The consultancy firm, McKinsey & Company, developed the 7S model as a tool for their business clients, and it has become a staple of organizational assessment. The model is a practical tool that can be used to understand and evaluate the performance of an organization in 7 critical areas:
- Strategy
Examine 5 of these areas at your organization: Strategy, Style, Staff, Skills, and Shared Values. All these performance areas directly affect your workforce strategy. Workforce planning is critical to distribute talent across an organization and to identify needed competencies and personnel, both for the short term and for the long term. It is also a valuable tool for leaders seeking ways to address challenges due to changes in the workplace environment and employee expectations.
Using your current workplace, or an organization with which you are familiar, write a short report of 3 to 5 pages. Use this format: a short introduction, explaining the purpose of the report; a section for each assessment area, using the prompts below; and a conclusion that briefly summarizes your findings. Each section in the body of the report addresses one of the 5 assessment areas, as indicated below.
Use the prompts provided below as a guide for the five sections in the body of your report:
Strategy – this must align with your organization’s mission, vision and goals.
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• Briefly describe the business strategy of your organization
• How well is your workforce strategy aligned with your organization’s business strategy?
• How has your workforce strategy changed with the increase in remote and hybrid work?
Style – this relates to the type of leadership that is customary at your organization.
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• What is the prevailing leadership style of your organization (e.g., participative, autocratic, collaborative)?
• Is it the appropriate style for the challenges of today’s workplace? Why or why not?
Staff – the staffing numbers are driven by the budget.
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• Does your organization have the numbers and type of employees needed to execute its current strategy?
• If not, is there a plan in place to address the shortfall?
Skills – these are the competencies needed to execute the work and fulfill the strategy.
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• Does the leadership understand the competency requirements across your organization?
• Are the required competencies represented by your organization’s current staff?
Shared Values – these are the norms of behavior and self-management valued at your organization.
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• Do the people in your workforce understand the norms of behavior your organization endorses and expects?
• How are the shared values in your workforce being impacted by the shift to more employees working remotely or with a hybrid schedule?
