Klearyon

    Workshop · Strategy

    SWOT

    See the board clearly: internal vs external, positive vs negative.

    45 minCross-functional leadsBeginner

    Overview

    Why run this workshop

    What is this workshop?

    A 2×2 to see the board clearly: internal Strengths and Weaknesses vs external Opportunities and Threats.

    Why is it valuable?

    Fastest way to align a team on where to press, where to shore up, and where to bet next.

    When should you use it?

    Start of planning cycles or after a major market event.

    What will you achieve?

    A ranked list of SO, ST, WO, WT moves — each with an owner.

    Workshop flow

    How the session unfolds

    1. 1
    2. 2
    3. 3
    4. 4
    5. 5
    6. 6
    7. 7

    Workshop guide

    Facilitator playbook

    01Prepare· 5 min

    Objective

    Set the scope.

    Expected output

    Aligned scope.

    Instructions

    • · Agree what "the company" or "the offer" means for this session.
    02Brainstorm· 15 min

    Objective

    Fill each quadrant silently.

    Expected output

    Full quadrants.

    Instructions

    • · One idea per sticky.
    • · Include evidence where you can.
    03Share· 10 min

    Objective

    Read aloud, quadrant by quadrant.

    Expected output

    A deduplicated 2×2.

    Instructions

    • · Combine duplicates.
    04Group· 10 min

    Objective

    Cluster related items.

    Expected output

    Themed quadrants.

    Instructions

    • · Look for repeat themes.
    05Discuss· 20 min

    Objective

    Find the moves.

    Expected output

    Candidate moves.

    Instructions

    • · SO: how do strengths capture opportunities?
    • · ST: how do strengths defend against threats?
    • · WO: which weaknesses block opportunities?
    • · WT: which weaknesses × threats could kill us?
    06Vote· 5 min

    Objective

    Pick the top 4.

    Expected output

    4 moves.

    Instructions

    • · Dot vote — one per quadrant.
    07Wrap-up· 5 min

    Objective

    Assign owners.

    Expected output

    Owned moves.

    Instructions

    • · Every move gets one owner and a review date.

    Practice exercise

    Apply it now

    Practice worksheet

    SWOT

    Your answers live in your browser during this session. Saving to your project is coming soon.

    Completed example

    What good looks like

    Completed example

    A boutique agency reviewing its Q4

    Strength × Opportunity

    Deep positioning expertise × surge in AI-founded startups → productise a "Positioning-in-a-week" sprint.

    Weakness × Threat

    No junior bench × long project timelines → risk of losing pitches on speed.

    Best practices

    Do this, avoid that

    Do

    • External and internal — don't mix them.
    • One idea per sticky.
    • End with owned moves, not just a filled 2×2.

    Avoid

    • Confusing weaknesses (internal) with threats (external).
    • Producing a 2×2 with 100 stickies and 0 decisions.

    Deliverables

    What participants leave with

    • Filled SWOT
    • 4 named moves with owners

    Continue learning

    Where to go next

    Related frameworks

    Frameworks library
    Strategy Academy

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    Academy lessons

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