Creating Disney Magic

"Your responsibility is not to sit in the office, but to be out in the operation." There are a few things I learned throughout my career about effectively train a new leader. It starts by hiring the right people and setting clear expectations. Clear expectations includes making sure the new leader's personal appearance is up to standard and they understand the importance of being visible and prese...

"You're not a product of your circumstances. You're a product of your decisions." Through my experience as a leader, I have learned that time management and prioritization are key to success. In this episode, I shared my insights on how to achieve better time management and make better decisions. There are a few things great leaders do in order to make sure they don't stray into unnecessary tasks....

Today, Jody and I evaluate the answer to a recent webinar question. Haden asked, "How do you see technology being integrated with customer service to deliver improvement?" I will be the first to admit that I have not always been a fan of technology in a customer service environment. First and foremost, it should not be used as a copout for delivering subpar service. That being said, there is a tim...

  Today, Jody and I unpack a question that Jody came up with while looking at our soon-to-be-released Performance Excellence Course in the Cockerell Academy. How do you exceed guest expectations? This is a question that any company will benefit by asking themselves. And the answer is simple. Get feedback regularly from your guests. Over time, expectations will become clear. The things that guests...

Today, Jody and I tackle a listener question that hits close to home. "How do you lead after your leader has been replaced and you were passed over for the role?" I experienced this exact scenario personally. Momentary disappointment can be the best thing to happen. It can be an opportunity to learn and grow in your current role. If you can be patient and make incremental improvements, you will wo...

Today, Jody and I recap our most recent Creating Magic Mastermind hosted at the Element Hotel Sky Lounge at Icon Park in Orlando Florida. So far, this was our best mastermind event to date. We were honored to have Karl Holz as our guest speaker. Karl and I go way back. Not only has he held many prestigious roles at Disney, I hired him, and it was the best hire I ever made. One of the big takeaways...

Today, Jody and I answer a listener question. Our anonymous listener asks, "When gauging employee satisfaction, is it better to focus on the positives or negatives? Do you look at what's going right or what's not going right?" The answer goes beyond what is right or wrong. Get to know your team, and build trust so they will answer honestly either way. You want them to communicate without fear and...

Today, Jody and I discuss a topic made famous by Warren Buffett. What does it mean to invest in yourself? People often associate investing in yourself with spending money. Enrolling in college. Taking lessons. Investing financially in a specialist or a coach. All of these are a type of investment. But you can invest in yourself every day without spending a dime. Personally, I consider anything you...

"Build the relationship before you need it." In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, Jody and I discuss the significance of tackling problems promptly. It's the best way to reduce stress and improve relationships. Recognizing mistakes and apologizing immediately helps you manage your emotions and build trust with others. There is a difference between stress and distress. Distress causes issues d...

Today, Jody and I are unpacking how to ensure the training your team gets is effective and creates long-term change. Training is essential to most businesses. But if nobody does anything after you train them, you didn't train them. Whether you are an employee or a manager, it boils down to being disciplined and accountable to applying what you learn. Most people don't have a problem knowing what t...

Today, Jody and I are answering a few questions about working with a disengaged employee that we didn't get to on a recent webinar. If you have an employee who is disengaged, you need to assess the situation. Determine if there has been a change, or is this how they have always been? If someone has changed, than something has changed, and it is your job as the manager to identify it and help them...

Today, Jody and I are at the California Grill with Jamie and JJ Eubanks, the founders of Magical Vacation Planners. We discussed relationships, leadership, and management during our time together, specifically how it has shifted during the past few years. As leaders, there are a lot of things to focus on. You can't control others; you can only give them the tools needed. It is up to them what they...

Today, Jody and I are answering some questions we received at a recent event hosted by the Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education. One question we received was how educators enhance or improve their hospitality curriculum. Embrace that hospitality touches every industry. It is about how we treat people. Encourage students to pursue a base degree in hospitality and utilize their...

Today, Jody and I are recording live in my home office. We just finished recording our newest course for the Cockerell Academy and want to share some thoughts about the topic: Performance Excellence.   Simply put, performance excellence is implementing an environment and system that ensures the guest experience is amazing; which begins long before a guest arrives. It isn't complicated. It is inten...

Today, Donald Miller joins Jody and me and takes us through how you can grow your small business by following a simple framework. 65% of small businesses fail within the first 10 years. Often, this failure is due to a lack of systems, processes, and focus. By working within a proven framework, you are empowered to make the correct decisions and set a solid course. In Donald's new book, he covers t...

Today, Jody and I explore how changing job titles can clarify expectations. Many organizations need to think about reevaluating their job titles. A title needs to be a clear indicator of an individuals role. They must be associated with what they do and where they spend their time. Your title should tell you where to be and what you need to focus on. Rethink what your team is focusing on. This can...

Today, Jody and I examine how you can get your team moving in the same direction. I recently did a workshop for the City of Miami Gardens. It was a wonderful experience. It demonstrated the importance of education and exposure when forming opinions. It is a good investment if an organization can afford a workshop or multi-day training. When a team goes through shared lessons, it helps to get every...

Today, Jody, Cassie Tucker and I tackle how you can offer help in the right way. People regularly reach out to me, looking to connect. Networking is important, but there can be a lot of noise. If you want to stand out, you must offer to help in the right way. When you reach out, be specific about how you can serve. Can you save them time? Money? Help them increase their reach and build reputation?...

Today, Jody and I discuss why you need to handle difficult situations quickly. No one likes dealing with difficult situations. However, the speed that we employ handling them is crucial. The longer these issues are left unchecked, the bigger they become. If you don't deal with them right away, you are running the risk of them escalating into a crisis. We need to learn to do the urgent things urgen...

Today, Jody and I look at how you can focus your strategy and be efficient year-round. People tend to treat January or the first of the year as a time to overhaul their strategy, but this isn't the best approach. Strategy is overused. Every day you need to focus on specific parts of your business: great staff, great processes, and great products. As leaders, your need to work on getting better eve...

  Today, Jody and I unpack the importance of understanding the expectations your supervisor has of you. Managers need to be clear on their expectations. If your manager isn't clear, it is your job to clarify and make sure you understand. Ask questions to get the clarity you need. As an employee, how do you handle an unclear leader? Ask. Don't be embarrassed or afraid of looking bad. Ask questions...

Today, Jody and I discuss the impact being nice has on your career. The concept of being nice is something we learn very early in life. What happens when you are nice? People like you. What happens when you are not kind? People don't like working with you. More and more, if people don't care for you, they gang up on you. It can be challenging to respond with kindness when people are rude and unrea...

One of the best ways to retain high performers is to be a role model for the culture you want. Today, Jody and I answer the question, "What is a good way to refine culture to retain high performers when you are a small business?"   This question has a simple answer. Be a great role model. As a leader, you need to live the culture you want to see every day. Leaders that embody the culture create an...

During a Cockerell Community call in December Lee gave everyone a challenge asking them to think about what do you do with what you learn. When people are given an abundance of tools it is up to them to make use of them. During this episode Lee everyone to think about what do you do with what you learn. When people are given an abundance of tools it is up to them to make use of them.  As we enter...

Today, Jody and I discuss how to reinforce good customer service. It's not enough to require your team to provide customer service. You need to recognize specific actions, so it is reproducible. As a leader, it is your job to recognize and reinforce the attributes you want your employees to embody. The only way to do that is to be out where it happens. Have your feet on the ground and see how your...