Leadership in business is a lot like leadership in sports, one of your goals is to bring out the best in your team. Disney recognizes the importance of growing and developing leaders and has taken steps on a global and individual level to support that mission.Because we know that an individual’s behavior is an indicator of what that leader values, it is vitally important that those already in leadership positions model and communicate the behavior that the organization has identified as being of significant value.One way Disney develops leaders on the individual level is with a Performance Development Plan (PDP). The PDP serves several purposes:• Foster feedback: Purposeful, constructive feedback and encouragement from an alternative perspective must be a part of this development process.  Understanding you opportunities for improvement leads to our second purpose.• Build Accountability: The likelihood of reaching your goals in …… Continue reading →

Have you heard? @DisneyInstitute is tweeting LIVE from Disney’s Approach to Quality Service right now at the Walt Disney World® Resort. It’s a special look at the program showcasing the time-tested best practices and business insights of The Walt Disney Company and their application to organizations across the public, private, and social sectors.Would you expect that creating a lifelong memory for a Guest could happen in less than a minute? Is there a service standard more important than courtesy?Join us as we uncover the answers to these questions and explore a “learning laboratory,” at the Walt Disney World® Resort, where these principles are practiced and performed every day. …… Continue reading →

Change can be difficult. Such was the case when a new washing machine with a higher hourly throughput was purchased for a textile center at a Walt Disney World facility. Cast Members were concerned that the automation of the machine would result in fewer working hours and eventually cost them their roles.Leadership listened and took the opportunity to sit down with the Cast Members working at the facility. The Cast Members provided feedback, expressed their concerns and listened to information provided by leadership regarding the use of the new machine. Because the Cast Members had been included as a part of the transition process and reassured that their roles were not endangered, the change was met with excitement and anticipation.Including your front line employees as a part of the transition process is evidence of your genuine care for their happiness and can translate into not only happier employees, but happier Guests.Tell us about ways that you have se …… Continue reading →

According to a recent article from Fast Company, disengaged employees can cost companies billions every year in lost productivity. At Disney, we believe that creating a culture of care, one that supports our Cast Members, is the best way to keep Cast Members engaged.Yesterday’s D’Think Chat posed the question and common theory that “increased compensation [is] an effective driver of motivation.” The overwhelming response from the community was that, while an increased salary might suffice in the short-term, long-term motivational needs are best met through a genuinely supportive culture of care.“We have learned that emotional engagement is a much stronger indicator of discretionary effort.” – Disney Institute Facilitator …… Continue reading →

For many businesses, the New Year marks a hiring season that will add a team of new faces to the company roster. At The Walt Disney Company, there is a highly intentional and specific process that every candidate (and hiring manager) goes through during the hiring process.Questions often include: What processes do I developed to ensure a productive and efficient candidate selection? Once I have selected the perfect candidate, what’s next?Explore these questions and more tomorrow—join us as we host a D’Think Chat on Twitter with Disney Institute facilitators and content experts, Austin Brock and Kendal Jolly.With decades of combined Disney leadership experience, Austin and Kendal will lead a conversation on Disney’s Approach to Selection, Training & Engagement.From new hire training programs to establi …… Continue reading →

Organizations of all sizes have messages to communicate to their teams, and that’s not always a simple task. In a dynamic work environment, ensuring that each employee is informed requires a little planning.At a company as large as Disney, this planning is especially important. Two words define our approach to communicating internally: channels and repetition. Channels: It’s important that channels are selected based on the group you are communicating to. We would not necessarily use the same channels to communicate a message to our front-line Cast Members that we would use to distribute a company-wide message, and vice versa. Using several different channels, such as e-mail, bulletin boards, and voicemails help ensure our second strategy is accomplished.Repetition: Similar to the marketing “rule of seven,” the more your message is reiterated, the more likely your audience is to receive and retain it.What are your best prac …… Continue reading →