Five Ways To Be The Disney Of Your Industry

It’s neither luck nor magic that creates success—though it would be nice if it did work that way. It’s hard work. Any and all companies are capable of putting in that work. It’s their choice. One company recognized for its amazing—even magical—experience is Disney. Its theme parks and resorts are managed in such a way as to give customers, whom they call guests, an experience that makes them look back and say, “That’s the happiest place on Earth.”

I had the chance to interview Teri Yanovitch, a former Disney employee—also known as a cast member—who now shares her Disney experience with the corporate world. In her words, “You don’t have to be a theme park or have characters in order to be immensely successful. Any organization can apply lessons from Disney by paying attention to details, recognizing that internal service is just as important as external service, and making sure that everybody knows the expectations.” Today, I’m going to share five lessons from Disney you can apply to your business.

Lesson One: Hiring

Pull people into the culture from the very beginning. The first tip Yanovitch conveyed was about the hiring process. She shared the experience she had in her first interview. She went to the “casting center,” which is where applicants receive their first introduction to the Disney way. She remembers walking up to the front of the building where she noticed that the doorknobs were from Alice in Wonderland. Yanovitch knew she was walking into someplace special.

Before the first interview, Yanovitch watched a video that introduced her to the Disney philosophy and its expectations of cast members. An introductory video is a great way to let applicants know what’s expected. After watching the video, the applicant gets the opportunity to continue or self-select out of the process.

The next step was the actual first interview. This wasn’t a typical “tell me about yourself” kind of interview. It was more of a dialogue, which allowed for Yanovitch to ask questions and learn more about Disney—and, of course, for the interviewer to learn more about her.

These first steps are crucial to moving an applicant into the Disney mindset. Any company can do this. The interview should be two-sided, with an opportunity for both parties to learn if it’s a fit.

Lesson Two: Onboarding

If the interview is a place to introduce the candidate to the culture, the onboarding activities allow the new hire to experience the culture. This is a very important step in bringing employees into the right mindset. They can’t just be told about the culture. They must experience it. Yanovitch remembered the first few days of her new job, which included an onboarding program Disney refers to as “Traditions.” That’s where she learned the history of the company and the “why” behind what they do. It also got her excited about what was next—getting to do the job she was hired to do.

Lesson Three: Everyone Has Three Jobs

At Disney, everyone has three jobs. First, do the job that you were hired to do. Second, take care of the guest. Third, keep the park clean. Don’t let the fact these are simple and can be expressed in just a few words diminish their importance. This is what Disney is all about. Jobs one and two apply to every company—do what you’re hired to do and take care of the customer. Keeping the place clean may or may not be as applicable. I love the simplicity of this. You may be a ticket-taker or a highly paid executive. If you work at Disney (or almost any other company) all three of these jobs apply to you.

Lesson Four: Know the Details that Count

Pastor and author Charles Swindoll once said, “The difference between something good and something great is attention to detail.” The details of a Disney property are what create the magic and freshness. They drive the customer/guest experience. When you walk by the bakery, you smell the freshly baked bread and cookies. That smell is actually being “pumped” into the streets. You look down Main Street and the forced perspective creates the optical illusion that the buildings are larger than they really are. The focus on all senses—sight, sound, smell, touch and taste—are part of Disney’s magic formula. You don’t need to appeal to all five senses, but are you taking advantage of the ones you should be appealing to?

Lesson Five: Create Timeless Service Standards

Years ago, when Yanovitch was first hired to work at Disney, she was trained in its service standards. If you were hired by Disney today, you would be trained in these same standards. Some things change over the years, but standards don’t. These are the basics that will survive the test of time. What are your service standards? Define them. Train to them. Consistently reinforce them.

What I like about these five lessons is that they don’t take an enormous investment in technology or equipment. The investment is more about putting thought into your process. These are only five of the many lessons we can learn from Disney. I’ve always suggested my clients look at the companies they admire most and ask themselves, “Why?” The follow-up question is, “Can any of those admirable traits be brought into my company?” If so, do it. These lessons are not rocket science. On the contrary, they are simple—almost common sense. Any company can put these lessons into practice. Simply put, you don’t have to be Disney to be the Disney of your industry.