OverviewConduct a personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis.Note: Developing a strategic plan requires specific steps that need to be executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in order and should be completed in sequence.ContextThe goal of any strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis is to identify the internal and external factors that are key in achieving the objective. Organizations use SWOT as part of the development of the strategies and plans that will help the organization achieve its goals. In this way, a SWOT analysis helps the organization carve a sustainable niche in its market. A SWOT analysis can also be useful in a personal context. It can help you understand and manage your strengths as well as your weaknesses and avoid possible threats that could prevent you from moving forward.After an organization has completed a SWOT analysis, it will carefully monitor both the internal and external environments to detect signs of opportunities and threats that could affect current and future plans. This environmental scanning can help an organization identify trends that are most likely to affect the industry, thereby allowing the development of a strategy for change. The right information, at the right time, can determine the future of an organization.Questions to ConsiderTo deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.How do your strengths compare with those of the people around you? Do you all have similar strengths? When does a strength become a necessity?How might a perceived weakness be used to open up new opportunity?ResourcesSuggested Resources Simoneaux, S. L., & Stroud, C. L. (2011). SWOT analysis: The annual check-up for a business. Journal of Pension Benefits: Issues in Administration, 18(3), 75–78.Coman, A., & Ronen, B. (2009). Focused SWOT: Diagnosing critical strengths and weaknesses. International Journal of Production Research, 47(20), 5677–5689.Nelson, E., Loomis, H., & Bergdorf, G. (2012). Tri-Mode Systems: Continuity issues in a lifestyle business case study. Journal of Management Policy and Practice, 13(1), 26–38. Pearce, J. A., & Robinson, R. B. (2013). Strategic management (13th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill.Assessment InstructionsNote: Developing a strategic plan requires specific steps that need to be executed in a sequence. The assessments in this course are presented in order and should be completed in sequence.Conduct a personal strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis. In your analysis, consider the following:StrengthsWhat advantages do you have that others do not (skills, education, experience, certifications)?What achievements are you most proud of?What do you do better than anyone else?What do you think others would see as your strengths?Do you have special connections that others may not have?What personal resources do you have available?Be sure to consider how others see you—not just how you see yourself.WeaknessesAre there tasks you avoid doing because you do not feel confident doing them?Do you have any negative work habits (often late, disorganized, easily stressed)?Do you feel confident about your skills, experience, and education?Do you have any personality traits that might hold you back? For example, do you have a fear of public speaking, yet work where you are expected to conduct regular meetings?Again, consider how others see you.OpportunitiesDo you have a network of influential contacts that can help or offer advice?Is there a need in your company or industry that no one else has been able to fill?Are there trends in your company that you can use to your advantage?Can you offer solutions to problems within your company?ThreatsWhat kind of obstacles are you facing at work?Are there co-workers/colleagues competing with you for positions or projects?Has the nature of your job changed?Does technology pose a threat to your position?Do any of your weaknesses pose a threat?What threats to your overall plan are there?Once you have completed your SWOT analysis, identify strategies that you can use to capitalize on your strengths and open up opportunities, and address ways you can minimize areas of weakness and eliminate threats. Consider asking a trusted peer or friend to review your SWOT analysis and provide you with honest feedback. Analyze the feedback you receive and include that analysis in your assessment. Were there aspects of the feedback that surprised you?To successfully complete this assessment, you may need to do some research on writing a SWOT analysis. Format this assessment as a research paper following current APA guidelines for both style and citing sources, making sure that you also use correct grammar and mechanics. There is no required minimum or maximum page length; however, you should strive to be as detailed as possible in addressing each bullet point, while also being as clear and concise as possible.SWOT Analysis Scoring GuideCRITERIADISTINGUISHEDWrite coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.Writing is coherent, using evidence to support a central idea in a consistently appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics.Analyze strengths to determine competitive advantages.Analyzes strengths to determine competitive advantages; provides examples of how strengths can be used as a competitive advantage.Analyze weaknesses to determine areas for improvement.Analyzes weaknesses to determine areas for improvement; provides examples of how areas of weakness may be improved.Analyze opportunities that may be leveraged for competitive advantage.Analyzes opportunities that may be leveraged for competitive advantage; provides examples of how opportunities may be leveraged for competitive advantage.Analyze threats to competitive advantage.Analyzes threats to competitive advantage; provides examples of how threats may affect competitive advantage.Describe strategies to use SWOT analysis to improve competitive advantage.Analyzes strategies to use SWOT analysis to improve competitive advantage.

Reliable Underwriters DiscussionPlease read the case and answer the questions at the end. Please respond to two of your peers. Do you agree or disagree?Please respond by 9/8/2021 so I can send you my peers posts. Reliable Underwriters is a risk management firm that provides insurance services to large organizations. Part of its operation is a claims-processing center that employs 156 clerical workers. These workers interact with clients to answer questions and provide information about the status of claims. Reliable has a corporate objective of obtaining the highest possible customer satisfaction ratings. However, recent customer satisfaction surveys suggest that some of the clerical workers are not adequately meeting clients' needs.As part of an initiative to increase customer satisfaction, the management team of the claims processing center has decided to change the performance appraisal process. In the past, ratings have been made on a 5-point scale. A score of 5 represented outstanding performance, a score of 1 represented unacceptable performance, and a score of 3 represented average performance. Last year, 135 employees received a score of 4. Only 3 received a score of 5, and only 2 received the lowest rating. Since almost everyone receives the same rating, employees in the claims-processing center have little concern about being evaluated. For the most part, they see performance appraisal simply as a nuisance. However, the newly proposed process will create major changes.The main change will be the use of forced distribution. Each supervisor must rate at least 20 percent of employees as outstanding and at least 10 percent as unacceptable. This forced distribution is expected to clearly identify top performers. Low performers will also be identified and encouraged to either improve or seek employment elsewhere.Questions:Do you predict that the forced distribution will increase customer satisfaction? Why or why not?Which clerical workers do you think will most strongly oppose the change?How do you think supervisors will react to the proposed change?What problems with contamination and deficiency could occur with the forced distribution ratings?