Creating Disney Magic: Lessons In Leadership, Management, And Customer Service

Today Jody and I are talking about the importance of saying no and why you should say no more often.   It is easy to be a people pleaser or want to feel important. That can lead to over-committing yourself and may take away your ability to say yes to important things. You will always have opportunities "come up" . There will always be invitations for dinners or meetings or any other number of well-intentioned invitations.    Ask yourself if you want to do something or if it is better to decline. It isn’t hard to learn what to say yes or no to. Taking care of yourself, your family, and your business must be at the top of your priority list. If an opportunity conflicts with any of those things, it’s an easy no. Say yes to what aligns with your priorities and say no to what takes away from them.   If you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, you probably need to say no more often. My Morning Magic Planner is a great resource for planning your time in a way that aligns with your priorities. You can download it for f

Today we are discussing the three things you need to have an excellent career. People often ask what they need to have or do to be successful. I’ve spoken about it many times, but today I will explain it in more depth. To have an excellent career you need education, experience, and exposure. Education isn’t just about a degree; you don’t need a piece of paper to be successful. You do need to be a lifelong learner. There are so many opportunities to learn available today. You learn by asking questions, listening to podcasts, attending seminars, and being intentional about learning. Education is forever. You can get smarter every day if you want to. Experience takes that education a step farther into reality. Be intentional about experiencing the things you learn about in everyday life. Find the things that grow you, take what you have learned and make them actual. Learn by paying attention on purpose. Get out of your comfort zone and around those things that others are doing. If you are interested in something

Today we are discussing the importance of self-reflection, both as an employee and as a leader. We have talked a few times about the changing terrain of the employee/employer relationship. People today are unwilling to remain in toxic environments or in places they don’t feel valued. There are some industries where no matter how hard you work, you will probably encounter unappreciative environments. The service industry is notorious for this. But sometimes, we must check in with ourselves to see if negative feedback is warranted. This is called self-reflection. When you encounter harsh environments at work, you can choose to move on or press on. You can leave now, or you can push through and leave later with exposure, experience, and training. Regardless of the environment, your job is to learn and get better. There is a benefit to waiting it out. Learn how to be the leader you want to be by immolating good leaders and recognizing what you don’t want to take away from bad ones. If your work environment is an

Today Jody and I are taking a look at how to handle conflict in the workplace. After reading a recent article featuring a conflict between airline pilots, the question of how to handle situations like this has been front of mind. As a leader, you must remain cool, calm, and collected; especially where conflict is involved. Your ability to be focused and get the job done safely is a huge part of leadership. When you lose your composure, you run the risk of making wrong decisions.  When you lead, you need to be able to set people at ease and get the job done safely. If you are handling a conflict between employees, how you respond is key; people are watching to see what you will do. As a leader, you need to do the following: Get to the bottom of the conflict Determine fault and necessary disciplinary action Take stock of the bigger picture and be willing to send the necessary message to other team members. It is important to deal with conflict as soon as possible. Don’t wait. The sooner you deal with it, the

Today we are revisiting an important topic: time management. How people approach time management has changed in recent years. People don’t just want to be more productive; they want to focus on what really matters to them. Time management isn’t just about fitting more things into your day. It is about being aware of your priorities and using your time to get closer to accomplishing them. Often the things we need to do are not the things we want to do. If you don’t do the hard things in life, life will get harder for you. Do what will pay off later now. Invest your time wisely. Invest in yourself. Invest in your family. Invest in your business, in that order. Don’t wish you had more time for your kids. Spend more time on them. Get a system in your life that will manage your life, just like you use systems in your business to keep everything running. Think ahead. What will you regret not doing later? That is what you need to prioritize and intentionally spend your time on. Get it balanced. Where you spend time

Technology is a crucial part of everything we do. But does it get in the way of connecting with customers and co-workers? Getting people to talk and interact has become a challenge. We miss out on creativity, collaboration, and  It's time to get people in your organization to get together in person. After being apart for two years, many people have gotten comfortable being away from their coworkers. There is an advantage to letting people work from home, but too much time away from coworkers can led people to be introverts.  As a leader, you have to find the right way to get people back together. It will be good for your organization and for each individual. Over time, it has an impact if people are not building relationships with each other.  Technology is getting in the way of customer service, too. Often now, you see people in customer service roles on their phones. The phone is a distraction that gets in the way of paying attention to each customer. When a customer sees someone on their phone, it sends th

If you have traveled this year, you have noticed most people are stressed. Most businesses are understaffed.  Priscilla and I just returned from Europe and saw service delays everywhere we went.  Most travelers experience flight delays or cancelations. It's hard to get a rental car. Restaurants don't have enough people to serve customers.  Some companies stand out with their service, even with the current conditions. We went on a cruise with Virgin Voyages in Europe. The rooms were fabulous, and the meals were great, but you first notice the service, even though they are likely short-staffed like everyone else.  Lack of service and lack of staff impact nearly every business. Many of them use it as an excuse for poor service. This gives you the perfect opportunity to stand out by delivering excellent customer service. Now is the time to get an advantage and get in front of everyone else.  If you want an advantage in customer service, start with the course World Class Customer Service in the Cockerell Academy.

Today we are tackling a question on many leaders' minds. How do you keep your employees from leaving? It is pretty simple. Appreciate your employees. Toxic culture is the most cited reason for leaving a job. It has been on the rise, and it is not going anywhere. As leaders, make a strategy to keep your employees and prioritize implementing it. When the culture isn’t right, people leave. We like to think it is because of money or another factor. But whether it is in our professional life, or our personal life, culture is critical. People will abandon a ship they perceive to be sinking. Don’t make strategies and decisions based on what you think is impacting your team. Put your assumptions away and make an effort to determine what is driving people to leave. As soon as you admit something is wrong, you can work on changing it. One of the best ways to address and improve culture is by training your leadership. Equip your middle managers to be good leaders that will take care of their team. Now may be a good time

Today we are exploring how to overcome the old mentality that says if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. People can be resistant to change. Often, people push back when it is personal. So, if you want to help overcome resistance, you have to come at it on a personal level. It can be difficult, especially when dealing with frontline workers. When you let anyone know about the change, talk to them in the same way you talk to leaders. Don’t try to soft-sell it. Let them know that everyone is important and that you value their input. Don’t try to spin it; create a culture that lets you talk about it and determine the correct decision. Sometimes, you need to move quickly, but you want the change to last. Pull on those who know more about the situation than you do. Information is easy to come by, but wisdom is harder to gather. In your industry, things are constantly changing, and you need to make sure you are adapting and growing. Remember, input is never wasted. It provides you with the information you need, and it gi

Today we answer a listener question. Should the top leader be the face of change, or should a direct leader represent change for the store they manage? Transition can be difficult for anyone. When you are a leader, and there is a change to implement, you need to approach it with empathy and a clear plan of action. If you are bringing discipline or correction, make sure you take the time to prepare. Have clear takeaway points and communicate what needs to be changed or be done. When you come alongside the leaders under you, you help them learn to see with your eyes. The opinion doesn’t matter until you are on the same page of expectations. If there is confusion or a difference of opinions, communicate. Let them know you are working on it. Take time to prepare, go over things and then work together to make sure appropriate changes are implemented. As you come into alignment, allow them to be the person to communicate to their teams the changes that are coming. Allow them to be in control of the standard you set

Today we are celebrating something big. Episode 400! Creating Disney Magic started eight years ago and has stood the test of time. Jody has some interesting statistics about our audience. As we record our four hundredth episode, Jody asks an interesting question. Why keep doing the show? After eight years, I am surprised how much I have learned through this podcast; not to mention it is the perfect way of connecting with individuals who may benefit from my other products. I have some great courses, resources and even do some public speaking. It amazes me how the more you explain, the more you understand. Teaching feeds your brain with knowledge. My biggest take away is asking more often. Ask for what you want. The worst people can do is say no. But they may say yes. Ask more and offer more. The more you help people, the more you get out of it. It has been a pleasure to work with Magical Vacation Planners over the duration of the show. Make sure you contact Magical Vacation Planners about your next trip. You c

Today Jody and I are looking at the difference between being efficient and being effective. We also are going to tell you which is more important. You can be efficient by getting a long to-do list done, but are you being effective? If you aren’t focusing on the correct things, then you may be checking things off without being effective. Being effective means you are getting the right things done. It is not enough to keep busy. Make sure you schedule your priorities. Then you can make sure you are focusing on the right things. It’s not hard to fill time. It can be difficult to focus on the hard stuff that needs doing. Being busy isn’t the same as being effective. You are not the product of your circumstances; you are the product of the decisions you have been making throughout your life. Think about the results you are looking for, and then do those things that you need to do to get you there. Do things right, not fast. Speed does not equal efficiency. Watch the data, then determine the metrics that will help

Today we are celebrating our countdown to 400 episodes! This is episode 398, and Jody and I are talking about a topic that means a lot to me personally. People often talk about work-life balance. What they don’t realize is work-life balance is an artificial barrier. You have one life, and you have to get it all in. Every area impacts and affects the others, so it doesn’t do any good to try and separate them. Sometimes you have to take home to work. Sometimes you have to take work home. It’s not enough to focus on one or the other. Focus on good time management and quit wasting time. Know when to stop taking stuff on. Prioritize what is important and then schedule it to make sure it happens. It isn’t hard to learn. Study it, read it, and implement it. A new habit can take a while, but stay with it, and you will see improvement. As far as wellness at work is concerned, leaders need to set the example and provide the space and accountability employees need to take care of themselves. Encourage your team to prior

When I was a General Manager at a hotel in Marriott, I came up with a purpose statement for all hotel staff to use as they did their job.  "Be so nice to the guest they won't believe it." A listener asked if the purpose statement should change depending on the level of the employee.  Your organization should have one purpose statement to apply to every role. Even if someone has a backstage role, they still contribute to how you serve the customer. Even if you never see a customer, understanding the purpose statement can change the way you approach your job.  If "being so nice to the gues they won't believe it" is our purpose statement, it may change how you approach your backstage role. Maybe you make a purposeful walk through the lobby to say Hello to customers. Maybe you walk to your car slower to see if you can find a chance to help someone. Maybe you help out front-line workers so they are better prepared to serve.  At Walt Disney World, our purpose statement is "make sure every Guest has the most fabulou

Someone once asked us about their dilemma about investing in their staff or focusing on business results during a tough time.  It's not an easy situation for any organization to be in. A business needs to survive. If you aren't making any money, you can't support the employees or serve customers.  When a listener sends us a question, we don't often hear how it turns out. This episode updates what happened when we answered a listener's question about investing in people.  If you are faced with a challenging situation in your organization, the best thing you can do is be upfront with everyone. Let them know what the organization is going through and the impact it is going to have. Create the feeling that you are all going through it together, and let as many people as possible offer input and ideas.  Investing in people had a big payoff for the listener who gave us the update. They took the short-term hit to the bottom line to make the long-term investment in their people. He was promoted to president and promo

Today we have a special guest Tim Schurrer with us. Tim spent ten years on Donald Miller’s Storybrand team, and now he is publishing an impactful book. The Secret Society of Success. If I had to boil down Tim’s book to one sentence, it is this: don’t become a big deal. When we think of success we picture climbing a ladder or being the boss. But is that success? If fame, money, and power are not the building blocks of success, what are they? According to Tim, it is helping others win. When we help others be their best, we experience true success. Everyone wants to do what is meaningful. We do that by asking: who are we here for? In the office or at home, you have to show up and play your part. Take the posture that allows you to help someone else. Check-in with yourself and ask the hard questions. How am I showing up as a leader? As a spouse? As a parent? Success isn’t only found in the boardroom. It is found in the living room at home. Everyone matters and that is the mindset that will help you experience tru

Now that the world is opening back up, many leaders wonder what they should focus on to contend with the current climate. Many employees are resigning and looking for something else. These are the five things that every company needs to be mindful of. Retention is a big deal; employees know they can find a new job easily. Why should they stay where they are unhappy? Do you want to know how to retain your employees? Find out what makes them unhappy, and fix it. Once you identify what makes them happy, double down on it. Four pillars are imperative for success: collaboration, trust, communicating with clarity, and competency. Collaboration is an attitude, and it sets the tone for your company. Trust is what creates return customers and retains employees; be the person who returns the call, encourages others, and seeks to help. Communicate clearly. Be clear about expectations from the beginning. Lastly, always work on competency. You need to be growing and getting better at what you do for as long as you do it.

Today, Jody and I are talking about the importance of expanding your mind. It is beneficial to be versed in multiple topics. The good news is it isn’t complicated to grow in the things you know. I have mentioned before that experience, exposure, and education are important building blocks for life. When it comes to expanding your understanding, the three “E”s are just as vital. If you want to grow in what you know, be intentional. Make sure you are getting a little something every day. Listen to the input around you. Read, listen to podcasts and make sure you are always learning from the people in the room. As questions and go deeper with the individuals you have relationships with. Ask them questions about the things they are passionate. Ask yourself, “How am I feeding my brain every day?” The more you encounter, the more curious you will be. Allow that curiosity to drive you to expand your horizon and expose you to deeper levels of thought. When you have a well to draw from, your self-confidence increases.

Today, Jody and I are talking about how to prepare for something going wrong in your business and how you communicate it to your customers. It doesn’t matter your industry; you will find yourself in a situation where you have to deliver bad news. How you handle the communication of disappointing information can reinforce or destroy the trust your customers have in you. The best thing you can do is get ahead of the situation. Take some time to think ahead and work through potential scenarios. Think through what could go wrong and develop a plan. You can even look at the challenges that industries similar to yours encounter. Ask yourself, “How would we have handled that?”. Outline processes and procedures for actual issues and train your team accordingly. Do you have automated systems? Are they factored into your plan? Make sure those who are closest to the situation are trained and authorized to make decisions in the event of an emergency. It is a big responsibility. How you handle negative situations and how

Today, Jody brought up a practice we had at Disney known as the No Strings Attached voucher. Simply put, a cast member was empowered to provide a guest with this certificate to help rectify a negative experience. If your kid dropped their ice cream or your shirt tore on a ride, the No Strings Attached voucher could fix it…with no strings attached. In business, you need to ensure your employees can correct issues without running them up the chain of command. It makes a huge impression when your team is empowered to make things right without jumping through hoops or getting caught up in the hierarchy. It shouldn’t be a big surprise when people go the extra mile to make things right, but often it is. Because it is rare, it makes an impression and creates loyalty. Teach your team to look for opportunities to correct issues for others. This is a philosophy you can take into your personal life as well. Take ten minutes and make someone’s day better. When you approach a situation, be nice intentionally and figure ou