The CEO of a prominent construction company was confronted with devastating news – a worker fatality at a project site. In an industry filled with heavy machinery and high opportunity cost, the need for safety has always been paramount. It was the key responsibility of management to ensure a safe working environment, and this news dealt a heavy blow to both the management team and the morale of the entire company.
At the same time, company ownership had recently decided to sell. This intent to sell led to an influx of events from the owners and the management team in the pursuit of making the company more attractive. However, these events were not all roses, including many false starts in the pursuit of expansion into new markets.
With morale low and the sale in jeopardy, the company appeared to be in a downward spiral. Management couldn’t see a clear path forward. Still, the CEO believed that with the right actions, she could keep the team intact and complete the sale. But it was not going to be easy, and she needed her management team to share her optimism.
Our Approach
The CEO chose to lead with openness, optimism, and trust. She shared her vision for transformational change with the management team, and demonstrated confidence in their collective ability to move forward. The team rallied behind her and aligned around her vision.
Within a month, the management team brought in Ignite to help turn the company around.
The goal of the engagement was to rally the entire organization around a clear vision, strengthen the foundation, and achieve the financial targets required for the sale. Above all, to shift morale by actively demonstrating care for the team; something that had been lacking.
Implementation
Instead of dwelling in self-doubt or focusing on everything that was going wrong, the CEO and her management team chose to demonstrate hope and care. With Ignite’s support, they interviewed all employees to assess the current state of the company.
From these conversations, they created a clear vision anchored in the question: “What would give you hope, six months from now?” Strategic imperatives were defined from this vision, and it was then cascaded down to each operational team.
This approach created a sense of direction and optimism across the company, giving employees a reason to believe in the future and in each other.
The Results
Within six months of engaging Ignite, the company had:
- Completed the sales process successfully
- Avoided any further safety incidents
- Seen a significant shift in morale
- Returned to profitability
By focusing on optimism, care, and clarity, the CEO and her team were able to transform a crisis into an opportunity for growth — and ultimately, success.
