Arjun Balaji

SWTO Analysis – A strategy plan
The SWTO Analysis focuses on the different factors that the group may face during the project’s lifespan. The analysis allows the team to predict and manage any challenges that could arise. While working on our ICS-600, AT&T project I formulated a SWTO analysis table to meet our team requirements. I have included the table below for better understanding

Strengths

• Strong group dynamics
• Quality of processes and procedures
• Strong communication skills
• Solid work ethics
• Complete knowledge base with access to resources

Weakness

• Missing expertise in some areas (lack of knowledge/experience)
• Deadlines (have too much planned, run out of time)
• Lose focus of project goals
• Diversity (not being able to agree)

Opportunities

• Expand Knowledge base
• Winning Contract Bid (which could then lead to other opportunities and satisfied customers)
• Technological Advantages

Threats

• Unforeseen Delays
• Project Creep (going beyond project scope)
• Stakeholders (pull out and lose funding)
• Poor Planning (loss of time, project going in wrong direction)
• Competition (from other groups)

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Posted by abalaji at 11:04 PM | Permalink

Competitive Intelligence and Critical Thinking
One major role of leaders is to be able to access, filter, store, retrieve, and effectively use information (Gillette, 2006, p.12). While innovative technologies can serve as effective tools, they are not the only tools leaders have access to. Effective leaders must also be critical thinkers who actively implement value saturated information. To attain this information, leaders should utilize critical thinking skills and competitive intelligence (CI).
Activist Emma Goldman proclaimed, “The most violent element in society is ignorance.” If a leader wants to be effective, he/she cannot be ignorant of his/her surroundings. They must be able to put their leadership, goals, and organization into context. A leader can accomplish this by striving to recognize the macro, micro-level and immediate forces that act on them and their followers. By gathering information through critical thinking and competitive intelligence (CI), leaders can effectively identify, prioritize, and adapt to the world around them.
Critical thinking helps us view situations from a variety of aspects and approaches. As Brookfield states, “when we think critically we become aware of the diversity of values, behaviors, social structures, and artistic forms in the world” (Wren, 1995, p.381). To have a truly successful democracy, you must have leaders and followers who are critical thinkers. Why is critical thinking an effective tool for leaders? Critical thinking inspires us to imagine and explore alternatives. It also you analyze a situation from a variety of perspectives (Wren, 1995, p.384)

In the selection Key Intelligence Topics (KITs) in Competitive Intelligence and Global Business, Meera Mody goes describes the activities associated with each one of the three types of KITs. Each KITs serves a different purpose, each one is interrelated and great success can be achieved with the implementation of all three. As Mody explains that by segmenting the KIT process into three types, professionals will, “understand better the needs of clients and to plan out the CI functions of the organization.” (Blenkhorn & Fleisher, 2005, p. 20).

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Posted by abalaji at 11:02 PM | Permalink