Learning Activity 1: Analyzing the External and Internal Environments

Important concept of SWOT analysis which is one of the steps in the strategic planning process. Many of you will have a whole capstone course later on related to this topic which will break these down into the following general categories (with even more detail):

You will note that the strengths and weaknesses refer to internal factors and there many different ones to consider such as:

Culture,

Leadership,

Financial, physical, organizational, technological, human, innovative, and reputational resources,

Competitive advantages/disadvantages/parities with respect to competitors, and so on.

Learning Activity 2: Leadership and Motivation

Describe leaders that you have had and how effective and efficient they may or may not have been (if you have not had a great deal of work experience you can describe other leaders you have read about). How did (or didn't) they motivate you? The leaders you describe could be from public or private businesses, government agencies, nonprofit entities, the military or even the sports world. What well known leaders do you admire and not admire and why? Have you been a leader before? If so, what have you done to make those under you perform to their fullest potential? What could you do better as a leader in the future and how could you enhance your skills to accomplish this (you can answer this part even if you weren't a leader).