Adizes' lifecycle of organizations

How do I recognize in which phase of the life cycle my organization is in? // What are the pitfalls and challenges associated with this phase? // Which roles are necessary for healthy growth? // What is the optimal path for growth for my organization?

Similar to plants, people and ecosystems, organizations have a lifecycle too. This suggests that patterns can be recognized in the ways in which an organization or enterprise develops. The work of American management thinker and consultant Dr. Ichak Adizes distinguishes the following phases: Courtship, Infancy, Go-Go, Adolescence, and Prime, marking the growth period of an organization, and Aging, Aristocracy, Bureaucracy, and Death, marking the aging of the organization. Each of these phases is characterized by a set of unique pitfalls and challenges. Furthermore, Adizes has identified a number of pathologies which can lead to the premature aging of the organization.

In addition to these phases, Adizes distinguishes four essential management roles: the Performer, the Administrator, the Entrepreneur, and the Integrator. Each phase in the lifecycle of the organization requires a different combination of roles. For example, for an organization in the Infancy phase, it’s quite unhealthy to be strongly influenced by the Administrator role. While the creation of systems and procedures can turn out badly for the immature organization, the absence of the Administrator in a later phase can be just as deadly for the organization. A sound understanding of the four roles and their relationship with the different phases in the lifecycle can help an organization identify the optimal path to growth.

Contact and more information

Realize! uses Adizes' lifecycle of organizations directly and indirectly in the Team development and Organization development services. If you're interested in hearing more, or in a workshop on Adizes' lifecycle of organizations, contact us at info@realize.nl.

Dr. Ichak Adizes is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker and consultant in the area of organizational growth and change, whose books have been translated into over forty languages. In The Netherlands, his work is still relatively unknown.