As a new generation enters the workplace with the world experiencing dramatic social and political disruptions—bringing a unique consciousness and set of values—businesses are scrambling to remain culturally relevant. Author Diane Primo, CEO of the digital marketing agency Purpose Brand, believes that, in a more socially conscious world, companies must shift their focus from maximizing profit to embracing purpose, redefining their brand identities around enlightened values. ADAPT: Scaling Purpose in a Divisive World, is one part manifesto–making a case for moving to a purpose-centered corporate vision–and one part guidebook for successfully transitioning to this new paradigm.
Primo organizes her argument around what the author terms the ADAPT framework (Assess, Define, Amplify, Perform, Transcend), a way for companies to understand, communicate, and implement a purpose-driven strategy. Business leaders can use the ADAPT framework to redefine their organization’s values and brand identity, align workers and stakeholders along a purpose identity, and develop standards and metrics for success. Primo illustrates her points with real-world examples (from such industry leaders as Nike, Lyft, and Chipotle) and in-depth case studies that provide detailed analyses of companies like JPMorgan Chase and Microsoft that have implemented purpose strategies.
The notion of moving companies from a solely profit-centric mission to one driven by a belief in the social good seems hopelessly idealistic, but Primo makes a compelling case. Issues like climate change, Black Lives Matter, and economic inequality have risen to the forefront of our cultural consciousness, while Generation Z has embraced social justice as a core value. Businesses, Primo asserts, must adapt to these societal trends or be left behind. ADAPT is most compelling when delving into the practical details and specific strategies for constructing and articulating a purpose identity. However, readers entirely new to the concept may find themselves perplexed by what exactly the book means by a “purpose-driven” paradigm. While laying out its central points clearly and systematically, it is less clear in connecting the concept of purpose to the ideas of environmental and social justice that the term embodies. Beyond this initial lack of clarity, however, ADAPT succeeds as an accessible and convincing look at this new intersection of commerce and culture and its implications for businesses in the coming decade.
Diane Primo’s ADAPT: Scaling Purpose in a Divisive World, is most compelling when delving into the practical details and specific strategies for constructing and articulating a purpose identity. Readers new to the concept may find themselves perplexed by what the author means by a “purpose-driven” paradigm, but overall the book succeeds as an accessible and convincing look at this new intersection of commerce and culture and its implications for businesses in the coming decade.
~Edward Sung for IndieReader