The model, made famous by the McKinsey consulting company, is good for a thorough
discussion around an organizations activities, infrastructure, and interactions.
Strategy This is the organizations alignment of resources and capabilities to win in its
market.
Structure This describes how the organization is organized. This includes roles,
responsibilities and accountability relationships.
Systems This is the business and technical infrastructure that employees use on a day to day
basis to accomplish their aims and goals.
Shared Values This is a set of traits, behaviors, and characteristics that the organization
believes in. This would include the organizations mission and vision.
Style This is the behavioral elements the organizational leadership uses and culture of
interaction.
Staf This is the employee base, staffing plans and talent management.
Skills This is the ability to do the organizations work. It reflects in the performance of the
organization.
Strategy
How does the organization plan to use its resources and capabilities to deliver that?
Structure
What are the reporting and working relationships (hierarchical, flat, silos, etc.)?
How is information shared (formal and informal channels) across the organization?
Systems
What are the primary business and technical systems that drive the organization?
What internal rules and processes does the team utilize to maintain course?
Shared Values
What are the founding values that the organization was built upon?
Style
Are there real teams functioning within the organization or are they just nominal groups?
Staf
Skills
What skills are used to deliver the core products and/or services? Are these skills
sufficiently present and available?
Once the questions are answered, the data should be examined. The analysis should look for
the following aspects:
Consistency
Alignment
Conflicts
Gaps
Support
Strengths
Weaknesses
The uses of the model can be as a static picture to determine how effectively the organization is
implementing its strategy. Also, it can be used two-fold with a current state and an intended
future state. By comparing the current and future states, gaps can be assessed, which lead to
improvement and action plans. That latter case makes enables the model to be used for large
scale change.
-Summary-
Like any model, there are good fits and poor fits. This is a handy model for taking a snapshot
and comparing that to the desired state or improvement. It visually shows how everything is
linked and understanding the larger implications of change can be very revealing. It is much like
how a general doctor can help diagnose a patients situation, but the fine-tuned skill of a surgeon
can be used to make the specific, desired changed.
Update: