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THE SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS 

Situational Analysis – Career and/or Educational Issues, SWOT, The Mission and Vision Statements 

Three steps, Parts A, B, and C, will be the main output of the situational analysis. 

Part A:  CAREER AND/OR EDUCATIONAL ISSUES 

Each student must take a hard look at him/herself.  Ask:  Where am I going?  Where am I now?  What choices make sense for me?  In order to assess his/her current situation, each student will pull together some information so that he/she can deal with now and/or with the future in order to make more informed life choices. 

1. Each student must develop a list of seven career and/or educational issues that are affecting his/her life right now OR that could affect his/her life in the next one to three years. How can strategic management help address those issues?  Put the “brainstormed” list in the spaces below the table.  Download “The Strategic Learning Plan” template from the Canvas course site.  Categorize the career and/or educational issues in relation to the probability of occurrence and their significance in life.

Examples of Career and/or Educational Issues:

Issue (1):  I have student loans to pay back of $40,000.

Issue (2):  My computer knowledge is lacking and will keep me from finding a good career position.

Issue (3):  My supervisor is not interested in career development, so I may need to change organizations.

TEMPLATE FOR CAREER AND/OR EDUCATIONAL ISSUES 

(Download the template from the Canvas site.  When working on the form, the “Issue #” boxes will expand as they are being typed.  Place the letter “X” in the column to the right that corresponds to how long the issue should take to resolve.)

In the files

1. After looking at the data, what conclusions can be drawn? How might an individual’s career and/or educational issues affect his/her performance in the course? How can an individual prepare to deal with these kinds of issues? Each student should write a three-paragraph explanation about his/her situation – introduction, body, and conclusion explaining how he/she will handle the seven issues that he/she has listed in the template for career and/or educational issues. There is a link to upload this brief essay on the Canvas version of the assignment. 

Part B:  SWOT ANALYSIS 

Each student needs to do a SWOT analysis of his/her strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. 

Create a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) table.  SWOT stands for:

· S = Strengths (internal self)

· W = Weaknesses (internal self)

· O = Opportunities (external environment)

· T = Threats (external environment) 

A SWOT analysis captures information about an individual’s internal strengths and weaknesses, as well as, the external opportunities and threats that he/she could face today and/or throughout his/her lifetime.  Each student will have more individual control over the “S and W internal self” factors than he/she will over the “O and T external environment” factors.  The key to completing a SWOT analysis is to think of oneself both as an incorporated business – [Your Name, Inc.] and as a “competitive product” in the marketplace.  Each student needs to capitalize on all of his/her career and educational experience(s) and the networking contacts that he/she has already built up to date.  With a SWOT analysis, each student can begin to separate him/herself from his/her peers and/or his/her other competitors.  The goal is to differentiate oneself from other competitors and demonstrate that the individual has a superior competitive advantage – which is why an employer should hire him/her.  To complete a SWOT, it will be necessary to be specific in detail and to provide evidence for the responses, e.g., specific examples/experiences from work, volunteerism, internships, clubs/organizations, and/or course projects. 

Strengths AND Weaknesses: 

Each strength that an individual has is an asset to him/her as a “competitive product” with respect to [Your Name, Inc.] in the marketplace.  Strengths can be used to differentiate an individual from the others in the pack.  Examples of strengths include having strong project management skills, the ability to improve or reengineer work processes, the experience and/or training in presenting to large audiences, and/or proven successful sales abilities.  Strengths also involve connections that an individual might have with influential people. 

Each weakness that an individual has is a liability or an area of opportunity for growth.  Weaknesses can decrease a customer’s perception of an individual as a “competitive product” in the marketplace.  Weaknesses are characteristics (work habits and/or personality characteristics) that an individual can change over time to increase his/her potential to secure future career opportunities.  Examples of weaknesses include a lack of personal organizational skills, being uncomfortable speaking in front of groups, and/or being a poor listener.  Ask yourself if there are key areas where your co-workers and/or other students consistently outperform you.  Be realistic.  Although looking at your weaknesses is an unpleasant task, face and deal with any unpleasant truths as soon as possible. 

With respect to strengths and weaknesses, it is important to address the various types of knowledge and/or skills based on an individual’s workplace experiences and/or educational pursuits.  Examples include core or discipline-related knowledge and skills, as well as, support skills required to perform specific duties and to handle specific responsibilities.  Success in life is a result of using each of your strengths to its fullest potential, while minimizing each of your weaknesses to lessen the problems you face on a day-to-day basis. 

Opportunities AND Threats: 

Enhancing one’s strengths and eliminating one’s weaknesses could open up future career opportunities.  To take full advantage of these potential career opportunities, it is important to know the market demand and/or the trends for entry-level job positions and/or for the industry that an individual is interested in pursuing.  Do some homework and study the marketplace.  Based on a student’s career choice(s), is he/she likely to be in demand?  If not, what kind of a back-up position(s) is available to put food on the table?  Be practical.  Look at formal research, statistics, and/or current citations from relevant and reliable sources, e.g., http://stats.bls.gov/ooh/ (Links to an external site.).  Meaningful and actionable data is helpful (with the appropriate citations) in the SWOT.  Each student should also talk to others in the field(s) that he/she is interested in to complete the strategic plan for CMR 495. 

Concerning opportunities, here are some additional questions that may warrant consideration: 

· Do you have a network of strategic contacts to offer you advice and/or provide assistance?

· If your industry is growing, how can you take advantage of the current marketplace?

· What are the organizations in the industry or industries of your choice failing to offer their customers? Is there a way that you can take advantage of the mistakes?  (Sometimes, the best career opportunities result from customer and/or vendor complaints, and then, offering these individuals a workable solution(s) and/or alternative(s) that will fix the complaints and/or problems.)

· Is there an employee need and/or want that is unfulfilled in the organization(s) and/or the industry that you are interested in working in?

· Have you considered creating a new product and/or service as an entrepreneur? You will need to know what it takes to operate a business from the ground up and/or be willing to learn the ropes in the “School of Hard Knocks.” 

In terms of threats, it is important to understand the strengths and the weaknesses of the competition. 

Begin with the “threats.”  Each student should compare him/herself to the people that he/she may be competing against for his/her first or next career position and/or promotion.  Then, as objectively as possible, judge the threats that may be uncovered and determine a possible way(s) to overcome them.  Here are some examples: 

· Threat: Other candidates have college degrees.

· Opportunity: Go to school and finish a bachelor’s degree.

· Threat: This job requires strong presentation skills in front of groups.

· Opportunity: Take a speech class or join a program (such as Toastmasters) AND actively seek out opportunities to present in front of audiences. 

(Download the template from the Canvas site.  When working on the form, the “SWOT” boxes will expand as they are being typed.  When finished, the SWOT Analysis must be uploaded to Canvas for grading.  Look for the link on the Canvas version of the assignment.) 

In the files

NOTE:  Be sure to explain the content of your SWOT diagram with a brief text (2-3 paragraphs) below the figure.  Without an explanation, the maximum score possible on the SWOT is 48 out of 100 points.

Part C:  DEVELOPING “THE STRATEGIC LEARNING PLAN” 

Each student’s career and/or educational issues can be part of “The Strategic Learning Plan” to complete CMR 495.  “The Strategic Learning Plan” will work in terms of layered boxes -- working down from the top of the pyramid.  The level of detail in the layered boxes tends to increase as an individual moves down the pyramid of “The Strategic Learning Plan.”

1. Crafting Mission and Vision Statements. Do some brief research on the topic and write a short five-paragraph essay (two pages maximum) that teaches someone to undertake this activity.  An individual can learn a lot about a subject by teaching someone else “how” to proceed.  The first paragraph is the introduction.  The second, third, and fourth paragraphs might include steps to follow and/or examples from top leaders in career field(s) and/or people of interest.  The fifth paragraph is the closing or summary where useful advice (could be some advice passed down to you by your parents and/or grandparents) is offered in the form of one’s personal philosophy of “how” to succeed in life.  Everything needs to be tied together in one cohesive unit with a minimum of three academic references.  There is a link to upload this essay to Canvas as an assignment.

Note:  This essay requires support from academic references from the literature. Essays without literature support will receive a maximum of 48 out of 100 possible points.  Note also that the Mission and the Vision Statements are in the first layer of the pyramid. 

1. Create a Mission Statement. A Mission Statement should capture the essence of why someone exists.  It should provide an individual with an overall life direction, convey an image of success in addressing the future, and avoid being so specific that there is no room to change.  A Mission Statement Template to get started thinking about the possibilities might state:

· “To . . . [what you want to achieve, do, or become] . . . so that . . . [reasons why it is important. I will do this by . . . [specific behaviors or actions you can use to get there].”

· “To develop and cultivate the qualities of . . . [two to three values/character traits] . . . that I admire in . . . [an influential person in your life] . . . so that . . . [why you want to develop these qualities].”

1. Create a Vision Statement. A Vision Statement is a snapshot of how others perceive an individual due to the work that he/she has done and the impact that he/she has had on others.  A Vision Statement is the way an individual would like to appear at some point in the future when things are going well.  It is an ideal state that a person should and could aspire to reach later in life.  There should be only one overarching goal.  A Vision statement can be a little more specific than a Mission statement, but it still should leave some room to modify or change plans without totally ruining the statement.  A Vision Statement Template to get started thinking about the possibilities might state:

· “To be known by . . . [an important person/group] . . . as someone who is . . . [qualities you want to have].”

· “To treasure above all else . . . [most important things to you] by . . . [what you can do to live your priorities.].”

1. Create a Values Statement: The Values Statement is the second layer of the pyramid.  Values are an individual’s beliefs.  In other words, what are the guiding principles (three minimum) that an individual might choose to define how he/she wants to conduct his/her career and/or educational pursuits?  What does the individual want his/her reputation to say about him/her?  The values that an individual chooses, and the order of priority of his/her choices, can determine his/her approach to work and life.  Values drive the intent and the direction of “The Strategic Learning Plan.”  A Values Statement Template to get started thinking about the possibilities might state:

· “I value . . . [choose one to three or four values] . . . because . . . [reasons why these values are important to you]. Accordingly, I will . . . [what you can do to live by these values].”

· “To live each day with . . . [choose one to three values or principles] . . . so that . . . [what living by these values will give you].  I will do this by . . . [specific behavior you will use to live by these values].”

1. Outline the Goals and Objectives: The Goals and Objectives, collectively, are in the fourth layer of the pyramid.  Goals and objectives are sometimes used interchangeably, but they have different uses.  The main difference is that goals are less structured, whereas objectives are very structured.

 

Goals are broadly written statements of intent and they are not measurable.  Goals identify where an individual will direct his/her efforts to support achieving the strategic direction.  Goals tend to be long-term activities that you want to accomplish. 

Examples of Goals:

· I want to learn more about Marketing Management.

· I want to create a new product from scratch.

· I want to start my own business. 

Objectives are measurable with specified quantities.  They can achieve by taking specific steps to get there. 

Examples of Objectives:

· I want to increase sales at my business by 10% this month.

· I want to lose 20 pounds by July 1.

· I want to graduate in December. 

1. Schedule the Action Plans and Implementations: The Action Plans and Implementations are in the fifth layer of the pyramid.  These are the key approaches that each student will utilize to help him/her achieve his/her goals and/or objectives.  An Action Plan, defined as specifying a list of action steps, is used to articulate, coordinate, and sequence the activities that will be undertaken in each Initiative.

2. In major work assignments that involve a team, a leader(s) needs to be clear on what needs to be done and when it needs to be done.  The purpose in outlining the needed step-by-step action is to get individuals to plan forward knowing the Goals and/or Objectives, and also, to deal with anticipated contingencies as much as possible.  All dates and times need to be checked for possible schedule conflicts.  Action Plans and Implementations bring a structured approach and discipline to “The Strategic Learning Plan.”

Before each student is finished with the schedule of his/her Action Plans and Implementations, he/she should also check to see if he/she has alignment with the previous levels of the strategic planning model.  Alignment determines what is working and what is not working.  Each student should check to make sure that his/her set of steps to complete the work makes common sense before proceeding to start the work.

It is important to get all parts of the model to work properly together, but keep in mind that Action Steps and Implementations are often routinely changed when the “data” changes prior to taking a specific step.  Sometimes, an incremental trial and error approach works best.  This requires each student to be flexible in completing his/her work.  As more experience is gained over time and/or over implementation, this aspect of routine change may lessen.  Finally, Action Steps and Implementations need to be tight enough in the beginning to handle the deliverables required in the Initiatives, but loose enough to encourage creativity, innovation, and opportunity as the major work assignment unfolds.

Whenever teams are involved in the strategic planning process, the circulation of a draft strategic plan is necessary.  New ideas, new issues, and/or changes in Goals and/or Objectives may require additional discussion.  Therefore, one of the critical steps in strategic planning may be to refine and/or adjust the draft strategic plan before finalizing it.  Check to make sure that everyone on the team agrees with the major Goals and/or Objectives and that they have input in the final stages of the planning process for the Initiative. 

After Thoughts:

Although not mandatory for “The Strategic Learning Plan,” there is one additional step in the strategic planning process that must be considered before the conclusion of the major work assignment.  Whether a project has been successful or is a failure, it is necessary to set Evaluation Check Points.  For future learnings by those involved in a project, the Evaluation Check Points are invaluable to prevent wasted time and/or resources on projects that are not viable and may even need to be cancelled.

So. . . .

Set the Evaluation Check Points:  The final level of the pyramid, the Evaluation Check Points, is a performance measurement level.  The Evaluation Check Points can provide a systematic assessment of each student’s progress as he/she moves through each Initiative in an effort to achieve his/her Goals and/or Objectives for CMR 495.  To receive the highest number of points possible, it is necessary to try to have a non-biased and thorough examination of the project prior to turning it in for evaluation.  Sometimes, this step is hard because the work is like “your baby” and changes can be difficult since there is so much time and effort invested in the project.  Although not required for this major work assignment, each student should complete the checklist prior to turning in each Initiative.  Extra credit points are available for each student sending in a graphic with his/her Evaluation Check Points with “Yes” or “No” statements and an explanation on any open issue(s).