SWOT as a Thinking Tool
A practical reflection on SWOT analysis as a thinking tool. Learn why the classic Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats framework still helps businesses make better strategic decisions in a complex world.
Raymond Sebergsen
Raymond Sebergsen is a self-taught and multidisciplinary problem solver with over 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors – nationally and internationally. His background spans IT, sales, marketing, and product development, including close collaboration with major tech companies in China, India, and Israel. He has also contributed to improvements across a range of other organizations. With a background in local radio and TV, Raymond developed a strong sense of communication and a sharp eye for angles – skills he now actively applies in sales and business development. He thrives at the intersection of technology, strategy, and people, and is particularly skilled at making complex ideas understandable, practical, and valuable. Through his blog Open Mind, he shares insights with a sideways glance and a healthy dose of self-irony.
The Psychology Behind Our Decisions
Your brain often decides before you are aware of it. Emotions, habits, and cognitive biases shape our choices more than logic — and understanding this makes us better decision-makers in both work and life.
Trust Without an Expiry Date
Some leaders praise their employees as “family” — until the day they leave. Then the recognition disappears. This article explores why some leaders devalue former employees, what psychology says about it, and how trust and loyalty should outlast any employment contract.
Microsoft Surprised Me – and Did the Right Thing After All
Microsoft surprised me — in a good way. After I thought Windows 10 had reached the end of the road, they’re now offering one more year of free security updates. A small step for Microsoft, but a big one for trust, sustainability, and user respect.
When Ego Stands in the Way of Results
The ego can be both a driving force and a roadblock. It helps us stand tall – but can also make us stand in our own way, and in the way of the results we’re trying to create.
See the patterns – and use them
We often underestimate how much our experience is really worth. What we learn in one context can often be applied somewhere entirely different—if we only see the patterns. Transferring knowledge isn’t about starting over; it’s about building on what we already know, in a new context.
A Parachute Only Works When It’s Open
We were sitting there, discussing how we see the world — the importance of observing, of never stopping to learn. In the middle of the conversation, a friend suddenly said: “Remember, a parachute only works when it’s open.” It hit…
The Fresh Eye Effect: Why New Eyes See What the Rest of Us Overlook
When you’re new in a job, you notice things others have stopped seeing. Psychology calls it inattentional blindness – I call it the fresh eye effect. Innovation happens when experience meets new eyes, and what we take for granted may turn out to be our greatest resource.
