Creating Disney Magic: Lessons in Leadership, Management, and Customer Service

How to Manage and Organize Your Notes

On this special episode of Creating Disney Magic, Dan Cockerell, my son and former VP of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World joins me to talk about how to handle a crisis. Here are four steps to keep in mind while dealing with a crisis: Safety First. Before anything else, the safety of employees, customers, and yourself comes before anything else. Deal with the Facts. During a crisis people get emotional. People speculate and gossip. You should deal only with the facts when you communicate with people. Be Empathetic. Everybody is dealing with a crisis in different ways for different reasons. Understand people are worried. Use the situation to get better. You and your organization can learn plenty from a crisis. Use it as a training opportunity. During my time as EVP of Walt Disney World, we had to shut down the parks due to hurricanes and 9/11.  During a crisis, your culture is on show for everyone to see. Your actions should match your words. What you say doesn’t build a culture. Culture is built through actions.

On this special episode of Creating Disney Magic, Dan Cockerell, my son and former VP of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World joins me to talk about how to handle a crisis. Here are four steps to keep in mind while dealing with a crisis: Safety First. Before anything else, the safety of employees, customers, and yourself comes before anything else. Deal with the Facts. During a crisis people get emotional. People speculate and gossip. You should deal only with the facts when you communicate with people. Be Empathetic. Everybody is dealing with a crisis in different ways for different reasons. Understand people are worried. Use the situation to get better. You and your organization can learn plenty from a crisis. Use it as a training opportunity. During my time as EVP of Walt Disney World, we had to shut down the parks due to hurricanes and 9/11.  During a crisis, your culture is on show for everyone to see. Your actions should match your words. What you say doesn’t build a culture. Culture is built through actions.

How to Handle a Crisis

You don't have to be a supervisor to influence positive change in your organization.  At Disney, there are hourly employees who have influence over decisions from management.  If you want to influence positive change you need to begin by having a spirit of serving.  If people trust you then you will gain some influence. When people want to work with you, you can have more influence on what happens.  Positive changes begin with our attitude. Have a positive attitude so people want to work with you. Then you can introduce ideas on how to make things better.  Don't wait for people to be nice before you are nice to them.  One question you can ask today to help you influence positive change is, "what more can I do for you?" Be sincere and help and you will begin to see the organization change around you.

You don't have to be a supervisor to influence positive change in your organization.  At Disney, there are hourly employees who have influence over decisions from management.  If you want to influence positive change you need to begin by having a spirit of serving.  If people trust you then you will gain some influence. When people want to work with you, you can have more influence on what happens.  Positive changes begin with our attitude. Have a positive attitude so people want to work with you. Then you can introduce ideas on how to make things better.  Don't wait for people to be nice before you are nice to them.  One question you can ask today to help you influence positive change is, "what more can I do for you?" Be sincere and help and you will begin to see the organization change around you. 

Influencing Positive Change in Your Organization

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 you can do is acknowledge what is happening. As a customer comes in, greet them and set the expectation on when you will be able to serve them.  Keep people informed, let them know you are busy and you will be with them as soon as possible.  Be polite, profesional and cureous.  Never let a customer wonder what is going on. Tell them upfront about what is happening. And when they get their turn, provide service so good they will feel it was worth the wait.  You can also take steps to prepare ahead so you are not impacted as bad by an unexpected customer rush. Make sure you have supplies stocked and ready to go to lessen the impact on staff. Tell the staff what shortcuts, if any, are acceptable during customer rushes. Seconds matter to customers so you may be willing to take some shortcuts. And you can never go wrong by making sure you have a great product and great service.

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 you can do is acknowledge what is happening. As a customer comes in, greet them and set the expectation on when you will be able to serve them.  Keep people informed, let them know you are busy and you will be with them as soon as possible.  Be polite, profesional and cureous.  Never let a customer wonder what is going on. Tell them upfront about what is happening. And when they get their turn, provide service so good they will feel it was worth the wait.  You can also take steps to prepare ahead so you are not impacted as bad by an unexpected customer rush. Make sure you have supplies stocked and ready to go to lessen the impact on staff. Tell the staff what shortcuts, if any, are acceptable during customer rushes. Seconds matter to customers so you may be willing to take some shortcuts. And you can never go wrong by making sure you have a great product and great service. 

How to Handle an Unexpected Customer Rush

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 and impacts the culture of the organization. When you have to lay off employees, help them however you can. Be available personally. Offer references. As an organization, offer help with the transition, such as resume services, counseling, severance packages.  If you get laid off, -develop your skills. Learn as much as you can. Make yourself a good prospect for another company. If you work long enough, you will have something like a layoff impact your career.

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 and impacts the culture of the organization. When you have to lay off employees, help them however you can. Be available personally. Offer references. As an organization, offer help with the transition, such as resume services, counseling, severance packages.  If you get laid off, -develop your skills. Learn as much as you can. Make yourself a good prospect for another company. If you work long enough, you will have something like a layoff impact your career.

How to Handle Layoffs

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 carry out the standards and expectations.  Appreciation, recognition, and encouragement.  Hire the right people. Train them. And treat them right.  Management techniques may change over time, but leadership will always stay the same.  Leadership is about influence, attitude, making people feel respected and special.  A good leader in education would be a good leader in business. Leadership is leadership.  Whether you work in a school, a drug store, a movie theater, or a factory making widgets, it is never about the product. It is always about the people.

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 carry out the standards and expectations.  Appreciation, recognition, and encouragement.  Hire the right people. Train them. And treat them right.  Management techniques may change over time, but leadership will always stay the same.  Leadership is about influence, attitude, making people feel respected and special.  A good leader in education would be a good leader in business. Leadership is leadership.  Whether you work in a school, a drug store, a movie theater, or a factory making widgets, it is never about the product. It is always about the people. 

Leadership is Leadership No Matter Where You Find it

"The biggest obstacle to thriving is arriving" - <a href="https://www.48days.com/">Dan Miller</a> 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 you, it will haunt you for the rest of your life.  Get better every day by learning something you did not know yesterday. Help someone you did not help yesterday.  If you know more, you can help other people now more.  If you are nicer, you can help someone have a better day.  Every day, I try to be better and do more than I did the day before. Can I serve someone better? Can I reach out to more people? Can my next podcast be better? Can I be a better role model? Most of your satisfaction will come from people appreciating you, not how much money you make.

"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 you, it will haunt you for the rest of your life.  Get better every day by learning something you did not know yesterday. Help someone you did not help yesterday.  If you know more, you can help other people now more.  If you are nicer, you can help someone have a better day.  Every day, I try to be better and do more than I did the day before. Can I serve someone better? Can I reach out to more people? Can my next podcast be better? Can I be a better role model? Most of your satisfaction will come from people appreciating you, not how much money you make. 

You Can do More than You Did Today

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 working.  One of the best ways to examine your ideas is to get experts around you. Sit in a room with a mastermind group, talk to employees and customers, work with someone who knows more than you do. Make sure you are not sticking to an idea that no longer works.

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 working.  One of the best ways to examine your ideas is to get experts around you. Sit in a room with a mastermind group, talk to employees and customers, work with someone who knows more than you do. Make sure you are not sticking to an idea that no longer works. 

Don't Fall in Love With Your Ideas

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? Sit down with employees and ask them about the business. What are they hearing from customers? What do they need to do their job better? What outstanding maintenance issues are you missing? Now Make a list of questions and ideas by department Here are a couple of examples: Food and beverage:  -How can we increase the average amount of a bill? -How can we get guests to buy a desert? Retail: -What shops should we consider opening? -What products should we carry to increase spending per guest? -Do we have any maintenance issues? Now go through your financial statements. Where can you do better? What can you eliminate altogether? Don't view your strategic plan as something you shape once a year. New ideas can show up at any time. Re-examine the strategic plan every quarter to see where you can improve and what new ideas you can insert into the plan.

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? Sit down with employees and ask them about the business. What are they hearing from customers? What do they need to do their job better? What outstanding maintenance issues are you missing? Now Make a list of questions and ideas by department Here are a couple of examples: Food and beverage:  -How can we increase the average amount of a bill? -How can we get guests to buy a desert? Retail: -What shops should we consider opening? -What products should we carry to increase spending per guest? -Do we have any maintenance issues? Now go through your financial statements. Where can you do better? What can you eliminate altogether? Don't view your strategic plan as something you shape once a year. New ideas can show up at any time. Re-examine the strategic plan every quarter to see where you can improve and what new ideas you can insert into the plan. 

The Three Elements of Strategic Planning

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 anything about it so they assume what they are doing is ok.  Good leaders are constantly repeating what they want to happen. You have to set expectations and constantly remind people.  By the way, if you have good employees leave them alone. Don't adopt a blanket policy that impacts everyone. Deal with the disorganized employees and let the organized employees keep getting work done.

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 anything about it so they assume what they are doing is ok.  Good leaders are constantly repeating what they want to happen. You have to set expectations and constantly remind people.  By the way, if you have good employees leave them alone. Don't adopt a blanket policy that impacts everyone. Deal with the disorganized employees and let the organized employees keep getting work done. 

How to Handle Disorganized Employees

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 a system and know what they can get done. They know how to delegate, follow up, track a project If you want to get noticed by your boss, volunteer to take on a project. By taking on more work and doing a great job, you are going to get noticed. You are going to get exposed to other high performers. You are going to get experience doing bigger work.  Most people will pass on the opportunity to take on more work. But you can't afford to miss the experience and exposure.  Even if you don't know what you're doing, take on the project anyway. You will figure it out. And the big secret in life is nobody else knows what they are doing either. Don't hold back because you don't know what to do.  Take the challenge this week. Find some more work to volunteer for.

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 a system and know what they can get done. They know how to delegate, follow up, track a project If you want to get noticed by your boss, volunteer to take on a project. By taking on more work and doing a great job, you are going to get noticed. You are going to get exposed to other high performers. You are going to get experience doing bigger work.  Most people will pass on the opportunity to take on more work. But you can't afford to miss the experience and exposure.  Even if you don't know what you're doing, take on the project anyway. You will figure it out. And the big secret in life is nobody else knows what they are doing either. Don't hold back because you don't know what to do.  Take the challenge this week. Find some more work to volunteer for. 

Get Ahead in Your Career By Volunteering to Take on More Work

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 treatment like this for a long time. So have older employees. And young employees.  It becomes a cultural thing. And once it is part of the culture, the only way it can change is through top leadership.  A nice suit doesn't make you special. An MBA doesn't make you special. Every employee should be respected. The message, behavior, and culture of appreciation and respect have to come from the top.  Making the change won't happen right away. It took time to get the culture you have and it is going to take time to turn it around.  If you don't get culture right, you are going to miss more opportunities than you realize. If you are a leader, make sure everyone who reports to you is appreciated and respected. If you have the courage to step up. you can try to push it further up. Pushing for change isn't easy. But you can make a difference.  Don't underestimate what you can do to help people.

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 treatment like this for a long time. So have older employees. And young employees.  It becomes a cultural thing. And once it is part of the culture, the only way it can change is through top leadership.  A nice suit doesn't make you special. An MBA doesn't make you special. Every employee should be respected. The message, behavior, and culture of appreciation and respect have to come from the top.  Making the change won't happen right away. It took time to get the culture you have and it is going to take time to turn it around.  If you don't get culture right, you are going to miss more opportunities than you realize. If you are a leader, make sure everyone who reports to you is appreciated and respected. If you have the courage to step up. you can try to push it further up. Pushing for change isn't easy. But you can make a difference.  Don't underestimate what you can do to help people.   

Respect All Employees Not Just the Ones in Nice Suits

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 finding a new job.  If so, you are taking the wrong approach.  The better approach is to think about it each day. How can you make today better? Get out of the habit of setting resolutions or goals for a new year. Instead, make today better. Then make tomorrow better.  Wake up 15 minutes earlier, sit down with the <a href= "https://www.leecockerell.com/morning-magic-planner/">Morning Magic Planner</a> and plan out your day.  Every day is a good day to get better.

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 finding a new job.  If so, you are taking the wrong approach.  The better approach is to think about it each day. How can you make today better? Get out of the habit of setting resolutions or goals for a new year. Instead, make today better. Then make tomorrow better.  Wake up 15 minutes earlier, sit down with the Morning Magic Planner and plan out your day.  Every day is a good day to get better.   

Every Day is a New Opportunity to Get Better

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 are not satisfied with what you are doing.  People who don't feel they matter tend to make drastic changes. It is why people leave relationships. And it is the number one reason why people leave jobs.  There really isn't anything you personally can do if you have a boss who doesn't appreciate people.  The odds of you being able to do anything to change the person as slim. Do not fool with fools. Get out of the situation.  Basically, there are only two options. Stay and put up with it or leave. Leaving is uncomfortable. But life is short, don't put up with a bad situation too long. Your boss won't change.  In a few years, what you are going through now will be a little detour.  Or, you can stay and put up with it.  Your problem is not your situation. Your problem is your decisions. If you stay in a bad work situation it is your decision.

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 are not satisfied with what you are doing.  People who don't feel they matter tend to make drastic changes. It is why people leave relationships. And it is the number one reason why people leave jobs.  There really isn't anything you personally can do if you have a boss who doesn't appreciate people.  The odds of you being able to do anything to change the person as slim. Do not fool with fools. Get out of the situation.  Basically, there are only two options. Stay and put up with it or leave. Leaving is uncomfortable. But life is short, don't put up with a bad situation too long. Your boss won't change.  In a few years, what you are going through now will be a little detour.  Or, you can stay and put up with it.  Your problem is not your situation. Your problem is your decisions. If you stay in a bad work situation it is your decision. 

Your Boss Won't Change

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. That is how I am able to book presentations and other business.  If phone calls are taking away from your business, you still have to find a way to handle the calls. Most businesses make it hard to talk to a real person. Answering the phone is part of taking care of your customers.  If I have my own business but want to learn from someone in a different business, how can I ask them to be my mentor? Reach out and ask for advice. Find out more about the company, pick someone in the company, explain your situation and ask if you can spend a few minutes asking questions. Keep at it. Don't get discouraged.  Persistence is a big problem today. People give up too easily. The power of persistence will take you far in life.

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. That is how I am able to book presentations and other business.  If phone calls are taking away from your business, you still have to find a way to handle the calls. Most businesses make it hard to talk to a real person. Answering the phone is part of taking care of your customers.  If I have my own business but want to learn from someone in a different business, how can I ask them to be my mentor? Reach out and ask for advice. Find out more about the company, pick someone in the company, explain your situation and ask if you can spend a few minutes asking questions. Keep at it. Don't get discouraged.  Persistence is a big problem today. People give up too easily. The power of persistence will take you far in life.

The Power of Persistence

Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World, shares his wisdom and experience from his time with Disney, Marriott, and Hilton. Lee discusses how you can apply lessons in leadership, management, and customer service to create magic in your organization.

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Creating Disney Magic: Lessons in Leadership, Management, an...

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