Creating Disney Magic

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How to Turn a Business Around in 30 Days Jun 19, 2018

Show notes

If your business is struggling, it may be hard to hear this, but here is the candid truth...Your business is as good as you want it to be.

Most business can turn things around in only 2 to 4 weeks.

In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I use a doctor office as an example of where to begin to turn a business around.

The problem in a doctor's office is the doctor doesn't know what is going on out front. But there is so much involved in a customer's experience than the time they spend with the doctor.

Here are the three steps I would implement right away to change a doctor's office, or any business.

Bring everyone together after the office closes and explain how the office will be tomorrow when it opens. Be clear. Be candid.
Write down what you expect for each position and role. Provide processes, procedures, guidelines, and scripts all focusing on creating a better experience for the customer.
Follow up. Ask customers how you are doing. If customers haven't felt the change, there hasn't been a change.

You may have to repeat these steps over and over until change catches on. For the first month, you may have to be in front of your people every day before the door opens and the show begins. Repeat your expectations over and over until it begins to stick.

Sure, it is hard work. But let me remind you, your business is as good as you want it to be.

Don't Identify Yourself By the Work You Do Jun 12, 2018

Show notes

When you introduce yourself, or someone asks about you, what do you say?

So many people discuss the work they do. This is especially a problem for those of us in the United States.

Be careful about becoming who you work for instead of who you are.

Some people never recover from having a big-ego job. I get it. Those jobs make other people think you matter. Or, that is what you think, anyway.

When I retired, people would ask me if it was hard to leave a high position at Disney. No. It wasn't hard to retire, even though I was Executive Vice President of Walt Disney World.

During my career, I never really identified myself with Hilton, Marriott, or Disney. I worked for Lee Cockerell.

People get attached to their job because they work for a high profile company, or have a big position. It leads them to stay too long or keep doing work that doesn't make them happy.

Next time you introduce yourself, remember this...who you are is more important than what you do.

How to Be a Great Long Distance Leader Jun 05, 2018

Show notes

Remote teams are just a fact of business life now. There is no going back.

Whether it comes from telecommuting, an organization spread out geographically or working with employees who work from remote locations, most organizations deal with remote workers.

Now, leaders have to understand how to communicate better with people they do not see in person.

To discuss this topic, we invited Kevin Eikenberry to join us on Creating Disney Magic.

Kevin is the author of the new book, The Long Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership

Although remote work has changed the work environment, leadership has not changed. In the book, and on this episode, Kevin talks about how to lead remote teams.

With distance between you and the staff, it becomes harder to check in. We have to be deliberate and intentional. We can't touch the people on our team, but they need to feel like we have had the personal touch with them.

Why You Need to Ask Why More Often May 29, 2018

Show notes

Sometimes you have to ask Why five times to get to the truth.

What you hear at first is not always the truth. Or not the whole truth, anyway.

At first, people put the best story up front. They hope it will be enough and you won't go deeper.

Ask Why. Go deeper. Get down to the truth and get all the details.

If you want to prevent the problem from happening again, you have to understand what happened.

Be relentless. Don't accept what you hear at first. Dig deeper. Ask Why five times to uncover what really happened.

Without the truth, you will not be able to make proper decisions. You asking Why also helps staff think deeper when a problem arises.

If you want to learn more, read this Entrepreneur article about asking Why.

Creative Ways to Find and Hire New Employees May 22, 2018

Show notes

When you are searching for people to add to your staff, you have to have a wide approach.

Don't just post a job opening and hope the right person applies.

Finding the right person starts long before you have a job opening. Having the right contacts and relationships with a wide variety of people can lead you to the right person, so it is a good idea to meet people across different industries and professions.

At Disney World, we would carry a card to give to people we think would be a good fit at Disney.

Focus on getting well known in your community. Have a good relationship with high schools and colleges.

One of the best sources of new employees is right in front of you. Good people bring good people into the organization. If you have good employees already, turn to them to get referrals.

When it comes to hiring the right people, create obstacles in your interview process. Never judge the size of the obstacle. Consider their thinking process and the motivation behind their actions. Carol Quinn is the authority when it comes to hiring. Check out her book Don't Hire Anyone Without Me.

You may also consider including a scenario or a task in the interview process. For example, you may want to have a chef make a hamburger as part of the interview process.

Delegating Authority During an Emergency May 15, 2018

Show notes

Emergencies are the extreme example of finding out how well you have done in delegating authority.

When you have an emergency you have no time for anyone to wonder what they should do and what responsibility they have. You have to sort it out before you have a problem.

You don't plan what to do in a tornado when you hear the tornado siren.

Think about what could go wrong. Work through the scenarios and determine who will do what task. Part of the planning for handling an emergency is to talk to people so they know what they will be doing. Everyone needs to know their role ahead of time. And don't delegate a responsibility to someone who won't be able to handle it.

Gather your team in a room and discuss different emergencies you could face. If you need inspiration, pull out a recent newspaper and pull headline to talk through it. What would you do if that situation happened to your organization?

Anticipate what can happen and then have your team work through the scenario. Reflect what other organizations have done to minimize the emergency.

Do you have the Morning Magic Planner yet? You can get it for free HERE.

The morning Magic planner will help spend 15 powerful minutes each morning setting the right course.

If you don't plan where you are going, how are you going to get there?

Just like putting coordinates in your GPS. Know where you are going so you can get there.

Mastering the Four Guest Expectations May 08, 2018

Show notes

No matter how big or small your organization is, your customers all have the same expectations;

Make me feel special

Treat me as an individual

Respect me

Have knowledgeable employees

Now, go through these four expectations with your team and figure out how you can master them. You will have to be deliberate to master these four areas. Discuss each expectation individually and figure out what it means for you and your organization.

If you master these four expectations you will stand out from the competition. Customers will become so loyal they won't even think about going to the competition.

How to Avoid an Us Versus Them Culture May 01, 2018

Show notes

Have you ever been in a situation at work where it seemed like it was Us versus Them?

When you find this situation it often comes in the form of field staff vs. office staff.

The problem comes from the top. This happens because the CEO lets it happen. Or, in a public agency, the Director or CEO equivalent.

Al Weiss used to say there would not be any silos at Disney World. And if there were, someone would not be in their silo anymore because he would remove them.

It is the responsibility of the leader to create a culture where everyone works together, appreciates each other, and realizes everyone has a hard job.

If an organization has let Us vs. Them creep into a culture, one way to address the situation is to have the office staff work in operations. Give people the exposure and experience to understand what happens in other jobs. Once you understand the work other people are doing you will begin to appreciate them more.

When your people begin not working together the focus shifts away from the customer. Everyone needs to work towards the same purpose.

Every day this situation continues it chips away at the culture of your organization. There is a lot at stake. Great people will leave the organization to work at a place with a better culture. Over time you are left with average.

Ready to take a vacation? Magical Vacation Planners is here to help. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Have an excellent career by learning from Lee: Career Magic

Lee's website: https://www.leecockerell.com/

How Do You Win Back Lost Customers? Apr 24, 2018

Show notes

When you lose a customer, is it possible to win them back?

Yes, it is possible, but don't even try to win a customer back unless you are ready to have them back.

They left you for a reason. Fix the issue that caused them to leave in the first place. Only then, should you try to win a customer back.

And when you know you are ready to have them back, treat them like a VIP (very individual person). If you are in a position to do so, go see him or her in person. Don't settle for sending an email or text message. Definitely, don't wait for them to come to see you. It won't happen. And it is your responsibility to fix it. Own your mistake, face to face.

Once I was an hour late for a speech. Immediately I told my customer I would deduct $5,000 from the speaking fee. They didn't ask for the fee reduction. They didn't expect it. But it was the right thing to do. I didn't serve the customer to the level I should have. It needed to be handled professionally.

Professionals want to take a bad situation and make it right.

So if you want to win a customer back, you need to fix the problem first. Then be professional and personal. You might win the customer back.

How to Stand Out in Your Job Apr 17, 2018

Show notes

Often, people ask me how to stand out in their job.

Perhaps they want to know a secret. Something no one has told them before. But it is no secret. Most people know what to do, but they don't.

If you want to stand out, focus on the basics. If you focus on these five things, you will stand out about anyone else you work with;

First impressions are important.

Be an expert in something

Find a way to get better every day.

Add value above what is expected of you.

Have a great attitude.

Be better than everyone else. Get to work early, raise your hand to take on the hard tasks, work when your boss needs you to work, be willing to do long stretches of hard work when it is necessary.

To give a simple answer...raise your expectations for your performance. Now try to meet those expectations. Keep expecting more of yourself.

If you want to hear more on this topic, listen to this episode of the Jody Maberry Show. I also contribute some insight on that episode.

In this episode, we mention Magical Vacation Planner. If you want to take a trip to Disney, you will want to talk to them. You can even fill out this form to get more information.

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