what is the mckinsey 7s model 
the mckinsey 7s model is a framework for organizational effectiveness that postulates that there are seven internal factors of an organization that need to be aligned and reinforced in order for it to be successful understanding mckinsey 7s modelthe 7s model specifies seven factors that are classified as hard and soft elements hard elements are easily identified and influenced by management while soft elements are fuzzier more intangible and influenced by corporate culture the hard elements are as follows the soft elements are as follows the framework is used as a strategic planning tool by organizations to show how seemingly disparate aspects of a company are in fact interrelated and reliant upon one another to achieve overall success 1consultants thomas peters and robert waterman jr authors of the management bestseller in search of excellence conceived of the mckinsey 7s model at consulting firm mckinsey co in the late 1970s 2a closer look at the 7 s sthe mckinsey 7 s model is applicable in a wide variety of situations where it s useful to understand how the various parts of an organization work together it can be used as a tool to make decisions on future corporate strategy the framework can also be used to examine the likely effects of future changes in the organization or to align departments and processes during a merger or acquisition elements of the mckinsey model 7s can also be used with individual teams or projects frequently asked questions