Start your disruption planning process here
We have all been taught to do a SWOT (i.e. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities & threats) as part of most planning processes.
It provides a powerful snapshot as to where a business or brand is and where it might go in the future.
But I have found in my role as a facilitator that the SWOT tool can also be useful when just applied to disruption.
It can kickstart any disruption planning process.
Some of the items that you might consider in a Disruption SWOT might include:
Strengths:
– The consumer experience
– Brand positioning, awareness etc
– Financial strengths
– Technology platforms
– Employee hackathons
– Cannibalising existing products
– Innovation programs
– Harnessing internal disruptors
– Disrupting key relationships with partners, suppliers etc
Weaknesses:
– Attitude to risk
– Openness to disruptive ideas
– Awareness of disruptive threats
– Urgency of action
– Consumer experience
– Level of imagination and innovation
– Existing business model
– Attitude to current success — why change (e.g. if it ain’t broke)?
Opportunities:
– The Cloud
– Internet of Things
– Any under-utilised assets that the business can leverage
– Sharing economy
– Social Media
– Investing in Startups or accelerator programs
– Partnering with disruptors
Threats:
– Brands that compete for the same end consumer
– Businesses in an adjacent market
– Brands with amazing consumer experiences
– Businesses with more flexible business models
– Businesses with world class technology or digital capability
These are just come of the aspects of a disruption SWOT a leadership team may consider.
It depends on the business and the market.
But a SWOT is a wonderful tool to start any disruption conversation among the leadership group.