What is Prime?

Prime is an organizational stage where sustainable growth and profitability is being achieved by a harmonious commitment to corporate goals (which integrate smoothly into personal goals).

Prime is characterized by a balance between flexibility and control, with a clear matching of authority and responsibility throughout the enterprise.

An enterprise in Prime acts both efficiently and effectively, carefully considering both the short term and the long term. It decides in a balanced fashion and implements decisions every time.

A Prime organization will tell you how it is going to do the next project, what it will cost and what profit will result. A Prime organization maintains a state of sustainable change by spinning off new enterprises. Prime tolerates and encourages the multiplicity of management styles required at these different stages of the lifecycle. It nurtures spinoffs to progress to subsequent stages of their lifecycles, so that the spinoffs ultimately achieve Prime performance.

Companies in Prime push authority down to the lowest levels so that self-actualization of individuals is assured; it exhibits the ability to have persons say that 'I have contributed to something worthwhile today'.

WHY?

An organization in Prime is a great place to work, and creates great shareholder and personal values. All stakeholders benefit from an organization in prime.

HOW?

An organization achieves Prime by following eleven Adizes phases, including: identifying and correcting problems, articulating mission and values, setting structure to fulfil the mission, defining and measuring accountability, decentralizing authority and setting goals and allocating resources

WHEN?

An organization reaches Prime when it produces a steady product or service with a positive cash flow. No organization is born in Prime.

WHO?

An organization can achieve Prime with commitment by any top person combined with an understanding by the staff that the top person is willing to push down authority to the lowest levels, and they, in turn, accept these new responsibilities and themselves push down authority for decision making.