Knowledge Is Power!

Based on Research

160 Key Business Questions is based on research conducted on organizations that reported achieving extraordinary results using success strategies such as

Change Management

Total Quality Management

Business Process Reengineering.

How Do I UseThe Questions To Determine Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats?

• Ask them straight up as questions
• focus discussions and to provide a framework for priorities and action plans
• explain - functions, strategies
• facilitate - recruiting, effecting change, new employee orientation
• identify critical issues
• for personal effectiveness - find out the answer then pose the problem
• as motivators - to challenge and stimulate teams
• Answer these questions and you will have the key to personal growth and success for your business.
• There are literally dozens of effective uses you will find for the questions, because these aren't just any questions...

They are a carefully compiled list of KEY questions...
... questions that drive to the core of organizational behavior...
... questions that demand to be answered if you want to soar with the eagles...

Who Can Benefit
From This List Of
Critical Questions?

Family Business Owners Use SWOT ANALYSIS to

• differentiate family issues from business issues – are you a family first business or a business first family?
• explain business functions and strategies to family members who are stakeholders in the business but who do not work in the business.
• facilitate the “formalization” of business functions and controls – establishing better processes for the entire management team.
• encourage personal growth and development by researching and gaining a better understanding of each of these questions and the “cause and effect” relationships to your business.
• facilitate the recruiting process for members of your Advisory Board or your Board of Directors.
• develop agendas for family business retreats.
• gain a better understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of your organization.
• as part of your succession planning process – to set goals and action plans that will ensure the survivability of the business.
• when preparing to do a business valuation – to learn what factors that would increase or enhance the value of your business.
• when doing new employee orientations – to explain how your family values impact the decision-making process in your company.

Senior Executives Use SWOT ANALYSIS to

• select discussion topics when coaching or mentoring junior executives – especially those who might be on a fast track.
• encourage employee feed-back from different levels and departments in your company.
• as a foundation to explore new initiatives – “What do you think of the idea of conducting a ‘customer satisfaction’ survey and how would we go about setting it up”?
• develop a framework for developing priorities and action plans.
• as a diagnostic tool in developing change management strategies.
• when interviewing candidates for key management positions.

Junior Executives / Middle Managers Use SWOT ANALYSIS to

• as a blueprint in your career development strategy – asking questions when you know the answer!
• bring critical issues to the attention of senior management “why don't we do a better job….”
• gain a better understanding of how senior managers feel about various issues and to measure their individual commitment to corporate goals and strategies.
• develop your leadership skills within your department.
• identify topics or business tactics where you need additional study.
• identify high visibility projects that would enhance your resume.
• when transiting from college course to real world situations.

Consultants & Advisors Use SWOT ANALYSIS to

• as a diagnostic tool with new or potential clients.
• defense against scope-creep in consulting engagements.
• develop inter-disciplinary teams.
• as a training guide when doing organizational development projects.
• in helping your client prioritize issues and to enable you to gain a better understanding of your client’s expectations.

Job Search and Employment Interview Candidates Use SWOT ANALYSIS to

• focus and highlight skills and experience when preparing resume.
• craft headlines for action items in resume "cover letters".
• help in structuring letters seeking to schedule interviews.
• aid in "scripting" sound bites for use in telephone interviews.
• facilitate the dissemination of personal/professional information when networking.
• establish your compatibility to company values and management style.
• control the interview process by asking questions not merely answering them.
• connect your broad base of general management experience to new job or business environments.
• better articulate personal performance characteristics and capabilities when switching or changing career fields.
• create a "dynamic impression" with peers and subordinates when starting a new job or assignment.

Students Use SWOT ANALYSIS to

• structuring and preparing reports...
• ... in your part time job
• And take it with you to your first management job

160 KEY BUSINESS QUESTIONS makes SWOT ANALYSIS Effective and Convenient!

• Compiled in 2 popular and easy formats...

  1. Adobe's convenient and widely used PDF format, ready for instant download, all you need is Adobe Acrobat Reader, which you likely have already. If not, it can be downloaded in moments for FREE at www.adobe.com.>;

  2. simple text file that can be used with almost any text editor or word processo.

• No graphics or font changes, so you can cut and paste the questions you need immediately and put them to work in your memos, reports, agendas... reorganize and group the questions to meet your needs!

• Create different sub-sets for different departments!

Additional Tips for Using 160 Key Business Questions

Business Owners - Have a management meeting coming up and need a lively and thought provoking discussion topic to "light a fire"?

Senior Executives - annual review coming up with a promising junior manager?

Middle Managers - new employee starting and you want to get them off to a rousing start?

Consultants and Advisors - meetings seem to lack focus and fire - not sure that everyone even has a song sheet - let along singing from the same one?

The Wizard's 160 Key Business Questions will give you that topic, that reminder, that exciting point to focus on...

in just a few minutes...