A Quick and Easy Tool for Self-Assessment

In today’s advice column, you will learn about a tool called a SWOT Analysis by seeing how Rick’s friend Richard, a foul-mouthed Gen Xer, used it for self-assessment to improve his life.  A SWOT analysis is a tool used in business to do strategic planning or to assess a company’s current state where you identify its Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.  It can be applied to your personal life so that you can leverage your strengths, improve your weaknesses, take advantage of potential opportunities and be mindful of potential threats.

See Dick Reach Out

From: Richard Head <dick_head@gmail.com>
Sent: February 3, 2018 3:41 PM
To: Rick Melnyck <rmelnyck@hotmail.com>
Subject:  Advice needed

Hey Rick,

Hope you are doing well you little bastard!  Listen, I need a little advice and I was really hoping you could help me out.  I’m kind of in a bit of a rut in my personal life, things are ok, but I know they could be better.  I feel like I am spinning my wheels in some areas and know I can get better but just don’t know where to start.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Richard Head

See Rick Respond

From: Rick Melnyck <rmelnyck@hotmail.com>
Sent: February 3, 2018 8:16 PM
To: Richard Head <dick_head@gmail.com>
Subject:  RE: Advice needed

Hey Richard,

Good to hear from you and I’m sure I can help you.

Start by conducting some research on a tool called a SWOT analysis, which is a tool used in business that is also great for self-assessment.  Do one on yourself.  Also, get a couple people who know you really well to do one on you as well and incorporate it into what you come up with yourself.  FYI, some of the weaknesses and threats they identify for you may be hard on the ol’ ego, but sometimes the truth hurts.  Whether you think what they say is true or not, it is their perception, so even if you don’t agree, it’s what they see, so if anything, you need to figure out why they have that perception of you.

Send me what you come up with and maybe we will post on the blog if it’s any good and if it’s ok with you.

Take Care,

Rick

See Dick Improve

From: Richard Head <dick_head@gmail.com>
Sent:  March 15, 2018 6:17 PM
To: Rick Melnyck <rmelnyck@hotmail.com>
Subject:  RE: RE: Advice needed

Hey Rick,

See below for my personal SWOT analysis, it worked like a charm in my self-assessment!

As I learned in my research, the SWOT analysis is a tool that businesses use as part of their strategic planning process.  It stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.  The idea is to identify your strengths – so you can play to them, to identify your weaknesses – so that you can work to improve them, identify opportunities – that could make your life even better, and lastly identify threats – that you can either mitigate before they become problems or at the least be wary of.

Here is my SWOT analysis (I indicated who came up with each point in parentheses.  FYI, Buddy is my best friend from childhood and Buffy is my lovely and ever-horny wife):

Taking a quick look at my SWOT, there were a few actions I was able to take to improve myself immediately:

(1)  Seeing as how both Buffy and I recognized my Dad-bod as being problematic (she was nice and labeled it as an opportunity, I was realistic and labeled it a threat as she could leave my ass if I don’t get back to looking like the Adonis I was when she married me). So, I joined the gym and got a personal trainer!

(2)  The Dutch ovens thing – I know exactly what it is, it’s the goddamn Mexican food they serve in the cafeteria at work. As great as it is I guess I can eat a salad instead, it’s better for me anyways.  Plus, Buffy stopped eating eggs when I put the same weakness on her personal SWOT a couple years ago.  I guess fair is fair.

(3)  I think I am good in bed, she says I suck. I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree on that one.  All I have to say is those scratch marks on my back last week weren’t from the cat.

(4)  I need to improve my listening skills, so I have started reading a good book on active listening and will really try to improve in that area.

By the way, do you have any suggestions to help me with my stage fright problem?

Thanks,

Richard Head

See Dick Get Stage Fright

From: Rick Melnyck <rmelnyck@hotmail.com>
Sent: March 16, 2018 7:04 AM
To: Richard Head <dick_head@gmail.com>
Subject:  RE: RE: RE: Advice needed

Hey Richard,

Congrats on the well-done SWOT analysis. I told you it is a great tool for self-assessment!

To answer your question about your stage fright problem, check out Toastmasters International to help you with your stage fright, there should be one where you live.  Warren Buffett even did it early in his career.

Take Care,

Rick

Oops, a Slight Misunderstanding!

From: Richard Head <dick_head@gmail.com>
Sent: June 8, 2018 7:45 PM
To: Rick Melnyck <rmelnyck@hotmail.com>
Subject:  RE: RE: RE: RE: Advice needed

Hey Rick,

I joined Toastmasters International like you suggested and while it did wonders for my presentation skills at work, it didn’t help at all with my stage fright problem.

I think there was a misunderstanding between us – that wasn’t the kind of stage fright I was referring to.  You see, public speaking has never been a problem for me, but being able to piss when there is a stranger beside me at a public urinal is like mission impossible.

Thanks,

Richard Head

Use It Or Lose It!

Using the SWOT analysis can be a great way to do a self-assessment and can be a nice addition to your personal self-improvement planning process. Getting those close to you participate can add valuable insight, just don’t get pissed if they tell you things you don’t want to hear, you asked!

Start by taking a sheet of paper (or download our template here) and split it into 4 sections:  Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.

Then start filling in each section objective, here are some questions you can when doing this self-assessment exercise:

Strengths

  What are you good at? Are there things you always get complimented on? What are the reasons for some of your successes in the past?

Weaknesses

  What do you suck at? When people talk smack about you or throw shade, what is their main complaint?  What can you get better at? What have been the reasons for some of your past failures?

Opportunities

  What opportunities do you see that can make your life better? How is the world changing and how can you take advantage of that?  What have others done well that you could do too that would improve your life?

Threats

  What ‘bear traps’ lie on the horizon? Is there anything that you are overconfident about that could bite you in the ass?  Could any of your weaknesses really impact your life in a negative way?

Once you have completed your SWOT analysis and added feedback from family and friends the next step is to make sense of it.

  First, you will want to look at your strengths and figure out how you can use them to take advantage of them.

  Next, you will want to look at your weaknesses and figure out if they are worth spending the time to turn them into strengths and if so, how?

  Next, you will want to look at your opportunities, are there any that you can take advantage of to improve your life?  Can you leverage any of your strengths to capitalize on an opportunity?

  Finally, you will want to look at your threats, do you need to take action on them, or just be mindful of their existence?  Can you turn any of them into an opportunity?

When to Use the SWOT Analysis for Self-Assessment 

  When you are doing personal goal setting

  If you are trying to assess the current state of your life

  If you feel like you are in a rut

  When you want people to give you constructive feedback.

  Also, before you are about to start a major initiative in your life, i.e. looking for a new job, getting back in the dating game after you dump Mr. or Mrs. Wrong, starting a new workout routine.

 What Do You Think?

  Has anyone ever done a personal SWOT for self-assessment?  Any advice or anything to add to our post, we would love to hear it!

 

Until next time, keep getting better, and as always…PYMFP!
–Rick

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