Extra S-es in the 7S Framework by McKinsey

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Extra S-es in the 7S Framework by McKinsey

I was able to utlize the 7S model very effectively to conduct the assessment of the state of the public health system for my research thesis. However, the model was limited in coverage of other critical factors that required assessment and was expanded to include three addional S's. These include:
- 'SETTING' or context within which reform takes place;
- 'STAKEHOLDERS' with their varied roles and interests who play an important role in affecting implementation; and
- 'SEQUENCING', which looks at the manner in which the reforms are implemented.
This expansion may also be applicable to other organizations undergoing reorganization and transformation.

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		1 ANNAJULIA HUNGWE, Zimbabwe
	More S-es needed? It appears this framework (sometimes) requires other attributes to be effective. The addition of other Ss as one member suggests or even other additions not necessarily starting with S can make the framework more effective.

		0 Joshua Wilcoxson Management Consultant, United Kingdom
	Absolutely! In analyzing the wholeness of the firm and prescribing its shared values, the context of it's competitive environment/stakeholders, etc is extremely relevant. Critical external issues must always be linked back to the firm's elements of its staff, skills, strategy, systems, with structure and style playing the crucial support role. At the same time, I believe that the 7S's are a mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive decomposition of the firm itself.

		2 Wendy Garcarz, United Kingdom
	Missing S’s in the 7S Model of McKinsey For me one of the most valuable things you can do when using 7S model to understand culture and future focus is to listen to the STORIES that people use to describe what is happening or has happened in the organisation. These tell you so much about power-bases, what the currency of the organisation is and what the informal structure of the organisation really is. Looking at STATUS SYMBOLS: these tell you about power, decision making, attitude to risk and succession planning. Many include these when looking at Style, but I use them to create a 3 dimensional picture of what the organisational culture looks like when no one is looking. The Culture of an organisation usually has 2 faces; the official outward facing one and the informal, subconscious one that is created by the sum of the 7S's.