Overcoming business growth challenges
From a single machine in a small factory to a purpose-built, two-factory site with over 100 staff, GCI's growth was remarkable. But when the pandemic reshaped what workplace culture had to mean, that same growth exposed a challenge no amount of operational skill could solve.
The challenge
GCI had grown steadily since 2003 on the back of professionalism and service quality the industry hadn't seen. Operationally, the management team was excellent: the client work got done, and it got done well.
But fast growth left gaps the team had never had time to close. They weren't equipped to answer questions like: What do we need to learn to run a business at this scale? How does the team stay connected with the owners? How do we grow and develop our people?
Covid sharpened it. The company stayed strong, but good people became almost impossible to find, and it grew clear that a friendly, social culture wasn't going to be enough to keep their best people from being lured elsewhere.
The real gaps:
Plenty of energy, but nothing directing the flow
They knew people were their greatest asset, but had no tools to develop leaders or grow talent
No time or structure to build their people's skills
They thought they were celebrating their people. They weren't.
Little to offer good staff who were being promised more elsewhere, and no incentive for people to reach their potential
The turning point
GCI's challenge wasn't operational, financial, or even about growth. It was about potential: the potential to become one of the best manufacturers in the country, a place where leaders model learning and development, where people come and stay because they can see room to grow.
There was real hesitation about becoming too "corporatey," a reluctance that came from having built the business from the ground up. The leaders had strong work ethic but had stepped into their roles without formal leadership training. The challenge was helping them see that running things well as they were is not the same as having the skills to run things as they could be.
So we stepped back and looked at the bigger picture together: What's your biggest aspiration for the business? What skills will get it there? What do your people need to reach their full potential?
One discussion proved pivotal. Asking "what are we doing to grow our people and celebrate our success?" surfaced that they'd been making decisions based on their poorest performers and quietly quelling celebration. They had been reacting, not leading.
What we did
Over several months, Thryve's founder Dan worked with GCI at three levels.
Mentoring the General Manager. Dan met one-on-one with the GM to explore his purpose and aspiration for the business he'd built from scratch, and what its fullest potential could look like. The Thryve process creates a learning space that challenges and expands a leader's thinking, then equips them with simple, effective frameworks they can put straight into practice.
Coaching the leadership team. At the GM's request, Dan worked directly with key leaders on their own development and their teams', helping them step up into genuine leadership rather than staying great "doers."
Building new capability. Dan introduced new skills into the business, including Key Account Management and New Product Development, the latter spawning an entirely new business for the Group. Senior leaders also completed Thryve's Coaching Skills for Executives, an internationally accredited one-day program run with Beckon Business, one of Western Australia's leading business coaching organisations.
Across the engagement, the work covered:
Strategy and structure
Developing a strategic mindset: getting clear on the business they were becoming and where they wanted to play
Broadening the horizon and challenging inward, narrow thinking
Clarifying what the structure looks like today, what it needs to become, and the gaps between
People and leadership
Understanding people at a deeper level: their strengths, what they need to learn next, and how best to develop them
Strategic thinking and planning, innovation mindsets and toolsets, and Key Account Management
Effective communication with directors, owners and stakeholders
Culture and celebration
Shifting focus from the few who weren't working out to the many who put their heart in
Making celebration "how things are done around here," and involving everyone in how to do it
The outcome
GCI brought 100% commitment to the work. It was a genuine partnership, and the results reflected it.
Financial growth
Consistent, stable growth in top line, margin and profit
New revenue streams across core services and new products
Leadership growth
A shift from individual to team mindset, and new confidence that the business no longer depended on a handful of people
Leaders could take holidays (finally), with people eager to step up
More customer growth, new ideas, and greater optimism
People growth
Training and development embraced at every level, with a range of development partners matched to different needs
The company rebranded as a place for personal growth, with people putting their hands up for more responsibility and the right people being drawn in
Culture growth
A first team BBQ the staff loved, then a wider leadership recognition event, then more of both
Capped by celebrating 18 years of hard work and success together
"Dan really helped me to understand how important it is to celebrate success. Our company culture has always been strong, however, working day to day and seeing our business grow had caused us to overlook some very important areas of staff and culture development. Dan facilitated strategy sessions that enabled great insight and together we developed and executed a plan. His ability to coach us throughout our journey, keeping us accountable and focused was key to the outstanding results we achieved."
Cameron Lawn | General Manager