GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES: When external opportunities (e.g. aging population) meet internal strengths (e.g. services to seniors) the organization is well-positionned to grow and develop new products or services for existing markets or to take existing products and services to new markets. Sometimes it puts organizations in position to do both, that is to take new products or services to new clients!
DEFENSIVE STRATEGIES: The scariest scenario can be the unhappy convergence of a major internal weakness with a real external threat. (Many non-profits recently faced this reality as governments cut back funding and they had no internal capacity to do fund-raisng from other sources.) Many had to respond by hiring professional fund-raisers and or restructuirng their boards to attract volunteers with fund-raising strengths.
PARTNERING STRATEGIES: When an external opportunity is presented to an organization without an internal capacity to respond, one option is to let the opportunity pass. However, there are other options. This is where alliances, mergers, acquisitions and partnering arrangements with complimentary organizations may allow your organization to take advantage of the opportunity. Rural credit unions have used this strategy to access urban markets.
OFFENSIVE STRATEGIES: When an external threat (e.g. Walmart comes to town) comes up against an internal strength (e.g. a large base of loyal customers), some organizations fight back and win by pushing those strengths to the extreme.
WORKSHEETS: To download Adobe versions of a competitor assessment worksheet cllick here, or a strategic choice making worksheet click here.
