The Changing Environment

"It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change"
Charles Darwin

People and organisations are more likely to thrive when they are adaptable and embrace change. This means being aware of the environment you are operating in.

The PESTEL/SWORT framework is a tool you can use to analyse the factors that may have an impact on your organisation’s situation and performance. It helps us to understand and adapt to the environments we operate in, including factors outside our control.

PESTEL is an acronym that stands for Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal factors.

A SWORT analysis allows you to examine the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Risks/Threats (internal and external).

Attached is a template for the SWORT analysis. Use this tool to understand these considerations in the changing environment so that you can identify new opportunities for change. You may like to watch this short video that explains SWORT (just over 6 minutes).