UNIT I - SELF ANALYSIS

SWOT Analysis, Who am I, Attributes, Importance of Self Confidence, Self

Esteem. Ancient Indian wisdom for Self-Development.

A SWOT analysis - or looking at Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and

Threats - is a simple but useful structure for examining any situation or event.
It can be used both on a personal level, and on a business level.

SWOT analysis is particularly helpful in a developmental context because it

allows you to explore the positives and negatives of both you (or your
organisation) and the external environment in a relatively safe and controlled
way. It can therefore be used in career discussions and in strategy discussions
in businesses, where all options can be put on the table and discussed.

How to do SWOT Analysis

As you might expect, SWOT analysis covers four areas: strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and threats. As a general principle:
 Strengths and weaknesses relate to you or your organisation: they are
internal factors; and
 Opportunities and threats relate to the external environment: they are
external factors.
SWOT analysis is often done in a ‘grid’ format, taking a piece of paper and
dividing into four quarters, with one heading in each. This means that you can
see easily which area might be a problem. You can, however, do it just as easily
as a simple list.

1. Strengths
Under ‘strengths’, you need to list things that are unique to you or your
organisation, as these are things that give you an advantage. For the
organisation, they may include:

Intellectual property rights, patents and copyrights;

A cheaper manufacturing process than others;
A source of cheaper or better raw materials;
A quality advantage that others cannot copy;
Relationships with customers built up over time.

2. Weaknesses
Weaknesses can be considered as the areas where you struggle. What don’t
you do as well as your competitors? What factors lose you sales? For example,
is your customer service poor, or are your prices higher than your competitors
although you are offering a very similar product?
Again, it is worth considering both your own views and those of your customers
(and potential or lost customers). Finding out what lost customers think may
need some market research.
3. Opportunities
Identifying opportunities requires you to look outwards and also into the future
a little. What is on the horizon that you may be able to take advantage of to
gain a competitive advantage?

Possible opportunities include:

New technologies and/or changes in the market that you may be able to exploit
faster than your competitors;
Global changes such as lifestyle changes, population movements, and political
shifts that may affect your customers’ views and how they wish to buy or
behave;
Changes in regulation or political opinions that you need to consider early; and
Local or national events that you could use as a selling opportunity or a way to
raise your profile.
Opportunities may require you to change to take advantage of them (for
example, you may need to recruit new staff, or develop new skills). As you
identify opportunities, it is therefore also worth highlighting anything that you
would need to do to exploit them fully.

4. Threats
Threats include anything that could harm your business, or damage your
position in the market. They therefore include:
 Changes to government regulations that could make it harder to do
business or eliminate an advantage you currently hold;
 Changes in your competitors that could enable them to catch and/or
overtake you;
 Financial issues that might prevent you taking advantage of
opportunities (for example, excess debt, or controlling shareholders);
 Changes in the market or more widely that could threaten your position
(for example, new technology that opens up new ways to do business).

When to use SWOT analysis

You can use SWOT analysis in several ways, and with several purposes. For
example:

It is a useful ice-breaker and starting exercise in any strategic planning,

because it gets everyone thinking about the organisation along the same lines,
and with a common understanding of the problems and advantages that they
face.
It can be used to surface hidden issues and problems in a ‘safe’ way, because
its structure requires discussion about problems and weaknesses.
It can be used to discuss one or more very specific problems and identify the
way forward.
It is also useful in thinking generally about a change in strategy and ‘where
shall we go next?’ questions.
You can also use it to think about your competitors, and analyse their position
to show where you could take advantage.

How do I do self analysis?

Before You Begin Writing Your Self-Evaluation
1 Know how the self-evaluation is going to be used. ...
2 Write out a list of your accomplishments. ...
3 Gather analytics if you can. ...
4 Write out a list of your struggles. ...
5 Narrow your accomplishments list down. ...
6 Don't forget to align your review with your manager's or team's goals.

What attributes explain?

In general, an attribute is a property or characteristic. Color, for example, is an
attribute of your hair. In using or programming computers, an attribute is a
changeable property or characteristic of some component of a program that can
be set to different values.

Types of Attributes in ER Model

An attribute is a property or characteristic of an entity. An entity may contain
any number of attributes. One of the attributes is considered as the primary
key. In an Entity-Relation model, attributes are represented in an elliptical
shape. 
Example: Student has attributes like name, age, roll number, and many more.
To uniquely identify the student, we use the primary key as a roll number as it
is not repeated. Attributes can also be subdivided into another set of
attributes. 
There are five such types of attributes: Simple, Composite, Single-valued,
Multi-valued, and Derived attribute. One more attribute is their, i.e. Complex
Attribute, this is the rarely used attribute. 
Simple attribute : 
An attribute that cannot be further subdivided into components is a
simple attribute. 
Example: The roll number of a student, the id number of an employee. 
Composite attribute : 
An attribute that can be split into components is a composite attribute. 
Example: The address can be further split into house number, street
number, city, state, country, and pin code, the name can also be split
into first name middle name, and last name. 
Single-valued attribute : 
The attribute which takes up only a single value for each entity instance
is a single-valued attribute. 
Example: The age of a student. 
 Multi-valued attribute : 
The attribute which takes up more than a single value for each entity
instance is a multi-valued attribute. 
Example: Phone number of a student: Landline and mobile. 
Derived attribute : 
An attribute that can be derived from other attributes is derived
attributes. 
Example: Total and average marks of a student. 
Complex attribute : 
Those attributes, which can be formed by the nesting of composite and
multi-valued attributes, are called “Complex                 Attributes“.
These attributes are rarely used in DBMS (DataBase Management
System). That’s why they are not so popular.

What are attributes theory?

An attribute refers to the quality of a characteristic. The theory of attributes
deals with qualitative types of characteristics that are calculated by using
quantitative measurements. Therefore, the attribute needs slightly different
kinds of statistical treatments, which the variables do not get.

What is the importance of self confident?

Confidence helps us feel ready for life's experiences. When we're confident,
we're more likely to move forward with people and opportunities — not back
away from them. And if things don't work out at first, confidence helps us try
again. It's the opposite when confidence is low.

The Importance of Self Confidence

To achieve even the smallest of goals, and to get through life's daily duties and
responsibilities, you have to have some self-confidence. The importance of
developing a self-confident attitude allows you to wade through the push and
pull of different voices and opinions telling you, "yes, no, maybe, do this, do
that", etc. Relying on other people to guide you and following their opinions
robs you of your individuality, makes you unsure of yourself and can lead to
depression.

Definition
Self-confidence is an attitude that you hold about yourself that allows you to
move forward and achieve your goals. An article on self-confidence from the
counseling center at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign defines self-
confidence as having a positive attitude, but with realistic views. They note that
a self-confident person has a general sense of control of her own life, and can
do what she wishes, plans and expects. Self-confidence means that even if
things don't go your way, you still believe that eventually, somehow, some way,
they will.

Developing Self-Confidence
The University of Illinois article notes that your parents may have instilled self-
confidence in you by encouraging self-reliance and giving you love even when
you made mistakes. If you did not have your parents' help, you can accomplish
this yourself. Anthony Robbins states in his book, "Awaken the Giant Within,"
that developing his confidence comes from mastering his ability to feel certain
that he really could achieve something. His rule is, "If I decide to be confident,
then I'll feel that way toward anything, and my confidence will help me
succeed."

Visualize
Sitting quietly with your eyes closed and mentally visualizing yourself in great
detail as a confident person is a great way to start being confident. In his book,
"Unleash the Champion," Denny Dicke says that visualizing is the most
effective tool for building confidence and belief. After repeatedly visualizing
yourself being and acting confident, and achieving what you wish by
confidently going after it, Dicke notes that when it does come time to move with
confidence, you will act confidently because your mind sees this as familiar
ground.

Overcoming Negative Thoughts

There are several strategies to overcoming those negative thoughts that keep
you trapped in lack of confidence. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
article cites four tips. First, emphasize strengths by giving yourself credit.
Second, take risks by looking at new experiences as a chance to learn, not win
or lose. Third, use self-talk by stopping in the middle of a negative thought,
and reframing it with a positive thought or words. Fourth self-evaluation allows
you to gain a stronger sense of self, and stop giving away your personal power
to others.

Move Forward With Confidence

Becoming self-confident does not mean you are unrealistic about yourself and
your situation. You understand that you are not Superman, but being
confident means still moving forward toward your goal achievement and
desires even when things don't seem to be going your way. Using positive self-
talk such as that of 1992 Olympic gold medal winner in singles tennis, Jennifer
Capriati who said to herself, "I can do this! I am the best!", can really help get
you through times of doubt, and help you to maintain that feeling of self-
confidence.

What Is Self-Esteem?
In psychology, the term self-esteem is used to describe a person's overall
subjective sense of personal worth or value. In other words, self-esteem may be
defined as how much you appreciate and like yourself regardless of the
circumstances. Your self-esteem is defined by many factors including:
  Self-confidence
 Feeling of security
 Identity
 Sense of belonging
 Feeling of competence
Other terms that are often used interchangeably with self-esteem include self-
worth, self-regard, and self-respect.

Why Self-Esteem Is Important

Self-esteem impacts your decision-making process, your relationships, your
emotional health, and your overall well-being. It also influences motivation, as
people with a healthy, positive view of themselves understand their potential
and may feel inspired to take on new challenges. People with healthy self-
esteem:

 Have a firm understanding of their skills

 Are able to maintain healthy relationships with others because
they have a healthy relationship with themselves
 Have realistic and appropriate expectations of themselves and their
abilities
 Understand their needs and are able to express them
People with low self-esteem tend to feel less sure of their abilities and may
doubt their decision-making process. They may not feel motivated to try novel
things because they don’t believe they're capable of reaching their goals. Those
with low self-esteem may have issues with relationships and expressing their
needs. They may also experience low levels of confidence and feel unlovable
and unworthy.

People with overly high self-esteem may overestimate their skills and may feel
entitled to succeed, even without the abilities to back up their belief in
themselves. They may struggle with relationship issues and block themselves
from self-improvement because they are so fixated on seeing themselves as
perfect.

Factors That Affect Self-Esteem

There are many factors that can influence self-esteem. Your self-esteem may be
impacted by:
Age
Disability
Genetics
Illness
Physical abilities
Socioeconomic status
Thought patterns

Healthy Self-Esteem
There are some simple ways to tell if you have healthy self-esteem. You
probably have healthy self-esteem if you:
 Avoid dwelling on past negative experiences
Believe you are equal to everyone else, no better and no worse
Express your needs
Feel confident
Have a positive outlook on life
Say no when you want to
See your overall strengths and weaknesses and accept them
Having healthy self-esteem can help motivate you to reach your goals, because
you are able to navigate life knowing that you are capable of accomplishing
what you set your mind to. Additionally, when you have healthy self-esteem,
you are able to set appropriate boundaries in relationships and maintain a
healthy relationship with yourself and others.

Low Self-Esteem
Low self-esteem may manifest in a variety of ways. If you have low self-esteem:
You may believe that others are better than you.
You may find expressing your needs difficult.
You may focus on your weaknesses.
You may frequently experience fear, self-doubt, and worry.
You may have a negative outlook on life and feel a lack of control.4
You may have an intense fear of failure.
You may have trouble accepting positive feedback.
You may have trouble saying no and setting boundaries.
You may put other people's needs before your own.
You may struggle with confidence.
Low self-esteem has the potential to lead to a variety of mental health
disorders, including anxiety disorders and depressive disorders. You may also
find it difficult to pursue your goals and maintain healthy relationships. Having
low self-esteem can seriously impact your quality of life and increases your risk
for experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Excessive Self-Esteem
Overly high self-esteem is often mislabeled as narcissism, however there are
some distinct traits that differentiate these terms. Individuals with narcissistic
traits may appear to have high self-esteem, but their self-esteem may be high
or low and is unstable, constantly shifting depending on the given situation.6
Those with excessive self-esteem:
May be preoccupied with being perfect
May focus on always being right
May believe they cannot fail
May believe they are more skilled or better than others
May express grandiose ideas
May grossly overestimate their skills and abilities

How to Improve Self-Esteem

Fortunately, there are steps that you can take to address problems with self-
esteem. Some actions that you can take to help improve your self-esteem
include:

 Become more aware of negative thoughts. Learn to identify the distorted

thoughts that are impacting your self-worth.
 Challenge negative thinking patterns. When you find yourself engaging in
negative thinking, try countering those thoughts with more realistic
and/or positive ones.
 Use positive self-talk. Practice reciting positive affirmations to yourself.7
 Practice self-compassion.
 Practice forgiving yourself for past mistakes and move forward by
accepting all parts of yourself.
Low self-esteem can contribute to or be a symptom of mental health disorders,
including anxiety and depression. Consider speaking with a doctor or therapist
about available treatment options, which may include psychotherapy (in-
person or online), medications, or a combination of both.

What is self-development?
It is difficult to give a short, succinct definition of self-development. Perhaps a
more useful approach will be to examine some of its characteristics.

One of these is that it involves the individual in thinking for him or herself. We
can apply this principle here, by asking you, the reader, to think for yourself,
to use your own experience to work out your own ideas.

To help you, we will provide a structure for this process. This reflects another
principle of self-development namely that working things out for yourself can
often be made easier by the intervention of someone else, in the form of
questions, structures for thinking and feedback. Thus, you often need other
people to help with your self-development.

First, then, take a piece of paper and write down six or seven key
developmental events in your life. That is, things that happened, experiences
that in your opinion led you to develop in some way. These events - which can
be from your worklife, your private life, or a mixture - may have been very short
or, in some cases, may have lasted quite a time, such as several months. As
long as you can recognise them as definite, separate happenings, then that is
fine.
Self-development processes
Development by self
It will be useful now to return to your personal version of figure 2, in which you
wrote down the characteristics of some of your key developmental events.
So far we have concentrated on the outcomes of these events (column 2),
thence looking at ideas about development of self. Now we can look at the
processes involved, by considering what you wrote in column 3 of the table.
As with the outcomes column, the entries in this one will, of course, vary from
person to person. Some examples from other managers include:
- solving a problem;
- working out the answer for myself;
- trying out a new way of doing something;
- thinking about something that has happened;
- giving up old ideas;
- taking a risk;
- working through a deep emotion, such as disappointment, grief;
- facing up to a new challenge;
- reading;
 - obtaining information and using it;
- applying a new idea.
One thing that these have in common - as, probably, will your entries - is that
they are basically active. True, the activity may be as much mental as physical,
but none the less the person is personally involved. He or she is not passively
being told things, given instructions.