Getting the Operating Model Right Isn’t Just Strategy—It’s Stewardship

“Are we organized to create value for the people who create value?”

McKinsey’s latest Organize to Value framework described in its July 10 edition of Leading Off brings fresh language to an age-old leadership challenge: building an organization that works as well in practice as it does on paper. Their emphasis on aligning operating models to strategy and outcomes—particularly clarity, speed, skills, and commitment—is long overdue.

But what struck me most wasn’t the framework’s complexity. It was its simplicity. These four outcomes aren’t just metrics of performance. They’re the foundations of trust.

What Operating Models Often Miss

Too often, operating models are treated like blueprints: define the org chart, map the workflows, plug in the people. But real organizations—especially complex, high-stakes ones like hospitals—aren’t machines. They’re ecosystems. And what matters most is not what’s written in the structure, but what’s experienced in the culture.

At Organizational Wellbeing Solutions, we often remind leaders:

“Structure should follow trust, not just strategy.”

If your staff doesn’t trust leadership, or doesn’t believe the system will support their success, no operating model will hold. In fact, many signs of organizational distress—burnout, turnover, disengagement—aren’t “HR problems.” They’re operating model failures.

Let’s Break It Down

Here’s why McKinsey’s four outcomes matter:

Clarity: People understand the “why,” not just the “what.” Purpose lives in daily decisions, not annual retreats.

Speed: Not about rushing—about reducing friction. Speed follows when trust flows and roles are clear.

Skills: No model works without investing in the people it depends on. This is a leadership responsibility, not a training function.

Commitment: The ultimate multiplier. You don’t get it from rules. You earn it with credibility, transparency, and respect.

When operating models ignore these realities, the work breaks down. Strategy stalls. Performance suffers. People leave—or worse, stay and disengage.

A More Human-Centered Architecture

The next wave of organizational design isn’t about smarter charts—it’s about building better habitats for human potential. Ask yourself:

Where are we breaking trust?

Where are we slowing down because people don’t feel safe to act?

Where have we prioritized efficiency over purpose?

We don’t need faster machines. We need more human-centered architecture—systems that connect vision to voice, autonomy to accountability, and operations to values.

Let’s stop reorganizing for control and start redesigning for commitment.

Ready to transform your hospital or workplace?

Organizational Wellbeing Solutions was formed to provide a trusted partner for leaders in designing and executing a comprehensive plan to mitigate the major stressors facing healthcare leaders. A hallmark of our consultancy is correcting the mutual distrust and alienation between clinicians and C-Suite leaders, creating the strategic advantage of organizational resilience with highly engaged clinicians.

Schedule a call to speak directly with us to learn more.