As a Certified Strategy Professional ‘CSP’, you are expected to master key strategic analysis and development tools and techniques. Among the most common and widely used frameworks is McKinsey 7S model.
The 7S model of McKinsey is one the most used and quoted frameworks for strategic analysis, created back in 1980s and still widely adopted till today. It basically helps you assess your environment, and answers the question of: “are you ready for the next vision or objective?”
You might be ready from systems perspective, you have the right tools, the right processes and right procedures, but is your organizational structure ready? Does your organization have the skills? What about staff?. McKinsey 7S includes 7 elements and these are: Shared values, structure, systems, strategy, style, staff, and skills.
So basically, McKinsey 7S model helps you frame your assessment and thinking towards 7 aspects so you get the right understanding. It will help you decide how to improve the performance of your company, how to implement a new strategy, assess the impacts of a new product or change on your organization and many more.
The key value of this model is that for any new change or strategic plan to succeed; it is crucial that all these 7 factors to be assessed, aligned and all supporting each other and the new mission or plan you intend to do.
In the CSP Certification, we drill down on each element of the 7S framework and investigate what questions have to be asked and answered. McKinsey has classified these factors into hard and soft elements. Hard elements are easier to understand, assess and influence, while soft elements are difficult. The 7S model is depicted in the below diagram.