Management Lessons from our Breakthrough Groups One thing fuel companies can agree on is that this business isn’t getting any easier. Oil companies today face challenges that include shrinking gallons, fewer customers, changing consumer behavior, shortages of qualified drivers and technicians, changing government regulations and fuel quality. They also see opportunities to diversify their businesses, leverage technology for greater productivity, be more effective at sales and marketing and differentiate themselves with “new school” thinking. Faced with all this, it only makes sense that fuel dealers would want to learn lessons from each other. Enter Warm Thoughts Communications. Several years ago, it launched a program called Breakthrough Groups™. These are benchmarking groups that bring together non-competing fuel companies to share what’s working, what’s not and what can be done to build a better future. It now has over 60 participants from 12 states. ICM sat down Goldberg Cardell with two of their facilitators—Rich Goldberg (RG) and Ed Cardell (EC)—to see what lessons they could share with us. ICM: How did this whole thing get started? Rich Goldberg: Several years ago, three of the most impressive fuel dealers I knew—Jim Townsend, Sam Gault and Craig Snyder—approached me about facilitating meetings they were having with each other to share their best ideas. They wanted my help to bring other progressive companies into the mix, add structure and facilitate the meetings. I jumped at it. ICM: Why? RG: This had actually been on my to-do list for Warm Thoughts for a while, but I was always swamped with work (not unlike our group members). I was actually in an Entrepreneurs Organization “Forum” group for 10 years, and it helped me immeasurably. I was elevated to its International Board in charge of the program worldwide, so I gained some great insights into TM how these groups work best. I saw amazing potential to help fuel companies create real breakthroughs in their business, which is why we called them Breakthrough Groups. ICM: You mentioned how these groups work best. What do you mean? RG: I felt it was very important to keep participation to no more than 10 or 12 members per group, so members could develop trusting relationships. They needed complete confidentiality. They needed to know going in that this was different than an association meeting. We have to be willing to open up about what’s really happening, not just show off the shiny veneer, and we have to be willing to show up for each other and be helpful. I also felt it was important to make it fun and to have companies who were similarly sized. ICM: How many people are now participating and how often do they meet? Ed Cardel: We are running five groups now and plan to add a couple more this Spring. Generally, they meet two or three times a year for a couple of days each time and supplement that with phone conferences on specific topics of interest. ICM: What has surprised you most about it? EC: I’ve been at this a while, so nothing surprises me too much. However, I have been pleasantly pleased with how much everyone looks out for each other and leaves the “BS” behind. There’s a real comradery and willingness to help others succeed, especially by avoiding mistakes they’ve made. Bruce Spirindonoff, Tevis Oil, MD; Marty Romanelli, Romanelli Energy, NY; Rich Goldberg, Warm Thoughts; Joe Trefethen, Palmer Gas and Oil, NH; Peter Bourne, Bourne’s Energy, VT; David Daniels, Daniels Energy, CT.; Chris Walton, Clyde S. Walton, PA.; Robert Spiegel, SOS Fuels, NY; Natalie Mondisini, Hill Top Energy, NJ 12 ICM May/June 2017
ICM May-June 2017
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