Creating Disney Magic

Latest Episodes:

You Are Only One Connection Away Feb 26, 2019

Show notes

Should you still aim high for a job you are not qualified for?

Not many people end up with a career in the field they went to college for. But how do you make the leap into a job you want, but may not be qualified for?

You will have an advantage if you know someone. Most companies are willing to hire someone who has the right attitude and personality, but someone on the inside has to know you.

Another approach is to write a letter that tells people why they should hire you. This is your shot to convince people who you are.

Every resume looks the same. What sets you apart is who you are.

Always ask for what you want. More often than you think, people will say yes. Having the tenacity to aim high will impress some people.

Don't underestimate what you can achieve.

If you want to get into a specific company, get to know people. Work the channels until you meet the right people. Building relationships and meeting people is the key to getting into organizations today. If people don't know you they can't help you. The more people you meet, you are one connection closer to meeting the right person you need to get in front of.

Culture is Behavior and You Can Change It Feb 19, 2019

Show notes

This episode was recorded live in London, England. The audience asked me questions and I answered.

Here are the questions found on the episode:

What was the most successful initiative I launched in my career?

Implementing the Disney Great Leader Strategies.

How do you create a company culture?

Culture is behavior. Sometimes to change a culture you have to change the people who don't behave the way you want.

How do you encourage personality when you are strict when you hire?

At Disney, you may run into cast members with different personalities, but they will all be nice. We hire for the basics; honesty, integrity, and personality will still shine.

How do you create work-life balance?

I worked out, got sleep, and dealt with problems directly. Stress comes from feeling out of control. I dealt with things promptly so it would not feel out of control.

What is your view of financial bonuses?

Disney Cast Members do a great job because of how they are treated. The biggest benefit is the opportunity to have a bigger role, not a financial bonus.

How do you retain talent when there is a low opportunity for promotions?

You may not be able to.

How would I describe my legacy?

I want people to remember me as a teacher.

What advice do you have to create a training program in an organization?

To start, figure out why you want to do it. Helping people to become successful will be one of the best things you can accomplish. What you teach your employees they will teach your employees.

Becoming a Servant Leader Feb 12, 2019

Show notes

A title does not make you a leader.

A title may make you a manager, but not a leader.

In fact, the bigger your title, the less you need to think of yourself and more about the people who count on you.

It's not about me. It's about them.

When I ran Disney World, it was my priority to create an environment where people wanted to come to work every morning. If I created a place where everyone mattered and they knew they mattered, people would look forward to coming to work, they would take care of the guest.

It was not about me, it was about the cast members. I was there to serve the cast member so they could serve the guest.

As leaders, we were there to serve the cast member. Not tell them what to do. Our actions made cast members feel respected and included and part of something magical.

One of the most important things a leader can do is clear the way so people can do their job without obstacles.

If you want to be a servant leader, here are two questions to ask your employees every day;

What do you need?

What can I do for you?

If you act as a servant leader, you will be a role model for the people around you. What you teach your employees, they teach their employees.

How to Handle Losing Money in Business Feb 05, 2019

Show notes

Losing money in your business is not an easy thing to deal with.

When we opened Disneyland Paris, we were losing $1 million each day. Talk about pressure.

One reason many businesses lose money is debt. Be careful how much debt you take on for your business. You may have enough sales right now, but if something happens, the debt can keep you from meeting your obligations.

When your business is losing money, you have to walk carefully when it comes to customer service. Don't cut away from what draws customers to you and you will find the problem gets worse when customers stop coming.

Here are the 3 steps I would take to turn around a business losing money.

Find out what is wrong. Is it debt? Is it the product? Is poor service keeping people away? You have to look at everything.

Look at Productivity problems. Is the way you are doing business causing you to lose money? Where can you improve your processes? Where can you cut spending without taking away from the customer?

Do you have the right management? Often, problems are created or solved by management. If you don't have the right people in place you, will never turn the problem around. Take a hard look and make sure you have the right people in the right places.

Taking Care of Mental Health in the Workplace Jan 29, 2019

Show notes

Should employers help employees with mental health issues? Yes, of course.

But it comes down to the individual supervisor to make something happen.

If someone has never been late to work late, and now they are coming to work late 3 days a week, something has happened. If someone now seems to have anger issues that weren't there before, something has happened.

This will make the culture and environment of your organization special. People will notice. People will talk about it. You will attract better people. You will get less turnover.

Some companies don't want to get involved. But you have no choice. Employees are people. People are going to have issues. You can ignore it, or you can embrace it and be there for people.

Pay attention. You can see it if you want to see it.

Get to know your people well. When someone changes, something has changed. Find out what it is. Give them access to resources and help they need. Let people know you care and you are committed to them.

Here is one thing I can promise, if you haven't had a tragedy, you will. And when you do, you will want to feel people care.

Start caring more. Even if it creates more work, care for the people around you.

How to Ask For a Pay Raise Jan 22, 2019

Show notes

We had a question from a listener who wanted to know how to ask for a pay raise. Truth is, I had never asked for a pay raise.

I had some ideas, but perhaps my advice wasn't as solid as it could be. So we found an expert and asked him to join us on this episode of Creating Disney Magic.

Scott Barlow, founder of Happen to Your Career, explains exactly how to ask for a pay raise.

If you perform your job well, you are doing what you have been asked to do. But doing what you have been asked to do is the minimum standard.

There are 3 times you can get raises; as you are changing roles, when your performance has justified a pay raise when you accept a job

Scott Barlow gives us the four steps to asking for a pay raise.

Often, supervisors and their direct reports are not on the same page on what top priorities are.

If you want your supervisor to know what value you are bringing to the organization, you have to let them know.

If you want to make more money, you have to be better than everyone else. Have a better performance. Have a better attitude. Have better results.

Handle Issues in Private and Praise in Public Jan 15, 2019

Show notes

On this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I answer a few more questions from attendees of the event in Indianapolis.

If you handle a work issue privately with the employee, how does the rest of the team know you have dealt with the problem?

When dealing with an employee issue at work, be respectful and private.

Handle it as quick as you can. If there is an issue other employees are aware of, you need to handle it quickly and make sure there are results. When there is a change, others will see there was a change.

Tell your team, if there is an issue it will be handled privately. We can all have problems and they will always be handled professionally and privately.

How do you manage change at a company that doesn't understand how to go from good to great?

You can either do your job as well as you can and not worry about it, go talk to the CEO (or write an anonymous note) or leave.

There is not a lot you can do if people at the top do not want change. If you don't see a future, keep doing a great job while you are looking for a new one.

What are your feeling about community involvement?

All of us should be involved with an organization that supports your community. Shame on you if you aren't. We should be looking for ways to help others, not just help ourselves.

What is my story of being adopted?

I was adopted twice. When I was 16, the second time I was adopted, is when I got the last name Cockerell.

Speak Up and Share Your Opinion Jan 08, 2019

Show notes

Don't be afraid to speak up and share your opinion.

These days, we've all got to get better faster. The best way to do this is getting input directly from people who are doing the work and the customer. They have more information than a CEO will ever know.

And you are either an employee or a customer. So speak up.

How can your organization serve better? What policies and procedures are getting in the way?

Worried about sharing your opinion? A company should want you to speak up. And if they don't actively ask, write a letter about some improvements that could impact the bottom line.

Don't be too careful about expressing your opinion. Take your chance. Speak up. If you work for an organization that doesn't want to hear from employees, it is not the type of place you want to work anyway.

Your opinion is valuable. Don't let your insecurity get in the way of helping your boss and your organization.

Take Control of Your Own Leadership Development Jan 01, 2019

Show notes

Leadership comes first. You have to get it right before you work on anything else. Once you get leadership right, everything else will come into line.

On this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I answer a listener question about creating a leadership development business.

My answers apply not just to creating a business, but for anyone who wants to develop as a leader.

First, understand you need to take control of your own leadership development.

Now, here are some thoughts you need to know to develop as a leader.

Understand the content you want to teach.

Have a deep understanding of what you think leadership is.

Anticipate the questions people will ask you.

Have conversations about leadership. The more you talk about it, the more questions you answer, the more you will understand what you believe.

You have to role model what you believe about leadership.

You can become an expert at anything if you focus and spend the time and get the experience. Read, listen to podcasts, read the paper, watch the right programs. If you are passionate and follow through you will become an expert.

If I am going to teach time management, I have to be organized. If you teach something and don't practice it, everybody knows.

Have you checked out the series of videos I did from my office? They are fun and you might learn something. Find them here.

When Should You Ask For a Pay Raise? Dec 25, 2018

Show notes

Most people feel they are underpaid at their job.

My whole career I thought I should have made more money.

But when should you ask for a pay raise?

You agreed to do a job at a salary, so knowing when you are providing enough value to ask for more money can be delicate.

I have never asked for a pay raise in my career. My plan was always to do a such a great job they promoted me and I would make more money that way.

But my thought was, "Love me and pay me properly, or I am likely to leave." And I did. I left jobs where I did not feel loved or values.

If you don't feel you are making enough money, if you don't feel valued, if you don't feel appreciated, it is time to look for another job.

When your attitude begins to get negative, you should go somewhere else.

Keep in mind, there are a lot of factors that go into someone else deciding you should be paid more money. But the most important factor is you have to be creating so much value you are worth more money.

Are you on Instagram? Let's connect. You can find here - @leecockerellmagic and @sugarjmaberry