Managing change is one of the most important processes that an organization can go through. Change management involves the steps that are involved in making that process as helpful as possible while minimizing disruptions to the essential functions of the organization. Given that organizations “use a variety of measures” to determine the optimal change processes, there are many different ways to choose a change method – and a series of steps (Course reading ????, p. 51).
One system that helps organizations make decisions for managing their change is the McKinsey 7s model. This was devised during the 1980s by a team of three McKinsey consultants. The thrust of this model is to emphasize the importance of human resources (Soft S), instead of such traditional areas of focus as capital, equipment and infrastructure. The seven “S” terms in this strategy are Staff, Style, Shared values, Skills (the “soft” S’s), Structure, Strategy and Systems (the “hard” S’s) (Jurevicius 2013). The Staff element refers to the number and type of employees and organization, including everything from recruitment and training to motivation. “Style” refers to the ways that executive management operates the company. “Shared Values” are the beliefs that govern the actions of the company and the behavior of employees. “Skills” are the competencies that the employees in the organization already handl quite well. “Systems” are the procedures and processes of the organization. “Structure” refers to the organizational chart – the juxtaposition of the various divisions and units within the organization, as well as the line of accountability. The “Strategy” refers to the plan an organization devises to bring about success in the market. Taken together as equally important, these seven elements can drive organizations from stagnation and even failure to the next level of success. An example of a company that used this process was Starbucks, which used this framework to reconceive their operations (Dudovskiy, 2012). For example, with the “Staff” element, the company decided that they would only employ “capable and promising candidates” and provide them with the potential for growth (Dudovskiy, 2012).
References
Dudovskiy, J. (2012). Starbucks McKinsey 7S’ framework. http://research-
methodology.net/starbucks-mckinsey-7s-framework/
Jurevicius, O. (2013). McKinsey 7s model.
https://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/tools/mckinsey-7s-model-framework.html
