McKinsey 7-S Framework

Come eseguirlo

1. 1

   Open by presenting the 7-S model: draw the seven interconnected circles (Shared Values at centre, surrounded by Strategy, Structure, Systems, Skills, Staff, Style) and explain the hard/soft distinction.

2. 2

   Define the scope: agree on whether you are analysing the current state, a future target state, or the gap between the two. Make this explicit on the working template.

3. 3

   Split participants into seven small groups (or pairs), each assigned one 'S'. Give each group 10–15 minutes to characterise their element: What does it look like today? What is working? What is not?

4. 4

   Run a gallery share: each group presents their element in 3 minutes. Capture key descriptors on sticky notes and place them on the relevant circle.

5. 5

   Facilitate an alignment analysis: prompt the group to identify tensions and misalignments between elements. Use guiding questions such as 'If we change X, what does it break in Y?'

6. 6

   Score alignment: have participants vote on the strength of alignment between each pair of connected elements (1 = badly misaligned, 5 = strongly aligned). Visualise the scores on the map.

7. 7

   Identify the top 2–3 most critical misalignments that need to be addressed and generate preliminary action options for each.

8. 8

   Close by agreeing on owners and next steps for addressing identified misalignments, and document the full map as a baseline for future reviews.

Suggerimenti

• Shared Values is the centre element for a reason — if the group cannot agree on core values, all other elements will be contested. Spend real time here before moving outward.

• Avoid letting 'Strategy' dominate the conversation at the expense of soft elements. Soft elements cause most strategy failures.

• Use a pre-read survey to gather individual perceptions of each S before the session — then surface the divergence in the room rather than building consensus from scratch.

• For change programmes, run two versions of the map: current state and future state. The gap IS the transformation plan.

• Time-box each element presentation strictly — otherwise Structure and Strategy will consume the session and Skills/Staff/Style get skimped.

Variazioni

For a lighter 60-minute version, pre-populate the template with a draft assessment and use the session purely for critique and gap identification. For advanced use, combine with a Wardley Map to add market context to the internal analysis. In M&A contexts, run parallel maps for both organisations and overlay them to find cultural and structural clash points.