Creating Disney Magic: Lessons In Leadership, Management, And Customer Service

This episode we celebrate the 150th episode of Creating Disney Magic.  On this episode, we take on two listener questions. We talk about what to look for when you partner someone in business. At Disney, we were clear on what would be involved in a partnership.  The second question is along the same lines. How do you get other businesses, who are your partners, who have different missions and values, to work in alignment? Again, it comes down to clarity. Everyone needs to understand what you expect and what it looks like to meet expectations.   In both cases, the people you work with need to know how to satisfy customers. The experience should be seamless for customers.   If you have a question you would like me to answer on the show, just reach out. Answering listener questions are my favorite part of the podcast. 

I recently returned from a tour through several countries including Russia, Czech Republic Austria, and Hong Kong.  It reminded me how traveling and gaining a new experience can help you serve people better.  You are never as good as you think you are. Traveling is one way to find out what other people and organizations are doing.  You will find out how good you really are and how you can get better.  When you understand how good you can be, you will raise your standards.  Experience and exposure are two things you will gain from traveling that will change your worldview and help you better serve your customers. You don't have to travel internationally. Visit big cities. Visit new businesses. Go places where you don't know people where your eyes will be open to a new way of doing things.  Travel changes who you are. Every new experience opens your eyes.  Time Management Magic is now available as an audiobook. You can get the book here.  If you don't have a copy of the Morning Magic Planner, you can get it her

When I was at Disney and someone would tell me they wanted more money, my answer was almost always "yes." But probably not in the way you think.  Here is how I would tell people they could get more money; "There is always a position that pays more than the one you are in. If you want more money, become qualified for the other position.  When you can show us you are capable of performing a job that pays more, you will make more."  When I would explain it so straightforward, people would understand. Just tell people the truth.  If you want more money you have to be qualified to earn it. It is that simple.  When I worked as a Greaseman at a hotel in Lake Tahoe, I wanted more money than the $90 per week I earned. When I promoted to housekeeping a $10 per week raise came with the position. I became more qualified, moved into a different position and earned more money.  This is the formula to get more money.  Identify the job you want and focus on what it will take to get in that position. Talk to people who have t

There was a time when I was running Walt Disney World when I was frustrated we were not improving customer service quick enough. At the same time, we were not moving quickly enough to build trust with cast members.  That was when I developed the Disney Great Leader Strategies. You can find the 10 Great Leader Strategies in my book, Creating Magic.  Our Great Leader Strategies moved Disney World from being good to great. Or great to greater.  Developing the strategies was one thing. Getting everyone on board was another thing.  In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I share the story behind the implementation of the Great Leader Strategies to over 40,000 cast members.  I began by spending 4 hours with my direct reports, explaining each strategy and explaining what my expectations were. From there, each of them had 3 weeks to pass the Great Leadership Strategies on to their direct reports. And so it went until every cast member had been trained.  Too often, when an organization wants to implement a new polic

In every organization and every business, we have to deal with angry customers.  Some of them are so angry the situation can be hard to diffuse.  When a family saves money for years to visit Disney and something goes wrong, they can get very angry. When a situation got to me, I did what ever I could to solve their problem.  Remember, they are not mad at your personally. They have 10 other problems you don't even know about. Don't take it personally.  The customer is not always right, they are often wrong. But they are always the customer. And you if you want them to be a repeat customer you do what you can to turn the situation around. Don't get defensive. Use empathy and try to solve the problem.  Do your best and then forgive yourself. That is all you can do. 

This week a listener asked a question about whether a company should hire employees or contractors.  Sometimes organizations let contractors get away with behavior they would not let performers get away with.  If you are going to use contractors, you need to include clarity in the contract. Outline behavior, appearance, client interaction. Lay out expectations for professionalism and hold them to it.  At Disney, we are so clear with contractors a guest would never know if they had an interaction with a cast member or a contractor.  If contractors are not living up to expectations, you need to deal with it promptly and directly. If they are doing business in your name, they need to perform as well as you do.  Also in this episode, I answer a second listener question about how to find a job when you move to a new area. 

When I was in charge of East Coast Food & Beverage Operations for Marriott, I would stop by a hotel and meet with the waitresses and waiters. I would ask one question, "What problem can I solve for you today?" It was a small question with a big impact.  Often, the problems they needed to be solved were simple. They were not big issues, but the problems were a big deal to the people who could not do their job properly.  When you have an employee who serves the guest, getting them what they need to properly do their job will have a big impact. The employee will be happy and have more respect for the leadership of the organization, and the customer will be happy, too. In order to build trust, you have to take care of the problems they tell you about.  The more you take care of employees, the more they will trust you with the problems in the way of serving customers. If you want your copy of the Morning Magic Planner, you can find it here. 

When you leave a position, you are often asked to do an exit interview. How should you handle it? If you are taking a position in the same company, only tell them good things. Resist the temptation to explain how you could have been handled better, or items that have frustrated you. Tell them you learned a lot and you appreciate the time people gave you. Explain how what you learned in the position helped you get a promotion.  If you are leaving the company, feel free to tell them the truth about why you are leaving. If you have a good relationship with your supervisor, you can offer some feedback on how to improve. But there really is no upside for you to offer feedback as you leave.  Giving feedback is as art. You have to have the right relationship to be able to give candid feedback on your way out.  If you are faced with an exit interview, just smile and tell them how much you enjoyed your job. You can never get yourself in trouble that way. 

How candid are you with the people you care about?  Candor does not show up as often as it should. But you can't have a healthy workplace without candor. If you want someone to do well, you have to tell them the truth with empathy. This is what candor is all about - truth with empathy. You shouldn't tell truth if there is nothing in it for the other person. You can get a reputation for being someone who tells the truth to help other people. If you don't tell someone the truth and they fail, it is your fault. Begin today. Be candid.

If you have been to Disney World, you may have enjoyed a great meal at the California Grill. You may not realize the story behind what it took to create such a great restaurant.  California Grill may seem like a standard at Disney World now, but it was a risk to get the restaurant off the ground.  When we wanted to add the new restaurant, Deiter Hanning -a world-class chef -  and I flew out to visit Michael Eisner and ask him for $6 Million dollars.  It was a risk that paid off. For me and for Disney World. California Grill turned around food and beverage at Disney World.  Are you willing to take a big risk? You have to be willing to put yourself on the line and take a risk.  If you feel comfortable, you are not taking enough risk.  Risk can seem scary.  Throughout my career, I have managed risk by making sure I have a hand in the outcome. Here are two ways you can manage risk; Don't be afraid to get experts around you. When you have consulted experts you will be prepared for any resistance you may get.  Don'

When you hire a new employee it can be difficult to introduce her to your company culture. This week, I answer a listener question from someone who is concerned about properly training employees while building a culture of trust without making Clarity is the key to bringing new employees on board. Let them know up front what to expect, how often they will see you, and what will happen once they have demonstrated a full grasp of their tasks and responsibilities. Next, you have to take the time to make sure they know what they are doing. Clarity and communication are so vital to build trust and get other people on board to what you are doing. At Disney, we inject so much pixie dust into new cast members they can't get it out. We begin with training and education so they understand we do things the way we do them. CLICK HERE to get my Morning Magic Planner. 

Work Life balance is a myth. You only have one life and it includes work, family, and your personal life. You have to get all those elements in rhythm, not balance.  Here are three you can maintain the right rhythm in your life; Say No to most things.  Understand and focus on the few things you need to work on.  Get experts around you.    It is critical you spend time in a way that brings an investment back on your time. Stop wasting time.  You are wasting time every day. I know you could find an extra hour each day. The question is, do you have the self-discipline to implement the changes you need to make?   If you need help finding the right rhythm in your life, check out my Time Management Magic online course. 

Do you have a great life? If not, what not? A great life is within your reach, but you have to decide you want a better life.  "What if" are words Lou Mongello did want haunting him later in life. So he left his job as a lawyer in New Jersey and moved to Orlando to pursue a great life. Now, Lou is the host of the popular WDW Radio. Lou has a great life.   If you are young, go do what you love. Make mistakes. Get experience. Make money later in your life.  Fear today is not nearly as bad as regrets tomorrow.  Getting fired showed me there is not too much to be afraid of. If I can get fired from my job and still find a way to provide for my family, how bad can it be? Knowing this armed me with what I needed to take bigger risks.  In my entire career, I have only had a handful of days where I did not want to be there. Taking risks lead to a great career.  If you become complacent, you will not be successful. Do not settle. Failure comes when you quit. Are you going to settle for a good life? Or, are you ready to

Twenty-Five years ago Disneyland Paris opened. On this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I reflect on the experience of being involved in opening the park.  Lou Mongello, host of WDW Radio joins us to discuss Disneyland Paris and ask some tough questions about what it took to introduce the Disney culture to Europe.  In this episode, you will learn about my personal experience in Paris. And you will take away lessons you can apply in your life and business. You may also enjoy this episode of WDW Radio where I join Lou Mongello to talk about DisneyWorld.  You can find out more about Lou Mongello HERE and listen to WDW Radio HERE. 

How do you handle criticism? Criticism can be hard to take. Personally, I used to feel stung when someone criticized me, even if they were trying to help. When you make a mistake or receive criticism, the only way to handle it is to focus on being great. Get back in favor by letting people see you have a great attitude and you have learned a lesson. You can get your copy of the Morning Magic Planner here.

If you did not learn something new yesterday, you weren't paying attention. Every day is a chance to get better. To be successful, one of the most important traits is curiosity. If you are curious, you can improve every day.  Some companies adopt Six Sigma or Lean Thinking to get better. Disney adopted a culture of continuous improvement.  A listener wants to know how you can continue to focus on improvement without overlooking the great work and accomplishments people are doing every day. Quite simply, you involve everyone in your effort to improve. If you include people who are on the front line doing the work. Continuous improvement is part of the culture. If you get your culture right, everything else gets easier. My Time Management Magic Course is available here. You can get an introduction to Six Sigma in Jack Welch's book Winning.

This week on Creating Disney Magic, I answer a listener question about changing college majors. But it leads to a conversation that is important to you. We talk about not getting stuck.  Too many people get stuck in a job get stuck in a job they do not enjoy. My guess is 70% - 80% of people don't like their job, probably more.  It does not have to be that way. You don't have to get stuck in the wrong job, wrong city, wrong relationship or with your the wrong boss. Take control of your life.  Don't just get used to how things turn out. Make something happen. You have to take a risk to have a great life.  Click Here to get the new Morning Magic Planner. 

When people question the importance of checklists, I quickly mention pilots as an example. Would you like your pilot to fly the plane using a checklist or fly the plane based on what he remembers? Many airplane crashes are caused by pilot error. The same is true in our life. Most of our failures come from not doing what we are supposed to do at the right time.  On a personal level, checklists can help you get everything done you have said you will get done. Throughout an organization, checklists will help you provide better service, implement better financial controls, and provide better training for employees.  If you don't currently use checklists, start by sitting down with a clipboard. Gather the rest of the team around and pick one process, such as opening the business every morning. Collect all the steps and tasks involved with opening the business. Once your checklist is in place, move on to the next process.  A checklist will help you complete every step along the way so you don't miss the details.  M

Measuring Key Performance Indicators are part of the culture at Disney. Cast members know what we are reaching for and how our performance measures against the goal.  Setting targets for performance is important. You can't improve what you do not measure.  Once you hit your target, you can adjust to ensure you continue to improve.  Put key performance indicators in place and then make employees aware of them so they can help you move towards the goal.  Individuals should also have key performance indicators to help them be successful. In this episode, our discussion about key performance indicators also covers how to set goals for others and what to do if you can't reach key performance indicators others have set for you. 

Politics is a tricky subject to talk about in the workplace. No matter which political side you agree with, you are likely to offend or incite someone who feels differently than you.  Political talk at work is just like other aspects of your company culture. It is what you let it become.  Many organizations have rules in place about talking about politics at work. But it does still happen.  When coworkers try to involve you in a political discussion, simply say"I don't feel comfortable talking about politics." If it becomes a problem, you need to talk to your supervisor.  If you are a supervisor, you should never talk about politics in the workplace. Certainly, never allow talk about politics to take place in front of customers.  In short, if you talk politics at work, stop. There is nothing to gain and plenty to lose.  Get a preview of my Time Management Magic course HERE.