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Frankly Speaking: Taking a SWOT at it
by
Frank Hermes
published July 19, 2005
To many, the mere mention of a
SWOT analysis causes one’s eyes to glaze over.
Normally done as part of a more exhaustive (and exhausting!) strategic
planning exercise, SWOT (a look at the organization’s Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) can be a brain-numbing waste of
time, especially if its primary purpose is to fill up a document whose
destiny is to support a planter in the corner of your office. On
the other hand, when done for the right reasons, taking a look at the
library’s SWOT can be a valuable exercise, especially in
today’s world of rapid change and continuous challenge.
Indeed, if you haven’t done it lately, it might well be high time
to do it: today, more than ever, libraries need to understand their
position in the world of information exchange and, most importantly,
what unique values they can bring to this world. In this article,
I will offer some pointers on the who, what, why, and how of SWOT
analysis.
Once you have
decided to have a “SWOT session,” you will need to
determine who should be there and how long you wish to spend on the
exercise. With regard to the latter question, I would suggest no
more than a half day for the SWOT itself, with an additional half day
to discuss how the completed SWOT jibes with the current strategic
directions and specific programs of the library. In terms of who
(and how many) should be there, the director should make sure that
different points of view will be represented, but avoid too large a
crowd. While seemingly an undemocratic notion, my experience is
that crowds can cause some very creative people to remain silent.
Consideration should also be given to including (for public libraries)
trustees and government officials, or (for academic libraries) faculty
and administrators. Once you have put together the list of
invitees, communicate to them the purpose and process of the meeting so
that they will be prepared to contribute their views.
In my view, it would be appropriate to
call this process OTSW, but the acronymically-adroit probably
wouldn’t allow that, so we won’t try to change the
name. You will, however, find that the process flows best when
you tackle the four areas in the OTSW order. Herewith a few tips
on what are, in effect, the two parts to the SWOT analysis:
Opportunities and Threats are best
described as those factors that are external to the library, and not
under the control of library management. Think of these as the
environment surrounding the library. These factors typically
include (but are usually not limited to) the following:
• Markets served
(and not served) by the library
• The economy
• Competition
• Technology
Often, a single factor will be both an
opportunity and a threat, especially in the area of technology (iPods,
Google). Invariably, you and your SWOT team will blur the lines
between the OT’s and the SW’s. Just try to remember
the phrase “external and uncontrollable” when identifying
the opportunities and threats. And don’t get hung up in the
semantic—save your energy for the work that follows the
analysis!
The Strengths and Weaknesses
are—you guessed it—those factors which are internal to the
library and (in varying degrees) controllable by library
management. Factors here might include:
• The
library’s assets (collection, know-how)
• Reputation
• Staff and
organization
• Funding
• Visibility
As with the OT’s, one factor can
be both a strength and a weakness. For example, the library staff
may be motivated and well trained people, but they might lack some of
the skills needed in today’s world. Similarly, the library
may be very visible to one sub-market (e.g., faculty or retirees) but
less visible to another (students or young parents).
As you go through the OT and SW
exercises, clearly document each of the four. Use flipcharts or a
whiteboard, and be sure to leave all sections visible throughout the
analysis—you will find yourselves returning to one section based
on an inspiration occurring during another. For instance, when
talking about reputation, you might think of an under-served
market. And one last suggestion—if you get bogged down
along the way, use this SWOT “formula” to help the group
create the proper relationship between the variables:
“How do we leverage our Strengths
and eliminate Weaknesses in order to capitalize on Opportunities and
deal with Threats?”
Okay, we have a SWOT. Now
what?
If the SWOT is being done independently
of a strategic planning effort, make a list of the library’s
current strategy and programs and, quite simply, see if--and to what
extent--they adequately address the factors raised in the
analysis. Two suggestions come to mind here:
• Utilize the
“formula” question, substituting the strategy/program for
the word “we.” For example: “How does the
e-learning initiative…leverage our strengths,” or
“How does our new staff training program…eliminate our
weaknesses and address opportunities”
• Leave no stone
unturned: put tick marks next to each of the SWOT’s if your
current activities address them. At the end make sure that all
SWOT’s have at least one tick mark.
If the SWOT analysis is being done as
part of a new planning exercise, use it as a basis for establishing
your key strategies and programs and for setting specific goals.
Again, use the tick marks to make sure you are addressing the
SWOT’s in your forward planning. Conversely, and
importantly, question any current or planned activities that do not
relate to the SWOT’s. And don’t be surprised if you
have a few of these!
The SWOT heard ‘round the
world. Well, maybe the whole world doesn’t need to hear
about your now-completed SWOT, but make sure you document the analysis
and its implications for your future plans for communication to a
number of different audiences:
• The library
staff
• Your funders
• Any and all
advisory groups
• The public you
serve
This important communication step will
serve a number of purposes:
• It will advise
those who need to know about how the library views itself within its
environment, and what it intends to do about it
• It will elicit
further constructive comment and buy-in from a variety of interested
parties
• It will
demonstrate that your library has a leadership that cares enough to ask
the right questions and set a course of action intended to create
greater value for the community it serves
A parting thought: typical planning
cycles are three years (recommended) or longer. In this day and
age of rapid transformation in the information industry, it is
important to do a SWOT analysis on an annual basis. If the
analysis coincides with strategic planning, it can set the stage for
your key strategies and action plans. If it is
“off-cycle,” it is just as valuable in helping you
determine if you are on the right track, and suggesting any needed
mid-course corrections.
And one absolutely final thought:
The Library Leadership Network exists for the benefit of the entire
library community, so please share with us the results of your SWOT
activities by emailing me at: frank@libraryleadership.net. We can learn a great deal from each
other’s experiences… the good ones as well as the
not-so-good. Thank you!
Frank Hermes
Editor and Publisher
The LLN Commons
P.S. And take advantage of the
special charter subscription rate!
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