Issue: After years of rapid growth, Revoil moved from the category of the minors to that of the big players and had to respond to new challenges. They had to redefine who they are and plan how to focus on healthy growth. A new leadership culture, role modeled by the top management, had to be developed.

Solution: An integrated intervention, including Creating Your Organization’s Future, which led to a 3-year business plan and then Situational Leadership^® II to help top management get the plan implemented. Workshops were followed by coaching sessions for all top management.

Results Acting on their vision, the company has revamped its network and redefined its market approach as well as its internal organisation. Healthy income growth is accompanied by much higher growth of profits. The management of the company radiates self-confidence and optimism.

Revoil is a Greek oil marketing company. Since 1995, when bought by the current owners, the company experienced huge growth. Today it commands a 6.5% market share. Run primarily by the family of the major shareholders, the company very soon distinguished itself and joined the group of the major oil marketers in Greece. Surprisingly, while profits stagnated, income grew by more than 250%! Attempts to expand the organisation were not producing the expected results, and the company was at risk of becoming more inward than outward focused. It was then that the President of the company first approached Blanchard^® International Hellas to co-operate with top management in order to diagnose the causes of the problems and then design and implement a solution.

It soon became apparent that the company had to re-establish who they were, where they were going, and how they would get there. After consulting and coaching with top management, it was agreed that this would be accomplished through a 2-day workshop, based on the Creating Your Organization’s Future program, delivered to all managers, including the President of the company, as he actively supported the intervention. During the workshop the managers demonstrated their excellent knowledge of the market and their commitment to the company: they came up with a new purpose statement, based on their strengths and market differentiators, a set of values they wanted to live with, and a picture of the future. Based on this, they also defined their key strategies and goals for the next 5 years. The empowerment, commitment, and creativity demonstrated by the participants was a lasting “lesson learned” for everybody that took part.

The vision, key strategies, and goals were translated into a 3-year business plan, in co-operation with Octane Management Consultants, a local consultancy firm. At the same time, the key responsibility areas for each top management position were finalized. So, at the end of this process, each top manager had clarity on his or her responsibilities and goals. This became the foundation of the Situational Leadership^® II program that followed. All top managers attended a 2-day workshop followed by several individual coaching sessions. During these sessions their goals were cascaded into subordinates’ objectives and the managers were coached to use Situational Leadership^® II to partner with their people for the achievement of their objectives and also their development. At the same time, executive coaching for the three top figures of the company helped determine the organisational changes required to move the company into its new era.

During a year of deep economic crisis in Greece and amid a shrinking oil market, the changes were implemented and tangible results started showing in the bottom line: income growth of 29% was accompanied by 60% growth in profit before tax! What is even more important is the underlying quiet strength and confidence of the Revoil people, which is evident everywhere in the offices. The organisation now runs like clock work and moves from strength to strength! The President of the Board of Revoil thanked Blanchard saying, “Your efforts produced results!” And the Managing Director stated, “Now our managers take care of the day-to-day running of the business and I have more time to think about the future and more time for myself and my family!”