Creating Disney Magic

Every business gets an unexpected rush of customers.  You have seen this either as a customer or in your own organization.  How often in these situations are you left wondering what is going on? Most of the time, this is what happens.  Too many customers leave staff unable to deal with the rush. The line builds up and customers get frustrated. Don't act like nothing is happening. The best thing yo...

Layoffs are not easy for anyone, no matter which side you are on. When I worked at Marriott in Philadelphia, I had to lay off 10% of our staff. It was the first time I had to do this. Every person I had to lay off I knew personally. It was heartbreaking for me to have to impact them and their families. Employees who are left behind also feel the pain. They have seen it happen and it erodes trust a...

Leadership is leadership no matter where you find it.  A podcast listener wrote in with a question about how leadership looks different in a school versus leadership in a business.  Good question with a simple answer. Leadership is leadership no matter where you find it. The words you use may be different, but leadership is the same in a school setting.  A Principal sets the standards and teachers...

"The biggest obstacle to thriving is arriving" - Dan Miller Once you accomplish something big, do you keep pushing to get better? Or do you settle in? You can do more than you are currently doing in your life. If you want to.  Don't try to be the best. Just try to be better every day.  The ability to push through obstacles and resistance is how you get ahead in life.  If you let something derail y...

We often fall in love with our own ideas.  When we have time and money invested in an idea, it becomes hard to walk away.  But if you have been doing it for a while and it is not working, it is probably not going to work.  Rethink how you are doing things. What do you have going on that is not working right now? I admit, guys tend to be stubborn about hanging onto ideas, even if they are no longer...

Strategic Planning does not mean creating a big complex plan.  The purpose of a strategic plan is simply to make business better. An effective strategic plan only has 3 elements: Customer, Employee, and the Bottom Line.  There are three questions you want to answer in your strategic plan; How can we make it better for guests?  How can we make it better for employees? How can we make more money? Si...

If employees are disorganized it can cause problems for you and other employees.  As a leader, you need to deal with it. Other people are watching and wondering why you are letting this problem continue.  Sit down with the disorganized and explain what you see and why what they are doing is disruptive. And figure out why it is happening.  Maybe they need more from you. Maybe you haven't said anyth...

One of the quickest ways to get ahead in your career is to take on more work and do a great job. When the opportunity arises, you should volunteer to take on more responsibility.  The people who get ahead in life are the ones who raise their hands when the boss needs someone to take on a project.  And, usually, it is the busiest person in the room who raises their hand.  This is because they have...

There are times when people of higher positions in an organization feel like they are above other positions.  Let me be blunt. Some people feel they are hot stuff and don't appreciate the employees who are really making the business operate.  During my career, I was treated as if I wasn't as good as others because I didn't have a college degree. But I know I am not unique. Women have dealt with tr...

When a new year begins, the only shift I make is getting out my January insert for my DayTimer.  A new year has no more importance than a new day.  Many people make the mistake of having a philosophical approach to a new year.  Have you thought to yourself, "well, it's a new year, now is the time to focus on ..." and here is where you might insert losing weight, spending time with family, or findi...

Many companies focus on results and don't care how you feel. You get a paycheck and they don't owe you anything else, they reason.  You don't have to put up with it.  If you have a job where you are not respected or appreciated, it is time to move on. Perform as good as you can at your current position while you look for a new job, but begin now looking for a new job. Don't stay in a job where you...

In your book, your phone number. What do you do with all the extra phone calls you get? Believe it or not, I don't get many phone calls. Sure, I get some spam calls. Even when I was the EVP of Disney World, I made myself available to any cast member. It wasn't often a cast member reached out. And today, not many people reach out. If someone calls me, I want to make sure they get in touch with me....

Being a parent is the most important leadership job in the world.  If you can't have hard discussions and make tough choices, don't become a leader. And definitely don't have kids.  Parenting can be hard. Especially when you are the parent of a teenager.  As a leader in your home, you have to keep talking to your teenager constantly. Even when they don't want to talk to you. And you have to model...

In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, we answer listener questions about careers and promotions. How should I dress on my first day at a new job? Before your first day, you should already have an idea of the culture of the company and the way people dress for work. On your first day, dress slightly better than the usual work appearance. It is better to show up a little overdressed than underdr...

When you have a big announcement to make, you know what people are going to ask. Go ahead and address the big issues upfront before they even have to bring it up.  If you want to be sure you cover all potential questions, get a team together. Talk about what questions, concerns, and issues people are going to have with the announcement. Come up with 5 or 6 questions you know people are going to ha...

Is it possible to enforce rules and guidelines and still focus on delivering an excellent customer experience? At Disney, we are clear to cast members about the responsibility to enforce rules and be polite at the same time.  No matter what rule or policy you have, there will be someone who does not like it.  Always remain polite and courteous and explain why the policy is in place. And be consist...

At Disney, it doesn't matter what your job is. We all have the same purpose.  Take care of the guest. It doesn't matter if what you are doing for the guest is in your job description.  A culture of customer service doesn't happen by accident. It has to be part of your culture. It has to be repeated. People have to hear it over and over.  No matter what your job is, your purpose is to take care of...

Every organization has team members resign. Some of the people who leave are popular. Some of them fill an important role in the organization.  How you handle the resignation will have an impact on other employees.  Begin by telling the right people in the right order about the resignation. Doing so will eliminate the wrong story getting into the rumor mill. Within a couple of hours, everyone who...

Your job is not to motivate employees. Your job is to hire the right employees. When you hire the right people they will motivate themselves.  Not everyone agrees with this idea. Some people feel the main responsibility of a leader is to motivate employees.  During my career, I have had obstacles, bad bosses, bad work situations, bad pay, lots of stress, bad work environments, and in all of those...

How you manage your time is how you manage your reputation.  Nobody is born disorganized. It is a learned thing.  With discipline, you can do the right things when you are supposed to do them.  Time Management Magic is not just a book, it is a way of thinking.  Most of my career success can be attributed to 3 things; organization, time management, and persistence.  But you can't just focus on work...

What if you are so busy you don't have room to fit in a new customer? It happens. Sometimes we are so overwhelmed with our current workload it is difficult to fit in new customers.  But you should never leave it to someone else to get back to you. Put in a system where you get back to a potential customer without putting the burden on them.   If you leave it to a potential customer to get back to...

Is it better to get an education or the experience that comes with a promotion? Education pays off down the road. Take the opportunity to get an education over the chance for a promotion. Sometimes you have to make decisions that will pay off later. Passing up the temporary rewards of promotion in favor of getting an education is one of those times. A promotion pays off now, with more money and re...

Early in my career, when I worked at Marriott, I begin working away from my office. A Library was the first place I worked away from the office.  At Disney, I used to leave my office and work at an unoccupied office or work from the California Grill when it wasn't open.  Now, I still do work away from my office, which is in my house.  There are too many distractions at home. My productivity has go...

Is it better to have experience with a Brand Name company or a bigger role with a small company? This is something to consider, especially early in your career.  When you have a brand name like Disney on your resume, people notice. If you have worked at Disney or Marriott, other organizations will know you have received a high level of training and know how to serve customers.  On the other hand,...

People are looking for experts to help them.  The more you know about your products, the more people will trust you.  Knowing everything you possibly can about the products you offer will lead to better customer service.  Product knowledge doesn't happen by accident. You have to be deliberate. Schedule time to get out in your operation and see what is really happening. Use your product in the way...