Training Magazine - July 2008 - (Page 28)

5TALENT MANAGEMENT ISSUE5 Keys to the Kingdom, PART 1 AT DISNEY, EMPLOYEES ARE TRAINED TO WANT TO EXCEED CUSTOMER EXPECTATIONS AND TO GET THE “LITTLE THINGS” AT LEAST 1 PERCENT BETTER. are willing to carry garbage)—is by design.“All of us are leaders,” she said, “so we’re not much concerned with titles.” From the bright cleanliness of Main Street, we headed “backstage” into an underground area for employees only. Since more than 102 languages are spoken among Disney’s workforce, symbols and color coding are used along with words to give guidance. That coding ranges from sections of the park denoted by color to hammers crossed with doublesided wrenches encased in circles that are stamped along the floor. A tube running along the ceiling sucks trash from all garbage cans in the park, transporting it to a point beyond the park’s borders, and guests’ eyes, INSIDE THE INSTITUTE for disposal. We passed an employee information Doling out advice to other companies isn’t somecenter kiosk with an LED screen featuring thing Disney takes lightly, says Bruce Jones, ID/password-triggered personalized messages program director for the Disney Institute. “We for the workforce, along with hard copy materistarted the curriculum [by thinking about] what do als such as paper bulletins and the employee we want to say, and why?” says Jones, who spoke newspaper, Eyes & Ears, written for Disney to me over lunch following the Institute graduation World’s 60,000-member workforce. ceremony. When the company decides to share a piece of its expertise, it’s Passing out of this backstage area, and back into doing so, he says, “because we’re solving someone’s business issue, are the sunlight, even workers carrying a large table knowledgeable about it, and have results we can share.” down the stairs paused to say hello to us, which Each of the Institute’s lessons involves “deconstructing” a Disney best practice to was no coincidence, said Brock.“We hire based on help participants “construct” it for their own companies, says Jones. “We’re deconattitude,” she said, “rather than aptitude.” In fact, structing it and putting it back together so people in other organizations can use it.” the corporate culture at Disney is so distinct, The themes of business savvy have to be universal because, notes Jones, “we don’t many find themselves marrying fellow employees want you to be Disney; we want you to be your own company and apply these prin(as Matheson did). ciples in your own ways.” We lunched that day at Disney’s Wilderness That’s critical given the cross-section of companies that make their way to the Lodge, a hotel with a Northwestern motif and Institute. There’s always a wide array, but Jones notices certain participant patfilled with a large totem pole and other Native terns based on what’s going on in the business world at large. In the early to American paraphernalia. We dined at the hotel’s mid-1990s, for instance, a multitude of power companies, following deregulation Whispering Canyon Café. In contrast to the usual of their industry, headed to the Institute for help. Often perceived in a negative Disney cheerfulness mantra, the staff there is light—the people, after all, you call when something goes wrong or your bill is too taught to be cheerfully grumpy. Not that they’re high—they wanted to learn from the people “who create happiness,” says Jones not happy—the playful “tough love” demeanor of what Disney taught them. Focusing on happiness creation meant teaching just suits the rough-and-tumble theme of the them how to emphasize their positive points in customer service—the creation of restaurant. After we finished eating, the manager safe, comfortable environments through electrical delivery. of the restaurant, John Amato, explained how staff These days, airlines, and even a few airports, are flocking to learn at the feet of is trained to “theme,” as he called it. “It takes a lot Mickey. Travel these days isn’t known for the creation of sheer happiness. But maybe of training to put together, a lot of training to read there’s hope now that even airports slowly are getting on the Disney customer service a table to make sure we don’t cross a line,” said bandwagon. “Airports are the face of the community,” says Jones of their interest in Amato. He wasn’t joking. Staff members have 60 Disney’s tips, “so community leaders are intrigued that if they improve them, it’s not hours of training under their belt before they’re just the airport, but the community that’s perceived better.” 28 | JULY / AUGUST 2008 t r a i n i n g w w w. t r a i n i n g m a g . c o m http://www.trainingmag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Training Magazine - July 2008

Training Magazine - July 2008 Contents Online TOC Editor’s Note Training Today Soapbox How-To World View Managing the Magic Keys to the Kingdom Good Job! Personalities & Performance Hidden Potential The Executive Entrance Live & Online No More Revolving Door Questions for Covey TMI Brochure

Training Magazine - July 2008

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