February 13, 2010

How to take care of external issues~SWOT for not-for-profit~

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When we work on SWOT analysis for not-for-profit organizations/businesses, or even for for-profit organizations/businesses,we'll be able to find plenty of Strengths and Weaknesses, compared to the amount of Opportunities and Threats sometimes.

I imagine that these kinds of situations are not welcome always.


Why this happens and how we overcome it?

This is my question that I'm going to talk about for this time.

The case when the stuff at organizations can hardly find Opportunities and Threats compared to Strengths and Weaknesses,it probably means, they are struggling hard to deal with internal administrative tasks so that they can't put their eye on external situation properly.

I think this happens especially for busy organizations i.e.starting ups, stuff-less organizations.
Because, they tends not to be able to have enough time to observe and research external issues.
I know how they are busy and how it is important to manage internal issues.
This is one reason why it is difficult to take care of external stuffs.

I think there is another reason.
It stems from lack of the attitude or capability, to do it.

Yes, I also know that the question "Who are we?" should come first, when we think about management of each one's organizations, including marketing and communication.
But, hereby I'd like to suggest that we'll be able to discover how to make use of our Strengths and to overcome our Weaknesses, by GOING OUT and LEARNING EXTERNAL SITUATION, as well as asking "Who are we?".

I would say,it becomes hard for not-for-profit workers and social entrepreneurs to be "out-going" generally, even though I'm not sure that my experience is enough long to point out this issue or not.
But, I feel that social entrepreneurs lose their EYES usually, because of internal tasks/problems, and the attitude to persist on themselves overwhelmingly.

So, what's the solution?
I think one solution is to involve the outsiders or people who can keep observing the external situation carefully, or maybe in very professional way, and connecting organizations with outsiders, such as other social entrepreneurs, businesses, governments, and citizens.
(I can understand it's not easy because we usually tends to like similar minded people rather than outsiders, or people who are in opposite position.
But, it is significant to have them when we think about organizational growth.)

By the way, "DIG DEEP ENOUGH" is very important, when we try to consider about external issues.
What I mean is, for example,let's imagine the case we assume that "Recession is an opportunity".

Then, we need to make perspectives and points clear.
By asking the question starts from W or H, such as;

"What kind of situation caused by recession will be an opportunity for us?"
"How we can approach to the job-less people generated by recession?"
"What will the students gave up to be volunteering overseas because of recession do? How can we try to get them involved by providing alternative opportunities?"


Try to involve the people who can be OUT-GOING in professional manner for our organization,and DIG DEEP ENOUGH about external cause.
Then we'll be able to get benefit from our opportunities and to overcome threats properly.

Oops.I forgot to write one thing.

Believe our strong points and possibility, potential, with keeping our brain cool, and without being egoistic.
This is one of the most important thing.

Because people may start to feel empathy on services/products that we producers can believe that enough excellent to be the change.
Don't be pessimistic too much, take our strength properly too.

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