GE–McKinsey nine-box, explained in nine minutes
The multi-factor cousin of the BCG matrix — what it captures that growth–share can't, and how to score the axes without spending a week.
The nine-box was GE and McKinsey's answer to the BCG matrix's simplicity. Where growth–share collapses each axis to one number, the nine-box lets you compose them from whatever indicators actually predict success in your industry.
Why nine, not four
Four boxes force binary calls. Nine let you say "high-medium" — which is closer to how senior teams actually think about a business unit that's promising but unproven.
- Industry attractiveness on the vertical axis.
- Competitive strength on the horizontal.
- Three bands each: high, medium, low.
Scoring the axes
Weighted scorecards, not gut feel. Pick five to seven factors per axis, weight them, and score each business unit from 1–5. The output goes on the chart as a coordinate.
Reading the result
Upper-right: invest and grow. Lower-left: harvest or divest. The diagonal is where the real strategic conversation lives — those are the units where more capital plausibly moves the needle.
- Pick the framework that fits the decision, not the deck template.
- Design your chart for the eye first, the spreadsheet second.
- Show change over time — a snapshot rarely earns its slide.
David teaches strategy frameworks at IMD and writes for STRATObubbles on how classic models still earn their keep in the age of live data.
