CASE STUDY
Unlocking 5X Growth in a Leading PSU
A Strategic Culture Transformation That Turned a Legacy Public Sector Enterprise into a High-Growth Powerhouse
The Challenge
Introduction
- Founded in 1963, this state-owned enterprise in Western India is a leader in lignite mining and also explores minerals like bauxite and manganese.
- It has diversified into thermal, wind, and solar energy, supporting sustainable growth across sectors.
- The organization recently ran a high-impact development program, engaging 699 employees across roles through workshops and coaching.
- With a 4.6/5 rating, the initiative led to visible improvements in confidence, teamwork, cross-functional team collaboration and professional grooming, as noted by over 90% of participants.
Context and Challenge
The Roadblocks
- Employees were executing tasks, but not owning outcomes.
- Growth strategies were understood at the top, but lost in translation at middle and frontline levels.
- Departments worked separately, which made it harder and slower for them to respond and work together.
- The existing culture reinforced caution, not experimentation.
The Ambition
- Drive 5X revenue growth in a legacy-heavy, regulation-driven public enterprise.
- Shift from directive-led operations to ownership-driven action at all levels.
- Break silos to enable faster decision-making, collaboration, and innovation across departments.
Pain Points: Avoidant Culture (Low Innovation, Low Performance)
The organization was deeply rooted in the Low Innovation - Low Performance quadrant. Strategy and intent existed, but behavior and culture were misaligned.
Teams worked alone, making it hard to work together or share ideas
Employees did tasks but didn’t own outcomes, stalling innovation
Decisions came from the top, with little room for feedback or ideas
Our Intervention
Phase 1: Mapping the Culture Gap
Ran the Growth Culture Index™ across departments and levels to map current vs. aspirational culture.
Diagnosed gaps in shared ownership, cross-functional trust, and decision-making clarity.
Facilitated confidential conversations with senior leadership to surface invisible cultural blockers.
Phase 2: Aligning the Narrative
Co-created a unified growth story that simplified and humanized the strategic intent.
Delivered storytelling-based workshops to mid-managers and teams, translating goals into relatable daily actions.
Engaged senior leaders to model clarity, simplicity, and energy around the growth ambition.
Phase 3: Enabling Micro-Behavior Change
Introduced a Tiny Habits Protocol to shift behaviors without resistance:
Start every meeting with 'One small win.'
Ask one cross-functional check-in question every week.
Weekly sharing of failures and learnings via digital noticeboards.
Leaders practiced habit-stacking techniques to anchor these shifts into routine workflows.
Integrated OPlay! to drive behavior change through micro-learning in daily work.
Enhanced learning retention with quizzes, tips, and weekly OPlay! challenges.
Aligned leaders by modeling key behaviors and enabling real-time feedback.
Phase 4: Embedding Ownership
Established Growth Champions across zones to serve as peer catalysts
Created local-level huddles and action forums to generate bottom-up solutions
Built in gentle accountability via peer nudges, digital microlearning (via Oplay!), and monthly reflections
The Final Impact
The Shift: From Compliance to Commitment
The organization moved from Quadrant 3 to Quadrant 1 in the Innovation-Performance matrix
From
Innovation,
Performance
To
Innovation
Performance
We always had technical strength. What we lacked was shared belief. Once that came alive, the speed of execution changed completely.
- Executive Director, PSU (Name Withheld)
Impact Highlights
5X Revenue Growth
Achieved ahead of timeline through new joint ventures, faster project execution, and cost optimization ideas from mid-level teams.
Cross-functional Synergy
4x increase in cross-department initiatives, especially in operations and sustainability.
Engagement Scores
30% rise in internal engagement, with more employees reporting they “feel part of the growth journey.”
Leadership Trust
Senior leaders reported a 50% increase in upward feedback and strategic pushback from middle managers — signaling deeper engagement.
Tools & Enablers
Growth Culture Index™
Storytelling Alignment Workshops
Executive Coaching & Peer Circles
Oplay! Microlearning Platform
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