TCFBO #010: Wot? No SWOT?

Read Time: 4 minutes

Recently we stumbled across a video about strategic planning for businesses where they stated that:

“Great strategic plans start by understanding where we are today.”

We disagree.

We think that great strategic plans start by understanding where you would love to be in the future.

It’s the principle of “begin with the end in mind” that Steven Covey writes about in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

And it’s the principle of the first step being “desire” that Napoleon Hill outlines in Think and Grow Rich.

The problem is that most business owners (and consultants, including the one in the video) do start by focusing on where the business is today.

Their first step is to carry out an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the business, and the opportunities and threats that the business is currently facing, commonly known as a SWOT Analysis.

Now a SWOT Analysis is essential for understanding where you are right now.

Done well, it’ll give you a really clear picture of your current reality.

It will help you uncover threats so you can address them before they become a big problem.

And it will highlight opportunities that you may not have been aware of.

But it’s NOT the first step in creating a great strategic plan.

Because if your first step is to uncover problems, you’re likely to start thinking about how to solve those problems.

And without knowing the future state you desire to create, you won’t be able to determine whether these problems are problems that actually need solving or can simply be ignored.

Likewise with opportunities.

Should you take the opportunities laid out in front of you?

Without knowing what you desire the future state of your business to be, who knows whether you should grasp the opportunity with both hands or just pass it by?

At a deeper level, starting your strategic plan with a SWOT Analysis firmly anchors your mind to your current reality.

So, when you finally get to think about the future state of the business after all the analysis, your mind has plenty of evidence to show you…

…why what you dream of isn’t a good idea

…why you can’t do it

…all the other opportunities you’re going to pass by

…all the weaknesses that are going to stop you from getting where you want to get to

…and all the strengths you could use to solve the problems you’re facing today rather than wasting them going for your dream.

In short, you end up putting limits around your Business Vision because your underlying focus is on where the business is today and not where you desire the business to be.

Which is why we say that great strategic plans start by knowing what you would love to create.

Because if your vision is based on your heart’s desires, that desire to create your vision will keep you moving forward as you face challenges along the way.

Whereas, if your vision isn’t compelling enough, because you’ve limited it by focusing on your current reality, you run the risk of giving up at the first hurdle.

And if your vision is simply based on solving problems, once you’ve solved your current set of problems, you’ll either end up with no drive to move forward or you’ll just create more problems for you to solve.

So start your strategic plan by focusing on the vision you have for your life and then the vision you have for your business.

Start by getting clear on your heart’s desires.

A really simple way to do this is to focus on the things you love and what it is you love about them.

Start by imagining you are already living the life you truly love and have already created the business you desire.

The aim is to give your mind an immersive experience and to feel as if it’s already happened, that it’s already a done deal. 

Then we suggest saying out loud what it is that you love about this future state as if you are already there.

Because, as you say it, you will feel in your heart whether you really do love it or whether you just like it or you don’t love it all.

It may take you a while to get into the swing of it and you may feel silly. That’s absolutely fine. Just know that the more you say out loud what you love, the more you’ll get into the flow of it.

“I love living in my home by the sea.”

“I love playing with my children.”

“I love running my own business.”

As you say what you love, notice how you feel.

If you’re paying attention, you will know whether you really love what you are saying or whether you are just saying it because you think this is something you need or ought to have for some reason.

You will feel it.

Once you feel you’ve covered everything at a broad level, add in more detail by describing what you love about all the things you’ve just experienced in your imagination.

If you said:

“I love living in my home by the sea”

then imagine living in your home by the sea and notice what it is you love about it.

“I love the view.”

“I love the expansiveness of the sky.”

“I love hearing the waves crashing on the shore.”

“I love the brightly coloured walls.”

“I love that there’s a family den where we play with the kids.”

“I love curling up on the couch with a good book and a glass of wine.”

If you do this right, if you do it for your life and your business, if you truly experience both visions in your imagination as if you are already there, you will feel compelled to start creating them.

Then you can figure out where you are starting from.

Then you can do your SWOT Analysis.

Then you can identify the threats and problems you may face and those you can safely ignore.

Then you can look at the opportunities right before you that will propel you towards your vision and those that will take you off on a tangent.

Then you can uncover weaknesses you can strengthen and existing strengths you can build upon.

But all that’s for another time.

For now, just enjoy immersing yourself in your life and business visions.

It’ll be the most important step you take in creating a great strategic plan for you and your business.

Let us know how you get on and we’ll see you next week.

Paul & Philly

Whenever you’re ready, there are two ways we can help you:

1. Discover how to create a life and business you truly love with your copy of “Backwards Planning - A Simple Method to Move You and Your Business Forward” from Amazon.

2. To work with us through the entire “Backwards Planning” process outlined in the book, you can apply to join The Clear Focus Business Academy.

The first step is to book a facilitated Life Vision Session which we conduct one to one over Zoom. This session will not only give you clarity on what you want from your life but will give you the opportunity to experience how we work and ensure we're a good fit for each other before deciding whether The Clear Focus Business Academy is right for you. It comes with a 100% money back guarantee, so if you're not entirely satisfied, simply let us know at the end of the session and we'll issue a full refund.