The Primes: How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem

Overcome Obstacles and Lead Groups of Inspired Employees

Few know how to tap the power and creativity of a group of inspired people. When a leader shares a vision with an empowered group, a path opens for people to follow. This clarity enables a group to focus their energy on the realization of a greater goal; yet obstacles naturally arise which interrupt the group’s progress. These obstacles are universal and unavoidable patterns of group behavior that emerge whenever people attempt to transform systems or collaborate to solve complex problems.  Chris McGoff, founder of the management consulting firm The Clearing, Inc., has given an identity to these group dynamics – calling them the PRIMES. 

Every leader has seen their effect, but few recognize, anticipate, and manage them. Unacknowledged, PRIMES can put any leadership agenda at risk. But once mastered, the PRIMES become a force to solve any leadership problem. An essential guide for twenty-first-century leaders, The PRIMES: How Any Group Can Solve Any Problem (Wiley; Paperback and eBook; April 2012; $29.95; ISBN: 978-1-1181-7327-5) by McGoff unveils 46 universal secrets of how to navigate complex challenges, create a brighter future, and produce extraordinary results.

The PRIMES is a collection of “eureka” moments that teams driving major change initiatives experienced. These insights appeared at some of the largest organizations in the world – the U.S. government, The World Bank and Toyota for starters – but quickly became recognized by McGoff and his colleagues as universally present wherever people get together in groups to solve a problem. The “ah-ha’s!” in this book began as sketches on scraps of paper or the backs of cocktail napkins, usually discovered at times of desperation to help the change agents climb out of group paralysis and drive transformation forward.

Any executive, manager, team leader, or consultant, will use the visuals of the PRIMES to:

• Tackle complex problems successfully
• Build visions that inspire outcome-driven strategies
• Forge lasting consensus among competing interests
• Recognize and eliminate the most destructive forces in an organization
• Establish cultures of integrity
• Keep teams focused and productive
• Transform your business painlessly
• Produce and deliver extraordinary results on time

“The future of the world hinges on what I like to call, ‘Universe Denters’, who have the imagination to envision what the world needs now and who know how to enlist others in the challenge to achieve what they can foresee. They step up to solve today’s challenges, and anticipate and prepare for tomorrow’s. They’re changing and transforming organizations and systems around the world right now,” adds McGoff. “Whether you’re on the trail to the summit of new solutions and possibilities, or just beginning to step out, I applaud you and stand ready to dent the Universe with you. I ask only one thing: go beyond trying and do it.”

For additional information about the book and to view some sample chapters, please visit www.theprimes.com.