Building and reinforcing a strong, positive corporate culture is a keystone of Disney’s success in Cast engagement and Guest happiness. From the moment that Cast Members apply with the Company, they are greeted with reminders of Walt’s vision that continue long into their employment, reminding them and inspiring them to uphold the culture. This is intentional, and drives a trickle-effect that Guests notice. Earlier this week, we discussed three values for culture change, the Disney way. You learned to keep it simple, by leaving room for individuality, make it global, and encourage all levels to buy in, and to make it measurable, by creating specific guidelines that can be assessed. There are, however, three more values that we uphold at the Company, to ensure that culture is made a constant priority: 4. Provide training and coaching. Incorporate the elements of the culture into employee training and ongoing …… Continue reading →

The creation of an organization’s core values must be closely tied to the mission and vision of the organization.  These values are the foundation from which employee behaviors and actions stem; they establish culture, and identifying them should be a team effort.At Disney, we take into account the values already at work in the organization, the values that will be required to support the new culture, and those that will be required to meet the service needs of our Guests. Here are three tips for culture-building the Disney way:1. Keep it simple. Everyone must feel comfortable with the culture. Leave room for individuality and personality.2. Make it global. Everyone at the site, including management, must buy in.3. Make it measurable. Create specific guidelines, and make them a part of the performance assessment process.Check back Thursday for three more Disney tips for culture-building. Share your bes …… Continue reading →

Movies have been made about saying “yes.” It’s what we like to hear, ourselves. It has positive connotations. It often translates into agreement, progress and perceived success.So, it’s no secret that saying “no” can be a challenge.How do you say no to a late night phone call from your mother? Or to a client who is not willing to pay for project requests outside the scope of work? In short, you don’t have to.1. Take your time. Resist the pressure to respond immediately. Give yourself some time to weigh the pros and cons of the situation and, consider how saying yes will affect your goals.2. Consider your alternatives. Sometimes we say “yes” to be nice without considering our own priorities and boundaries. “No” isn’t the end of the conversation if “but you might try…” follows it. If you may be more capable of fulfilling a request at a later time, convey that information as well. …… Continue reading →

Does your business have an identity? If so, is that identity a positive one? Organizational identity is strong when people within the organization have a common understanding of who they are, what they create and for whom they create it. At Disney, organizational identity is comprised of four components, each answering a specific question:• Vision: What do we aspire to be?• Mission: What do we do?• Customer: For whom do we exist?• Essence: What do we want our customers to feel?Once you’ve established organizational identity, the organization can provide guidance and direction, avoid wasting resources and keep everyone focused on their common goal.How do you answer these questions? If you are unable to answer them, how do you believe your customer would answer them? …… Continue reading →

Last week on Talking Point we discussed the reasons that the majority of organizational change fails. Of course knowing the cause of failure is only half of the battle. Let’s discuss several things you can be doing right now to help ensure that the change your organization seeks becomes a reality.1. Talk to Your Colleagues:  Have an honest, open dialogue with your trusted colleagues as to whether or not challenges (listed in our previous post) exist. Once you have identified the gaps, begin to develop a long-term strategy to address the issue.2. Assess Your Organization: Don’t shy away from the awkward conversation. Sometimes the conversation that needs to be had the most is the "elephant in the room."3. Utilize Your Resources: Rick Maurer, aut …… Continue reading →

In an article published by Rick Maurer author of "Beyond the Wall of Resistance," he points out that, “70 percent of all changes attempted in organizations fail.”These failures, of course, have consequences. In addition to wasted costs/resources and lost opportunities are the less obvious cynicism and fear that plague future attempts at change. Additionally,Maurer lists the following four reasons for unsuccessful change:1. Lack of Knowledge: “The knowing-doing gap,” a book by Jeff Pfeffer and Robert Sutton, found that there is a large gap between the knowledge that people possess and the amount of knowledge that is applied. “Piling up more knowledge” isn’t necessarily the answer, it’s figuring out its application.2. Lack o …… Continue reading →

With Friday’s opening ceremonies in the books and the Olympics Games now officially underway, we can’t help but be reminded of the similarities between business and sports. We work in teams, we recognize the need for good communication and we rely on leadership to guide us.Christie Rampone is a two-time Olympic Gold Medal winner, once in 2004 and as a team captain in 2008. She has played in four World Cup finals and will lead her team in their 2012 bid for gold in London.  Christie, in her five years as captain, believes that a great leader boils down to a few “no-nonsense” principles:Stop talking so much: Leading is not always as much about speaking up as it is about listening. She describes her role as, “less talk and more keen observation.”Don’t gossip: The foundation of trust between two teammates (or colleagues) is formed in the one-on-one co …… Continue reading →

When it comes to learning your business, it starts with you. In a session at last month’s leadership summit in Miami, FL, John Caplan, CEO of OpenSky, discussed how knowing what makes you tick can translate into leadership success.  His approach can be simply summarized:• Figure out what you enjoy: For John, it’s the climb or, “the hustle up the mountain” and the relationships you build during that journey. Treating your peers as partners empowers them to help you build value.• Leadership is different than entrepreneurship: John describes entrepreneurship as a reflection of passion, vigor, hope and desire.  Leadership, as he describes it, is about empowering others to unlock their potential. Think about the conductor of an orchestra, his back is to the audience as he leads and directs the musicians to create a work of art for the audience.• Continue reading →

Disney and Marvel recently partnered to create one of the highest grossing summer blockbusters of all time, The Avengers. But how can a seemingly rudimentary comic book series turned blockbuster apply to your business? Here are three lessons you can take away from The Avengers success:• Reward your true fans: The comic book reading genre is a special subset of the population, but that didn’t prevent writers from injecting insider references throughout a movie intended for a mass audience. The moral? Do not lose sight of your most loyal customers as you seek out ways to attract new ones.• Think big picture: The Avengers was not an idea created subsequent to the release of four distinct superhero movies, but rather, a deliberate collaboration …… Continue reading →

The importance of organizational health is often lost on companies afflicted with a bias, suggesting that they are they are “above” the task, looking for a quicker fix or are otherwise unable to quantify how an improvement in organizational health will impact the bottom line.As Patrick Lencioni, best-selling author and President of The Table Group notes, it is almost impossible to create and maintain a competitive advantage based on knowledge alone. With the speed that information travels and the ease with which knowledge can be captured, copied and transferred, companies are forced to look elsewhere to increase their competitive advantage. Here are four disciplines Patrick suggests are essential to building a healthy organization and maintaining a competitive edge:1. Build a cohesive leadership team: Be vulnerable. Great leaders use vulnerability to create trust with their employees.2. Continue reading →