Any healthy relationship is built upon a foundation of trust, and the relationship between management and front line employees is no different. Employees who don’t trust their leaders or, who feel as though their leaders do not trust them, tend to be less productive, have higher turnover rates and create lackluster customer experiences.Focus on these five areas to help build a relationship of trust amongst your front line employees:1. Recruiting: Building trust begins before the employee has ever set foot in your workplace. The channels used to deliver your message will communicate your company culture, so support them  with a brand promise and consistent messaging.2. Hiring and Onboarding: Use the onboarding process as an opportunity to immerse your new employee into the company culture. Try assigning a coach (like a mentor) to help each new hire …… Continue reading →

According to the 2012 Building Customer Trust Study by Peppers and Rogers Group, 68 of nearly 100 respondents viewed their companies as being trustable either “to a large extent” or “completely.” But what makes your company “trustable” according to your customer? The top three factors, according to the customer were:1. Delivers what it promises2. Focuses on doing the right thing for customers3. Apologizes and corrects mistakesThe survey notes that, “Too many businesses continue to earn profits by taking advantage of a lack of consumer knowledge...” but don’t look for that trend to continue. In an increasingly interconnected marketplace, consumers are more informed and, as a result, expect companies to be more transparent.If you are unsure whether …… Continue reading →

Did you know that in 1968, Rod Stewart, making his debut at New York’s Fillmore East Theater, was so nervous that he sang his opening song from the shadows of a speaker stack? The moral of the story is that you are not alone.Fast Company’s Bill Wackermann has identified three primary fears that affect our ability to speak naturally in front of groups:1.    Everyone is judging me.2.    I need to be perfect.3.    I am afraid I will freeze and get stuck.For each fear, Wackermann has identified a positive variable to counteract that fear. For instance, it is easier to tackle the fear of judgment when you remember that, by nature, people are self-interested. Chances are that the group of people in front of you is thinking more about what will be on their plate come dinnertime than that word you may have stumbled over a few moments ago.You must also realize that nothing …… Continue reading →

The culture of any workplace environment sets the pace for progress, employee interaction and overall morale. To build or change a culture, it’s important that everyone is fairly represented to move in the right direction. At Disney, culture building starts on a cast member’s first day in our Traditions class. From there, new cast members are immersed into a culture that values Disney history, but more importantly where we are headed as a company and how we can create magical moments today. Sometimes, culture-building efforts fail, but it’s usually because people are not provided with realistic common goals and objectives. Here are some tips for effective culture building in any organization:•  Don’t complicate ideas: Create tangible goals and leave room for individuality so employees don’t feel forced to change.•  Think globally: Each team member, at every level must “buy in” to the culture. This can be accomplished by asse …… Continue reading →

Surveys have shown that, on average, a customer who experiences a negative service encounter will tell nearly twice as many people as he/she would have if the service experience had been positive. What do these word of mouth references look like? "The lines were too long," or perhaps, "You have to see the fireworks, they were outstanding!" But have you ever heard, "That is some common purpose they have at Disney. The way they combine cast, setting and process in Poohs Hunny Hunt is a true testament to Quality Service!" Probably not.Disney Guests are constantly surrounded by these components but, like many infrastructures, this is meant to be invisible. Instead, Guests view and evaluate the service supported by the infrastructure - they just dont need to know it exists.To exceed customer expectations:•  Map out your quality standards and the systems by which they are delivered•  Ask how you can integrate each …… Continue reading →

One of the little “wows” we like to surprise our Guests with is resolving a problem before they have to ask for help. We take the time and effort to study what our Guests need and want, along with their emotions and stereotypes. For instance, our Cast Members often recognize when a Guest is lost or looking for a restroom and know to approach him/her for help before he/she even has to ask.Hire individuals that take an interest in others and genuinely care about making a difference. If you hire for attitude and train for aptitude, you are on your way to creating something special for all of your Guests.What can your organization do to better anticipate and respond to Guest needs? …… Continue reading →

Front line employees are crucial to the success of your business as they interact directly with consumers. An unhelpful and ineffective staff will ultimately damage your organization’s reputation and could result in loss of business. What’s the best way to measure the success of your front-line employees? At Disney we use a wide variety of techniques that are applicable to any organization.• In our theme parks we use peer-to-peer review on performance. Fellow Cast Members can evaluate each other and provide feedback on what they do well or could improve upon.• Depending on the role, we use specific measurements, such as quality monitoring at our call centers.• Our leaders closely watch and monitor Guest interaction and Cast Member attitudes.What can you do to ensure and measure the success of your front line staff?Continue reading →

Giving back to the community through service and volunteering is valued and recognized at The Walt Disney Company. We believe that positive, helpful actions tell a story of who you are as a company and the behaviors your organization values.Through our worldwide service program, Disney VoluntEARS, Cast Members are provided numerous opportunities to serve their community, like collecting and delivering toys, working to help children, preserving the environment and supporting arts and culture. Creating leaders in the community is central to developing leadership excellence within a company. Here are some practical ways to encourage and propel a culture of volunteering:• Reward Service Hours: Through the ‘Ears to You’ program, Cast Members can turn their volunteer hours into cash for their charity of choice. Establishing a rewards or recognition program can serve as motivation to encourage community involvement. • Provide Optio …… Continue reading →

Storyboards originated at Disney Studios in the 1930’s and were, according to Walt Disney, invented by Animator, Webb Smith. As the story goes, Smith would draw sequential scenes for a new cartoon and pin them to the walls of his office instead of describing the plot with words. Walt, none too happy about the now blemished walls of his recently redecorated office, recognized the value in Smith’s design and ordered corkboards on which the sketches could be placed. Storyboarding soon became the standard for mapping out new cartoons and quickly translated into other areas of Walt’s business.Today, Disney Imagineers constantly use this technique when designing a new show or attraction, and believe it or not, it can be applied to any step-by-step process involving your customer experience. The goal is to recreate the experience through the eyes of the customer, but that’s not to say that creativity should fall to the wayside. Use this opportunity to pin color swatches and photos, wr …… Continue reading →