A SWOT Analysis for Children

The SWOT Analysis was developed by a management consultant named Albert Humphrey at the Stanford Research Institute in the 1960's. It is historically used as a business tool to begin strategic planning but can be used successfully personally.

What does SWOT mean?
STRENGTHS: What we are good at; What's working; What people like about us.
WEAKNESSES: What we want to fix; What we want to strengthen; What we want to become more efficient at.
OPPORTUNITIES: What is the next trend; What could we learn; What is our differentiator.
THREATS: What could hinder our growth; What issues are currently beyond our control.

Personal Strengths and Weaknesses are internal factors. We have control over these. Opportunities and Threats are external and we have less control. Therefore, we have to think more about how to interpret them and use the information in our best interest.

For children, I would begin by drawing a SWOT Analysis Quadrant with a 2X2 grid. Label each section. I would then ask children the following questions:

What do you do well?
Where do you need to improve?
What are your goals?
What difficulties do you face?

Some Strength examples for your child are: good in math; gets along with friends; manages time.
Some Weakness might be: short attention span; poor sportsmanship; difficulty comprehending reading passages.
Some Opportunities might be: joining a team or organization; learning an instrument; getting a library card.
Some Threats might be: being bullied; health issues; personal computer is obsolete.

After discussing the purpose of doing a SWOT Analysis and giving specific examples, have your child spend some time completing the grid, assisting when asked. Some children will complete it quickly; others could take a few days.

What a great opportunity a parent will have discussing each section, finding out why your child chose their answers, and working together to help them move forward personally or academically.