1. Diagnosis first
McKinsey 7S
Is the organization aligned?
The 7S framework was developed at McKinsey and Company. McKinsey is a trademark of McKinsey and Company. No affiliation or endorsement.
Use when
Any org problem that might not be a people problem; pre-work before proposing programs
Strategy
Where we choose to win
Structure
How work and power are arranged
Systems
Processes that run the place
Shared values
What is honoured in practice
Style
How leaders lead
Staff
Who we have, where
Skills
What we are collectively good at
“Fit check: misalignment between any two S's is the finding.”
How to use it
Use as a 30-minute alignment scan with a leadership team: score each S, then look for the mismatches (new strategy + old systems is the classic). The power is in pairs, not the seven boxes. Watch-out: it describes alignment, not sequence; pair with a change model for the how.
Card details
- Model type
- Grid
- Origin status
- Established
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
EstablishedTom Peters and Robert Waterman, McKinsey and Company, late 1970s.