On the Use and Abuse of SWOT Diagrams

In my previous posts, I’ve discussed Burja Maps as a complement to Wardley Maps and other tools for assessing the strategic landscape. Juxtaposing different kinds of analyses (or the same tool used in multiple contexts) allows for a more thorough and accurate assessment of the landscape.

In this post, I’ll talk about one tool that is surprisingly useful in combination with Burja Maps: the lowly SWOT diagram. Early in Simon’s book, he has a rather amusing example of the misuse of SWOT diagrams: what if Themistocles had used a SWOT diagram rather than a map in searching for a way to thwart the Persians?

“Now, ask yourself, what do you think would be more effective in combat — a strategy built upon an understanding of the landscape or a SWOT diagram?”

Read the rest here…