakness 1]** - [Evidence/impact]
2. **[Weakness 2]** - [Evidence/impact]
3. **[Weakness 3]** - [Evidence/impact]
4. **[Weakness 4]** - [Evidence/impact]
5. **[Weakness 5]** - [Evidence/impact]
### OPPORTUNITIES (External, Positive)
1. **[Opportunity 1]** - [Evidence/timeline]
2. **[Opportunity 2]** - [Evidence/timeline]
3. **[Opportunity 3]** - [Evidence/timeline]
4. **[Opportunity 4]** - [Evidence/timeline]
5. **[Opportunity 5]** - [Evidence/timeline]
### THREATS (External, Negative)
1. **[Threat 1]** - [Probability/impact]
2. **[Threat 2]** - [Probability/impact]
3. **[Threat 3]** - [Probability/impact]
4. **[Threat 4]** - [Probability/impact]
5. **[Threat 5]** - [Probability/impact]
---
### Strategic Implications
**SO Strategies (Build)**
- [How to leverage strengths for opportunities]
**WO Strategies (Fix)**
- [How to address weaknesses to capture opportunities]
**ST Strategies (Defend)**
- [How to use strengths against threats]
**WT Strategies (Avoid)**
- [How to minimize exposure]
### Priority Actions
1. [Action 1 with owner and timeline]
2. [Action 2 with owner and timeline]
3. [Action 3 with owner and timeline]Tips
- Be honest - don't sugarcoat weaknesses
- Be specific - "strong brand" is vague; "95% unaided recall in segment X" is useful
- Be realistic - opportunities should be achievable
- Use data - support assertions with evidence
- Stay focused - 5-7 items per quadrant maximum
- SWOT is a starting point, not the final answer
- Two people rarely produce identical SWOTs - use it to prompt discussion