Investopedia defines SWOT Analysis as: “A tool that identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of an organization. Specifically, SWOT is a basic, straightforward model that assesses what an organization can and cannot do as well as its potential opportunities and threats. The method of SWOT analysis is to take the information from an environmental analysis and separate it into internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external issues (opportunities and threats). Once this is completed, SWOT analysis determines what may assist the firm in accomplishing its objectives, and what obstacles must be overcome or minimized to achieve desired results.”
It’s an excellent business tool and an even greater instrument for marriage.
In business, companies perform a SWOT analysis when taking on a new project or beginning a new venture. What if your project or venture was a healthy marriage.
While we shouldn’t operate our marriage as a business, SWOT could be a useful tool in creating awareness and positioning ourselves for long-term marriage success. The first priority for any couple should be creating goals or an objective for the relationship. Those goals are what’s most important to the couple, but should ultimately lead to a marriage of love, peace and joy.
Having a realistic perspective of the current state of your marriage is just the beginning. Recognizing your internal challenges, the ones we have the most control over is next. Lastly, you must determine what external forces exist, as well as the affect they have on your marriage. In order to begin a SWOT Analysis on your marriage, both partners must be involved. Plan some time to discover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of your marriage.
Strengths (Internal) Decide, as a couple, where you are strongest. Are you great communicators? Is there a strong physical and mental attraction? Are you both great with saving money? Recognize your strengths and seek ways to incorporate them into other areas of your marriage.
Weaknesses (Internal) Where are you not as strong? It might be challenging to take an honest assessment of where you fall short as a couple. If you ignore areas needing improvements, you suffer in the long run. If you are not effective communicators, figure out why? Revisit prior conversations and the results. If there are consistent moments of shutting down or yelling, the communication definitely needs a makeover. There are far too many resources and professionals for couples to still struggle in this area. The benefit in the weaknesses is that they are internal and within our control to change. As you navigate through this section, remember this isn’t about pointing out your spouses weaknesses, but actually taking responsibility for your own.
Opportunities (External) When you think about having a healthy marriage, better sex, and great communication, what opportunities are you able to take advantage of now that brings you closer to those goals? If there is a marriage ministry at your church, or other healthy couples around you, spend time with those couples. Anyone who has similar marriage goals will be good for your marriage too.
Threats (External) What will hinder your success as a couple? Although this section is external, we do have the power to eliminate or at the very least minimize our exposure to the threats. Whether it’s other people, including exes or in-laws, our primary focus must be to forsake all others and keep the spotlight on the marriage.
The SWOT Analysis is powerful and has the potential to take your marriage to the next level, which should be every couple’s goal.
BMWK, are you open to performing a SWOT Analysis on your marriage?