Framework

The WAITRONS Framework

WAITRONS is an 8-lens strategic diagnostic designed to stare the truth in the face and convert it into an operational plan.

It fixes the usual problem with SWOT: lots of talk, not enough execution. Each lens forces a different kind of honesty about where you stand and what you are actually prepared to do next.

The 8 Lenses

WAITRONS looks at the organization from eight angles so you do not get trapped in a single narrative. Each lens captures a different part of reality and feeds into one coherent plan.

W

Weaknesses

Where you are exposed, under-resourced, or underperforming. The friction, gaps, and vulnerabilities that quietly tax execution.

A

Advantages

Capabilities and assets where you genuinely out-perform others. The edges you should lean into instead of diluting.

I

Issues

Active problems blocking progress right now. Items that are already on fire, not theoretical risks.

T

Threats

External risks that could hit you over the next 1–3 years. Competitive, regulatory, economic, or technological shifts.

R

Resources

People, budget, data, and technology you actually have to work with, not just what appears on org charts and slides.

O

Opportunities

Realistic ways to grow revenue, margin, or capability. Openings you can credibly pursue with the resources you have.

N

Needs

Gaps you must close for the business to function and grow. Structural needs that keep showing up across lenses.

S

Strengths

What you can reliably lean on to execute the plan. Teams, assets, and capabilities that consistently perform.

How a WAITRONS Analysis Is Done

The process is fast, structured, and deliberately blunt. The goal is not a pretty wall of sticky notes. The goal is a defensible execution roadmap.

  1. Step 1 – Gather reality: Pull in data, interviews, and existing plans. No sanitizing, no marketing polish.
  2. Step 2 – Sort into lenses: Tag every observation into one or more of the eight lenses.
  3. Step 3 – Find patterns: Look for clusters, contradictions, and cross-lens tensions.
  4. Step 4 – Define initiatives: Translate patterns into specific moves with clear owners.
  5. Step 5 – Build the 3-Year Plan: Sequence initiatives across Year 1, 2, and 3 with realistic pacing.

What you walk away with

The result is not a diagram you forget about a week later. It is a ranked, time-phased roadmap tied directly to the issues and opportunities you surfaced:

  • Initiatives mapped back to specific weaknesses, threats, and opportunities.
  • A realistic view of what resources you actually have to deploy.
  • A 3-year sequence that makes Year 1 brutally clear.

See WAITRONS in Action