Case Study

Dramatic Turnaround

The Problem

A data storage company had been lagging its competitors in the industry. After the unsuccessful sale of the company, a new CEO was brought in with the mandate to turn the company around. He discovered low levels of commitment, performance, trust, and engagement from his executive team on down through the organization. In response, the new CEO sought out The RBL Group to help rally the company around an aggressive new strategy.

The Solution

The RBL Group collaborated with the CEO to design and conduct a three-day workshop designed to give executives a strategic vision, personal ownership, and a commitment to working together to achieve the turnaround.

Through the workshop, the executive team:

  • Established consensus on the company’s strategic direction using The RBL Group strategic options framework.
  • Evaluated the implications of changing direction on the organization’s current technical and social capabilities, branding, etc.
  • Developed implementation plans to achieve strategy.

The results of the workshop were then cascaded through the organization down to the supervisory level as leaders repeated the workshop process in their own organizations with the aid of a customized leadership toolkit designed by The RBL Group. The toolkit included videos and online material organized in a modular, topic-based format for ease of adaptation and reuse.

The Outcome

Through the workshop, the executive team got focus, direction, and understanding of the possibility for success.

Working together to frame the opportunities and craft the strategy led to increased collaboration and confidence among team members, and began a process that led to:

  • Doubling of stock price
  • Company awarded “Most Admired Company” in industry survey, moving from last to first
  • CEO named “Industry CEO of the year”