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Analytical Thinking: SWOT and TOWS Analysis Dr. Shiba 7 Steps Fishbone Diagram Inversion Technique

The document discusses various analytical thinking strategies such as SWOT, TOWS, and fishbone analyses that break problems down into their constituent parts. It describes techniques like Dr. Shiba's 7 steps model and inversion that help analyze problems by considering causes, solutions, and opposite scenarios. Examples are provided of how to apply SWOT analysis to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for areas like freelancing and business planning.

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Amirul Husaini
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113 views

Analytical Thinking: SWOT and TOWS Analysis Dr. Shiba 7 Steps Fishbone Diagram Inversion Technique

The document discusses various analytical thinking strategies such as SWOT, TOWS, and fishbone analyses that break problems down into their constituent parts. It describes techniques like Dr. Shiba's 7 steps model and inversion that help analyze problems by considering causes, solutions, and opposite scenarios. Examples are provided of how to apply SWOT analysis to evaluate strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for areas like freelancing and business planning.

Uploaded by

Amirul Husaini
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Analytical Thinking

SWOT and TOWS analysis


Dr. Shiba 7 Steps
Fishbone diagram
Inversion technique
What is Analytical Thinking?
• From Greek analyein “a breaking up, a loosening, releasing”
• A process of separating something into its constituent elements.
• In solving a problem or completing a task using analytical thinking, we
break down the problem/task into smaller elements.
• Examples: financial problems, academic problems, setting up a
business, etc.
• We don’t simply start solving the problem or begin the task.
• How would you analyze these problems/task?
Some Strategies in Analytical Thinking
1. SWOT analysis
2. TOWS analysis
3. Dr. Shiba 7 Steps
4. Inversion technique
5. Fishbone diagram

Don’t limit yourself within these strategies. You can create


your own strategy!
SWOT Analysis
by Prof. Albert Humphrey (1960)
• SWOT = Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
• Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors (you can
control).
• Opportunities and threats are external factors (you cannot
control).
• Strengths and opportunities = positive aspects
• Weaknesses and threats = negative aspects
SWOT Analysis
by Prof. Albert Humphrey (1960)
Strengths:
• Your expertise, uniqueness (e.g. money, people, contacts, habits skills,
knowledge, etc.)
• You can ask others to give feedback on your strengths

Weaknesses:
• Things you are bad with, not good at (e.g. lack of resources, bad
habits, etc.)
• These things need to be improved.
SWOT Analysis
by Prof. Albert Humphrey (1960)
Opportunites:
• Visualize possible opportunities in the future.
• E.g. change in policies, internet revolution, economic fluctuation, etc.

Threats:
• Visualize possible problems you will face if you did not keep up with
the changing world.
• E.g. not expecting policy change, not keeping up with technologies,
not anticipating economic changes, etc.
SWOT Analysis
by Prof. Albert Humphrey (1960)

SWOT Analysis of freelancing from https://imtips.co/swot-analysis-freelancer.html


SWOT Analysis
by Prof. Albert Humphrey (1960)

SWOT Analysis of business from https://theintactone.com/2019/02/22/bps-u2-topic-9-swot-analysis/


TOWS Analysis
• TOWS analysis is an extension of SWOT analysis.
• After you have developed your SWOT analysis table, you can create its
TOWS analysis matrix
• Match the opportunities and threats (external) with the strengths and
weaknesses (internal).
• The analysis are:
• How can you use your strengths to take advantage of the opportunities?
• How can you use your strengths to overcome the threats?
• How can you use the opportunities to overcome your weaknesses?
• How can you minimize your weaknesses to minimize the threats?
TOWS Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
S1: … W1: …
S2: … W2: …
S3: … W3: ...
Opportunities S1O1: … W2O1:…
O1: … S1O2: … …
O2: … S3O2: …
O3: … …
Threats S2T3:… W1T1: …
T1: … … W1T2: …
T2: … …
T3: …
TOWS Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
S1: low overheads W1: high workload
S2: quick respond to market change W2: no experience
W3: missing some expertise
Opportunities S2O2: Prepare possible new N/A
O1: market share increasing products for possible market
O2: convertible products to change.
meet new market
Threats S1T1: Increase benefits for business W3T2: Collaborate with some
T1: loyalty of business partner to boost their loyalty competitors to acquire missing
partner expertise.
T2: large competitors
T3: cost of technology
Dr Shiba’s 7 Steps
Dr. Shoji Shiba analyzed a problem into seven components:

1. Definition: Get a clear understanding of the problem/task.


2. Data collection: Gain more information related to the
problem/task.
3. Cause analysis: Based on the data collected, try to answer the
question why the problem occurred.
4. Solution planning: Devise a possible solution based on the
information you acquired.
Dr Shiba’s 7 Steps
5. Evaluation effects: Check whether the solution works or
not. If not, then you have to devise another solution.
6. Standardization: Check if the solution can be generalized
and applied widely.
7. Evaluation of process: Evaluate the whole process of
solving the problem so you can improve in the future.
Fishbone
Diagram
• Basically a “cause and
effect” diagram.
• Analyze multiple causes.
• Each cause can have
multiple levels.
• Enable us to find the root
causes (more than one
cause) of the effect.
Inversion Technique
Considering the opposite of what you want/objective.
“Great thinkers and innovators think forward and backward.”
Some example questions:
• What is the worst thing that could happen?
• What would a terrible manager do?
• What would make our customer hate us?
• What would make this product boring?
• What would distract the workers?
Once you figured out the answers, try and get rid of the obstacles!
Activity: Find a situation and create an inversion question.
References
Lane, R. (2020). Logic and Analytical Thinking.

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