What type of analysis helps avoid pursuing unachievable goals?

SWOT analysis stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats analysis. This strategic tool enables organizations to critically evaluate both internal attributes (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats) that can impact achieving their goals. By using SWOT analysis, an organization can identify areas where it excels, potential challenges it may face, and the opportunities available in the market.

This holistic overview allows decision-makers to set realistic and achievable goals based on a clear understanding of the context within which they operate. For example, recognizing weaknesses or external threats can help an organization avoid pursuing goals that are not feasible, thus preventing wasted resources and efforts. In this way, SWOT analysis serves as a useful framework for guiding strategic planning and ensuring that the organization focuses its energy on attainable objectives, aligning its ambitions with actual capabilities and market conditions.

The other options, including risk assessment, market analysis, and cost-benefit analysis, have different focuses that may not directly address the identification of unachievable goals in the same comprehensive manner as SWOT analysis.