SWOT analysis

SWOT analysis is often used to gain a picture of current conditions in as part of planning future actions.

However, it can also be used as a reflective tool to explore a past experience alongside counterfactual thinking.

Strengths and weaknesses

•  Strengths (see also personal labels)

  • What strengths did you or others demonstrate in that situation?

  • What other strengths would have been useful in that situation?

  • How could your strengths be interpreted as weaknesses in that they led you to behave in ways that were unsuited to the circumstances (e.g. through over-confidence)?

• Weaknesses

  • What weakness did you or others demonstrate in that situation?

  • What weaknesses did you or others avoid in that situation?

  • How could your weaknesses be interpreted as strengths in that they prevented you from acting in ways that were unsuited to the circumstances (e.g. through being more cautious)?

Opportunities and threats

See context analysis.

• Opportunities

  • What opportunities did the situation present for you or others to act in different ways?

  • What different opportunities could you or others have taken advantage of or created?

  • Did everyone involved perceive the same opportunities or rewards (did you see opportunities where others saw threats)?

• Threats

  • What risks were inherent in the situation that you or others were aware of?

  • What hidden risks were you or others not aware of?

  • Did everyone involved perceive the same risks or threats (did you see threats where others saw opportunities)?