2014 Presidential Address: A SWOT Analysis of the Society of Pediatric Psychology

Businesses, community agencies, and project teams of many kinds have increasingly used a strategy planning tool that guides a systematic review of internal and external strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) that may influence the success of an organization or its mission. This article is intended to stimulate a discourse about what a SWOT analysis reveals about the Society of Pediatric Psychology and to interpret its implications for the achievement of the Society’s strategic plan as well as several society initiatives that are in early stages of implementation. The article summarizes the Society’s strategic plan, then introduces the principles and practice of SWOT analysis and concludes by applying this framework to the Society of Pediatric Psychology, based on the perspectives of current leadership of the organization. Careful application of SWOT analysis to the society’s structure, processes, and functions may help to identify new initiatives, guide the organization’s planning, build upon identified strengths of the organization, and anticipate and address identified barriers to achievement of the organization’s strategic plan. Because the future of the organization rests with the eventual contributions of its current students and trainees, a solid overview of where the society has been and where it is headed may help them to make valuable contributions to the organization earlier in their career paths. A periodic repetition of a SWOT analysis of the society may permit a longitudinal evaluation of the organization’s performance in identifying and responding to threats and opportunities that may affect the future vitality of our profession.