SOAR Analysis

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SOAR Analysis

Great topics from everyone here.
I have found that for most groups, when conducting SWOT analysis, there is a tendency to spend the bulk of the time addressing the negatives (Weaknesses and Threats). The reason for this is that our brains register negative events, experiences etc much more strongly than positive and as a result we spend more time discussing how to minimize the negatives rather than maximize the strengths in order to take advantage of opportunities.
That's why over the last few years I have shifted away from SWOT (although I still use it in some settings) and first use SOAR (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations and Results). This comes out of Appreciative Inquiry. I don't want to ignore the negatives but the fact is we too naturally address the negatives and deal with them.
So for strategic planning purposes SOAR analysis can help shifting to a focus on the positive before addressing the concerns raised by weaknesses and threats.
Thoughts welcome.

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		3 Sridhar Gopal Management Consultant, India
	Liked This SOAR I concur with the idea that the application of SWOT has been considerably diluted over a period of time and more effective tools are emerging that can be applied in specific contexts. Your SOAR approach - not often heard here - provokes my thinking and I am considering applying it in specific contexts of my practice. Thanks for sharing this here, Paul!

		2 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	The SOAR Tool versus SWOT Analysis Compared to SWOT analysis, SOAR is aimed more at involving more people at all levels of the organization and its focus is on what the company is already doing well. SOAR aims to bring the experience and hopes of people from all functional areas and levels of your firm into the strategy development process. SOAR is therefore a more collaborative and optimistic tool than SWOT which is typically management-led and more balanced. S - Strengths: What are our greatest strengths? What makes us proud? O - Opportunities: What are our best opportunities? How do we make sense of the opportunities in our environment? A - Aspirations: What is our preferred future? What do we care deeply about? R - Results: What are the (measurable) results that will tell us we've achieved our vision of the future? How do we know we are succeeding? Reference: Stavros, J. M., & Cole, M. L. (2013). "SOARing towards positive transformation and change". The ABAC ODI Visions.Action.Outcome., 1(1), 10-34.

		1 Anonymous
	SOAR Analysis Steps I found the following approximate steps for a SOAR analysis: Step 1: Identify who will participate and determine the format and frequency of meetings (One large summit? A series of shorter meetings?). Participants should represent all levels of the organization or team and all its functional areas. Step 2: Create an interview questionnaire or guide For gathering information about strengths, perspectives, and aspirations of employees and key stakeholders. Step 3: Under strengths, engage employees and other stakeholders—including policy makers and other community partners, if appropriate— To discover the conditions that created the organization's greatest successes. Ask powerful, positive questions to generate images of possibility and potential. Step 4: Under opportunities, reframe rather than ignore threats, weaknesses, or problems. Discussion should focus on "what we want" rather than "what we don't want." Step 5: Summarize the organization's positive core, which is its unique strengths, resources, capabilities, and assets. Step 6: Under aspirations, identify aspirations and desired results that create a compelling vision of the future using the best of the past and that also inspire and challenge the status quo. Step 7: Under results, decide which opportunities have the most potential. Step 8: Write goal statements for each of these strategic opportunities and identify measures that will help track the organization's successes. Step 9: Plan actions and implement the plan for each identified goal.

		1 Lucila Sotomayor Strategy Consultant, Mexico
	Positive Experience Using the SOAR Tool @Jaap de Jonge: We used the SOAR Analysis to design our 2025 vision. It was a very rewarding experience. Lucila Sotomayor.

		1 Jaap de Jonge Editor, Netherlands
	Experiences with SOAR Analysis Tool @Lucila Sotomayor: That's interesting… Could you please add some more details - like what you (dis)liked about the SOAR analysis you experienced? Thank you!