Creating Disney Magic

Latest Episodes:

Focus Your Strategy Jan 31, 2023

Show notes

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 every day. It doesn't have to be a huge strategy meeting. Be intentional about approaching individualized areas where you have the opportunity to improve.

Knowledge helps you make better decisions. Look at what is around you. What does your client need? What does your competitor offer? Asking these questions regularly will help you take measurable steps toward improvement. Do this every day. Help your team be knowledgeable and equip them to do what needs to be done to provide the best service possible. Take care of your customers and turn them into marketing machines who happily tell the story of how your company takes care of them.

Don't worry about January. Be consistent and continue working on what your clients need and how you can meet that need and produce more.

One strategy you need to take advantage of is Magical Vacation Planners. Give them a call and let them plan your next trip. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

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About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

Get Clarity of Your Supervisor's Expectations Jan 24, 2023

Show notes

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 and make sure you understand. Asking questions will help you learn to do things properly. You only learn by asking questions and clarifying expectations.

A good working relationship will create space for employees to feel comfortable asking questions. If you want people to be successful, you need a rule or playbook for your team to follow. People need to understand what needs to happen and what their part is in that need.

Managers must follow up. Check in intermittently to see if they have come up with something they don't understand. Anything there is a misunderstanding, add it to a list so you know what needs to be clarified. Utilize resources, like photos, to make sure people understand and have a clear idea of what is expected.

Magical Vacation Planners are the team you want for planning your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

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About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

Get Ahead by Being Nice Jan 17, 2023

Show notes

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 unreasonable. You cannot take it personally. The louder they get, the quieter you get. Often, their anger isn't only about the current situation, but the baggage they brought to it.

Your employees follow your cue. Professionals are there to take care of obstacles. Remain calm when faced with an upset customer. We are in control of our attitude, our response, and how we present ourselves to others. When you are nice, people want to work with you. It is a great way to defuse tense situations.

To move ahead in your career, you must be nice and be able to make hard decisions. You must be nice and get results. If you are nice and you aren't getting results, you need to figure out why. They aren't mutually exclusive. Don't just be a boss, be a teacher. Help your team to get ahead by modeling kindness and reliability to them.

If you want to work with a individuals that are nice and get results, make sure to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners for your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

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About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

Be a Role Model for the Culture You Want Jan 10, 2023

Show notes

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 environment where employees want to take care of the customer.

Company culture is the number one reason people leave a job; pay is number 16. That says a lot. People want to work somewhere where the culture is genuine, top to bottom. There is a saying that people quit a year before they leave. As a leader, you are the foundation on which culture is built.

It is similar to parenting. Good parents raise good kids. Parents that model how to be kind and compassionate raise kids that are kind and compassionate. It is the same with a leader in a company. More is caught than taught, so set an example for your employees. Be clear and consistent. You are the role model for the culture you want.

Take care of your team, and they will take care of the customer. When you foster an environment of care and customer service, that is what is carried out by your team. Take responsibility, set the standard, and watch what happens.

If you want to work with a team that takes personal reasonability for your vacation, make sure to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

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About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

What Do You Do With What You Learn Jan 03, 2023

Show notes

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 the New Year, ask yourself: What do you do with what you learn?

Often, people fill themselves with knowledge. We all have problems, and chances are we know what we need to do to fix them. The issue is that people don't do the hard things. If you want change you have to actually address what needs to be changed.

You don't need a New Year to make changes. The New Year starts every morning so choose something to do today. Force yourself to confront and do hard things. Take a few minutes and identify something in your life that you need to address; something hard. Then pick a time frame and tackle it. If you need to, get an expert to help you. You will speed up overcoming it.

People watch you. As you overcome and they see it, you empower them to overcome too. Be the spark that others need to accomplish the things they need to do in their own lives. Everyone has dreams. If you don't act, that is exactly what they stay. Stick with it until it isn't a problem anymore.

If it is good enough to start doing tomorrow, go ahead and get started today.

If you are interested in breaking into the cruising scene, make sure to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Morning Magic Planner

About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

If you want to limit issues on your next vacation, make sure to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Connect with Lee

About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

How to Reinforce Good Customer Service Dec 27, 2022

Show notes

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 team treats the customers. When you see behavior you want repeated, call it out, and recognize the individual for it. The best recognition is specific.

When you are present and observant, it becomes easy to see what is cultivating in the culture of your team. You hire the team to make a difference, but you must create an environment for them to work within.

Expressing genuine and specific interest in people is the best way to recognize individuals and help them feel valued. Pay attention today, on purpose, and call them out for it. Recognized and rewarded behavior gets repeated. Bring it up and follow up. Make recognizing people part of who you are. That is how it becomes the culture.

You will make people's lives better, and you will better yourself by intentionally seeking out opportunities to recognize others. Serve everyone like they are your best friend or family member. When you have a lot of happy people on your team, you will make more money. Simple as that.

If you want to experience great customer service, make sure to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

Deal With Your Problems Dec 20, 2022

Show notes

Today, Jody and I are looking at how to identify and deal with your biggest problem.

Identifying issues and problems that we have can be challening. Choosing which ones need to be tackled first can feel overwhelming. But failing to do the hard things and deal with problems will haunt you. The quicker you deal with something, the happier you will be.

It takes discipline to work on the hard things. When you put problems off and don't confront them, they grow and taking care of them doesn't get any easier.

Built-up problems cause anxiety. Depression can paralyze and keep you from the action. Something that seems small in the beginning can become much harder to overcome. Just do it. Attack it and get after it. Just like there are symptoms in our body that something isn't right, we have symptoms in our life that tell us if something needs to be dealt with.

The first step to dealing with issues is to identify them. Stop what you are doing. Make a list of what you need to get rid of or the hard things you know you need to do. Little things can grow into big issues if left unchecked. Don't let the little things in your life grow into big issues.

When it comes to dealing with issues with people, it is the same process. Take a moment and make a list of your grievances. Next, set up a time to discuss it and talk through them. Conversations are key. Whether personal or professional, identify the problem and take action to rectify them.

If you want to limit issues on your next vacation, make sure to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Connect with Lee

About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

Discussing the Changes at Disney Dec 13, 2022

Show notes

Today, Jody and I discuss the recent changes that have taken place at Disney. I also provide my interpretation of what may have led to it and what we, as leaders, can learn.

As many have heard, there was a recent change in leadership at Disney as Bob Chapek stepped down and Bog Iger returned to head the company. When Bob Chapek stepped into his role at Disney, he came in hard, and centralized everything. Unfortunately, centralizing communicates distrust. This led to mistakes and an atmosphere of discontent.

I've mentioned before how business is a three-legged stool. Take care of your customers, take care of your employees, and take care of Wall Street. If you don't do one of these, you become unbalanced, and it will topple. A three-legged stool can't stand up when it has missing legs.

Great people want to be involved and make a difference. When you communicate distrust, you will lose your best people. When you get a good team, trust them. Give them authority. You aren't as good as you think you are. If you want to get somewhere fast, go alone. If you want to get far, go with people.

These are the differences between Chapek and Iger. One led with trust and allowed autonomy, and the other did his best to hold the reins on everything. A good leader knows success comes from people. Value input and be a good listener. Value input above ego, and you will go far.

If you are considering visiting Disney to see the changes for yourself, make sure to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Connect with Lee

About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

Have Less Meetings and More Conversations Dec 06, 2022

Show notes

Today, Jody and I discuss the difference between having fewer meetings and more conversations and how that can benefit your company.

I recently attended a two-day conference for camps in Chicago. Something that stuck out was the number of things they solved and situations they brought clarity to through involved conversations. We are used to a culture of meetings. People show up and listen to others talk, and everyone walks away without solving much.

As a leader, don't sit at a table with people who don't want to be there. Be strategic and get the people who care about the topic in the room. Now you can get to the bottom of things. Another approach is getting rid of the table. Without a table, it is harder to be disengaged or on your phone.

It isn't too difficult to implement. Take a problem and introduce the concept of gathering people together and getting opinions. Allow the appropriate amount of time. Once people get comfortable, they will start contributing. Not only does this expand your pool of knowledge and experience, it helps educate others and expand their understanding of the situation.

So, next time you need to start a conversation, even if you are the owner of a corner store, do what needs to be done. Close early, grab some food, expand your search parameters, and add value to the reason people should join.

If you are interested in visiting Chicago after this episode, reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Connect with Lee

About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader Cockerell Academy

The Customer Rules

The Basics of Hospitality Nov 29, 2022

Show notes

Today, Jody and I look at the inner workings of the hospitality industry and what we can learn from it regardless the industry you are in.

I worked in hospitality for many years. Much of what I learned during my time as a General Manager of a hotel chain formed the foundation for how I approach customer service.

It is important to gather facts and information. There are different types of customers, and each type has different needs. Get on the ground and figure out what they are looking for. Build a list of what your customers need before they have a chance to ask for it.

Your customers and employees know everything you need, get out and talk with them. They are happy to do a good job; they need the tools. Set a clear standard of excellence and explain the specifics.

Be guest focused. Stop what you are doing and focus on your guests. People want what they want, and they want it immediately. Meet those needs. Teach each area of your organization how they can best meet the needs of their customers. As the administrator, get around, be on the floor and find the issues before the guests can.

These are the basics. Understand the basics of your business and do them. The basics of hospitality will win every time. If you want to be great, everything matters. If you are ok with good, then you can let things go.

One organization that knows what you need and does everything to meet it is Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

The Customer Rules

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