Overcoming Business growth challenges

GCI had experienced continued growth from its founding in 2003. A success founded in bringing a new level of professionalism and service quality to the industry. From a small factory with one machine in Molendinar, GCI has grown to a purpose-built two factory site with state-of-the-art technology and over 100 staff.

Operationally, the team ticked along brilliantly and as a management team they were doing a great job of getting the client work done. But due to the fast growth, they weren’t equipped to answer questions like: “What do I need to know and learn to run a business of this scale?”, “How does the team running the business stay connected with our owners?” and “How do we grow and develop our people?”

When Covid hit the company remained strong, but like most businesses, it became impossible to find good people to join their ranks. Moreover, it became increasingly evident that their current company culture (though friendly and social) wasn’t going to be enough to keep their best people around.

GCI wasn’t faced with an operational, financial, or even growth challenge. Their challenge was about realising their full potential. The potential to make GCI one of the best manufacturers in the country, to be a place where leaders role model learning and professional development. Where people came and stayed—because they could clearly see this was a business in which they could grow and develop.

There was a definite hesitation from the leadership team about becoming too ‘corporatey’ – a reluctance which stemmed from having built a business from the ground up. The GCI leaders (all with great work ethic) had come into leading positions without formal leadership and management training.

The challenge for them was to see that, although proficient in running things as they were, they didn’t yet have the skills or mindset to run things as they could be. Part of overcoming that challenge was exploring what the future of the business could be. Together, we stepped backed to see the bigger picture in guided sessions, exploring questions like: What is your biggest aspiration for the business? What are the skills you’ll need to get it there? What do your people need to develop their full potential? Why are these challenges important to address?

GCI leaders needed to change their mindset around just “good, social relations” as the defining feature of ‘company culture’, and adopt a more active approach to attracting, keeping and celebrating their people.

Together we asked, “what are we doing to grow and develop our people, and celebrate our successes?” This discussion uncovered they had been making decisions based on the poorest performers, quelling celebrations: they had been reacting, not leading.

Over a period of several months, Thryve’s founder Dan met with the GM to explore his purpose and motivation to develop the business. What was his aspiration for the business he’d built from scratch? As a leader, what was his purpose and motivation to develop his people? What would the fullest potential for the business and its people look like? The Thryve process is about creating a learning space, challenging and expanding the leader’s thinking and mindset, and resourcing the leader with simple and effective frameworks they can put straight into practice.

The GM sought Dan’s support to work directly with his key leaders to support them in their professional development as well as the development of their teams. The individual development worked on 1-to-1 business and leadership coaching, resourcing the leaders with new skills and helping them to step up into their leadership responsibilities and not just be great doers.

Dan worked directly with key leaders to introduce new skills and capabilities into the business including Key Account Management and New Product Development, the latter leading to the creation of a completing new business for the Group.

Senior leaders also attended Thryve’s Coaching Skills for Executives 1-day training, an internationally accredited program run in collaboration with Beckon Business, one of Western Australia’s leading business coaching organisation.