Leaders can get caught up in visionary strategic planning and lots of new initiatives.
The result can be lots of overwhelming action plans or distractions from continuing “what works.”
Sometimes, instead of an all-out SWOT,
a simple “Start, Stop, Continue” is all you need to do.
Do this: put up 3 pieces of chart paper, one for each word.
Have on hand:
- a calendar of events, activities, or projects that recur
- a list of current projects or initiatives
- job descriptions or lists of daily activities and tasks
As you comb through those lists, you can put them on the “stop” or “continue” sheet — most will end up in the “continue” category.
Discuss any possible “stop” nominations. Most organizations have some dead weight there somewhere, in terms of low-ROI activities.
Then, as your discussions unfold, there will inevitably be times when someone says, “Well, you know what we SHOULD do…”
At that point, you have new ideas to put on the “start” sheet. That way, ideas for new initiatives or ways of doing things arise organically, and not as a result of free-wheeling brainstorming.
There’s a time and a place for SWOT, or all-out strategic planning.
But, just doing a “Stop, Start, Continue” on any scale (consider doing one for your own day-to-day work) can provide renewed focus.
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