Creating Disney Magic

If you have been to Disney World, you may have enjoyed a great meal at the California Grill. You may not realize the story behind what it took to create such a great restaurant.  California Grill may seem like a standard at Disney World now, but it was a risk to get the restaurant off the ground.  When we wanted to add the new restaurant, Deiter Hanning -a world-class chef -  and I flew out to vis...

When you hire a new employee it can be difficult to introduce her to your company culture. This week, I answer a listener question from someone who is concerned about properly training employees while building a culture of trust without making Clarity is the key to bringing new employees on board. Let them know up front what to expect, how often they will see you, and what will happen once they ha...

Work Life balance is a myth. You only have one life and it includes work, family, and your personal life. You have to get all those elements in rhythm, not balance.  Here are three you can maintain the right rhythm in your life; Say No to most things.  Understand and focus on the few things you need to work on.  Get experts around you.    It is critical you spend time in a way that brings an inves...

Do you have a great life? If not, what not? A great life is within your reach, but you have to decide you want a better life.  "What if" are words Lou Mongello  did want haunting him later in life. So he left his job as a lawyer in New Jersey and moved to Orlando to pursue a great life. Now, Lou is the host of the popular WDW Radio . Lou has a great life.   If you are young, go do what you love. M...

Twenty-Five years ago Disneyland Paris opened. On this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I reflect on the experience of being involved in opening the park.  Lou Mongello, host of WDW Radio joins us to discuss Disneyland Paris and ask some tough questions about what it took to introduce the Disney culture to Europe.  In this episode, you will learn about my personal experience in Paris. And you wil...

How do you handle criticism? Criticism can be hard to take. Personally, I used to feel stung when someone criticized me, even if they were trying to help. When you make a mistake or receive criticism, the only way to handle it is to focus on being great. Get back in favor by letting people see you have a great attitude and you have learned a lesson. You can get your copy of the Morning Magic Plann...

If you did not learn something new yesterday, you weren't paying attention. Every day is a chance to get better. To be successful, one of the most important traits is curiosity. If you are curious, you can improve every day.  Some companies adopt Six Sigma or Lean Thinking to get better. Disney adopted a culture of continuous improvement.  A listener wants to know how you can continue to focus on...

This week on Creating Disney Magic, I answer a listener question about changing college majors. But it leads to a conversation that is important to you. We talk about not getting stuck.  Too many people get stuck in a job get stuck in a job they do not enjoy. My guess is 70% - 80% of people don't like their job, probably more.  It does not have to be that way. You don't have to get stuck in the wr...

When people question the importance of checklists, I quickly mention pilots as an example. Would you like your pilot to fly the plane using a checklist or fly the plane based on what he remembers? Many airplane crashes are caused by pilot error. The same is true in our life. Most of our failures come from not doing what we are supposed to do at the right time.  On a personal level, checklists can...

Measuring Key Performance Indicators are part of the culture at Disney. Cast members know what we are reaching for and how our performance measures against the goal.  Setting targets for performance is important. You can't improve what you do not measure.  Once you hit your target, you can adjust to ensure you continue to improve.  Put key performance indicators in place and then make employees aw...

Politics is a tricky subject to talk about in the workplace. No matter which political side you agree with, you are likely to offend or incite someone who feels differently than you.  Political talk at work is just like other aspects of your company culture. It is what you let it become.  Many organizations have rules in place about talking about politics at work. But it does still happen.  When c...

After hosting Creating Disney Magic for over two years, Jody Maberry spent four days at Walt Disney World. This gave him first-hand experience of the concepts I talk about every week on the show.  In this episode, Jody brings forward some situations he saw during his time at Disney so I can discuss why it works the way it does.  If you have ever spent time at Disney and wondered why the service is...

When your competitor makes a mistake, should you take advantage of it? United Airlines has been in the news lately for mistreating customers. This is an obvious opportunity for competing airlines, but what is the best way to handle it? Some airlines have published advertisements mocking United Airlines. Other airlines have done nothing different.  Aggressively beating up a competitor in advertisin...

Imagine what it would be like if you went on vacation without planning first. You would pay more for a flight. You would end up staying in a hotel you don't like. All of us would avoid having a bad vacation through planning. Yet so few people take the time to plan out their day. If you take the time to plan out your day, it just turns out better. The key to planning is to examine the responsibilit...

One key trait in becoming a successful lead is self-awareness. To become self-aware, you need people who are willing to speak into your life. You need someone who will tell you the truth. Early in my career, I was defensive. Do you like to work closely with someone who is always defensive? No one does. My boss did me a big favor when he spoke up. His advice helped my career dramatically. Be open t...

Implementing change can be hard.  A new policy can bump into many roadblocks, including seniority.  Before you make a change, you have to understand how and why you are making a change before you sell it to employees in your organization.  Take time to consider all the rejections, objections, and complaints you will receive when trying to implement a new policy. Develop your responses so you have...

Too many organizations overreact when a customer does something negative. Look at the signs you see at most organizations. What language do the signs use? You see words like "Don't", "Prohibited", "No". All words your guests and customers shouldn't hear if you are trying to delight them.  You can not overreact when one customer tries to scam you, or file a false complaint. It is the cost of doing...

There will come a time when you have to fire an employee. Whether they can't get the job done anymore, or the requirements of the job have changed, there are situations when you have to let someone go. Depending on who you talk to, there are several tips or best practices about how to fire an employee. Some of the examples I have heard include firing on the day the decision to do so is made and wa...

Change comes slowly in some organizations. It is not just organizations that change slowly. Even in some countries, change can take longer than you would hope.  A young lady from Oslo, Norway asked my opinion about women in leadership roles getting resistance.  It all comes down to culture.  At Disney World, we have embraced women in leadership roles. It is part of our culture. But that is not tru...

How do inspire yourself? For me, inspiration comes from doing what I love. I focus on being a teacher and helping people grow. When I receive a note from someone explaining how Time Management Magic, or one of my other books, helped someone, it inspires me.  You can find inspiration in the work you do and the people you meet. If your work does not inspire you, begin helping other people. It won't...

Often, small businesses have an advantage over big businesses. I know, it doesn't always feel like you have the advantage, but you can get to know your customers better.  A big business may have a lot more products, more staff, and a bigger store, but it is hard to find someone to help you. And when you find someone available to help, they don't often have the knowledge to help.  Recently, I visit...

Always remember, employees are unique people. We all have our individual needs. At times, we may need accommodations to keep the rhythm between professional and personal life in sync.  In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, we examine making accommodations for employees.  Each need for an accommodation should be considered individually.  How does the request fit within company policies and proc...

Good ideas are everywhere. You can learn something new to apply in your business by visiting competitors or even other businesses in a different industry. Visit museums, golf courses, churches. Creative ideas to spark a new way to do business could be found anywhere. You can even find new ideas in the paper, which is why I spend time every morning at Starbucks reading the Wall Street Journal or Ne...

In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I answer a listener question about managing time conflicts.  Specifically, he asks about dealing with conflicts of schedule of what I have in my DayTimer and events scheduled by my assistant at Disney.  Here is how I would make sure there would never be a conflict of schedules; Every Sunday night, I would sit down and check my DayTimer schedule with the co...

To create a magical experience for your customer, you need to identify and remove any hassle the customer may encounter.  In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, we examine how you identify what is getting in the way of your customer having a better experience.  First, look at customer complaints and look for trends.  Next, ask your customers directly. Offer them something in return to sit down...