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Creating Disney Magic

Lee Cockerell, former Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World, shares his wisdom and experience from his time with Disney, Marriott, and Hilton. Lee joins show host Jody Maberry to discuss how you can apply lessons in leadership, management, and customer service to create magic in your organization.
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Creating Disney Magic
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Now displaying: August, 2018
Aug 28, 2018

If you want to make a difference in your organization, you will have the most impact if you lead by example.

On this episode of Creating Disney Magic, we talk about 3 different situations, including leading by example. Here are the first two:

How to handle meeting a celebrity at work. 

Be polite and courteous. Say hello and go away. At Disney, you can't bother a celebrity or ask for an autograph. They are there for a private event or to spend time with their family. If you are at work, remember you represent the organization.

How to equip staff members to give bad news to customers

You have to give staff members not only the training, but the authority to be able to deal with difficult situations. If you are not going to equip them to serve the customer when something goes wrong, then it is best to have a supervisor talk with the customer.

Now, let's talk about leading by example.

The real story of this episode, though, is a discussion about Phil Gaines. The recently retired Director of South Carolina State Parks. On the final day of his 37-year career with the park system, Phil returned to the park when he first began his ranger career. He spent the day picking up trash, cleaning bathrooms, and doing other tasks that so many people feel are beneath someone with a big title.

Phil Gaines is leading by example. Any of us can take this same mentality and have an impact on our organization. This same attitude and passion are what got Phil the job of Director. Professionals do what they do. Hard work and leadership led to Phil Gaines becoming Director. It doesn't change because he has a big position. It doesn't change because it is his last day.

At Disney, everyone sets the example for cleanliness. It doesn't matter what your position is. When you become a big deal, don't. Don't be a big deal. No one wants to be around someone who thinks they are a big deal. But if you lead by example, you will set the tone for everyone else. People will know what to do when they see you perform.

If you are going to take a vacation to a Disney property, get in touch with my friends at Magical Vacation Planner. They will make sure you have a great vacation.

You can get my Morning Magic Planner here for free

Aug 24, 2018

Often, people ask me about my morning planning time. 

I like that question because morning planning has helped me create magic. 

So many questions about morning planning time led me to create the Morning Magic Planning Course, which you can find here

My career at Disney has been well documented on the Creating Disney Magic podcast, but you have to rewind nearly 40 years to discover one of the biggest secrets to my success. 

Before I discovered the secret, I was disciplined, but not organized. At work, I kept putting off hard items. I would avoid certain projects and then dread the day when my boss would ask me about it. Then in 1980, I went to a time management seminar. 

At this seminar, I learned about time management and morning planning. Since that day, I have spent 15 minutes planning every morning. Morning planning made me a new man. Since that day in 1980, I have been organized, I have kept my promises, I do what I say I am going to do, and people know I am reliable. 

Here are the two things that will impact your career; a good attitude and being reliable. 

A good attitude is up to you. But I can help you become more reliable. 

Reliability comes back to planning. Fifteen minutes of planning is all it takes to remove distress. 

Distress is when things feel out of control. When you spend your days dealing with whatever is thrown at you, it feels out of control. 

But it doesn't have to be that way. 

You can remove distress. You can remove regrets (if you don't have regrets now you will later if you don't take action to get your days under control). 

You can get this under control. 

This is why I developed the Morning Magic Planner and the Morning Magic Planning Course

If you use this planner for 30 days, you will never want to go a day without planning time again. 

Life is better when you are the one controlling it. 

You know you have responsibilities you are not tending to and projects not getting finished. Subconsciously, this is putting more pressure on you and adding to your distress. 

It's never too late to get better. You can change if you want to. 

Remember, things are never the way they are. Things are the way you let them be. 

How much longer will you let things be this way? 

You can get the Morning Magic Planning Course HERE. Or, if you want to use the planner without the course, you can get it here. 

Aug 21, 2018

People only change for two reasons; crisis or education. 

Making a life change because of education is much better, believe me. But too many of us wait until we are smacked in the face to make a change. 

Making a change is hard, though. In my personal life, I made a drastic shift after going to a Time Management seminar in 1980. Before then, I worked hard and I worked a lot. Yet, I still missed deadlines and didn't get all my work done. But this 2-day changed everything. It shifted the way I thought. It shifted the way I approached life. The seminar taught me how to do things on purpose. Each day since then has been both full and fulfilling. 

There is an example of changing how I operate in my personal life. 

At Disney, we made a change in how we operated throughout Walt Disney World when I introduced the Great Leader Strategies. 

In both cases, making a change involved 2 steps; 

Step One: Deciding to Change

Step Two: Taking the action to change

Whether you are making a personal change or changing the way an organization operates, you have to know why you are making the change. You have to be committed to the change. You have to have clarity. And finally, you have to do the work every day. Making a personal change is tough, but imagine how tough it was to implement a culture shifting change to over 40,000 cast members. Any change takes time. 

You can change now because you know there is a better way. Or you can change later because you are forced to through a crisis. 

In this episode, we talk about the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. 

Career Magic is now available as an audiobook

Before you plan your next vacation, talk to our friends at Magical Vacation Planners

Aug 14, 2018

This week on Creating Disney Magic, I answer two questions about working with co-workers. Working with Co-workers.

Two questions both involve working with co-workers. First, how do you handle it if you have information or knowledge that can help co-workers?

Someone would only ask this if they have ambition and a steak of leadership. Often, people keep their heads down and do their job without consideration to co-workers, unless it has a negative impact on them. Even so, this can still be delicate. You have to approach this the right way. You have to have the right intention. But if you work it out with your supervisor to help train on a particular process or procedure, not only will you help your co-workers, you will stand out as a leader.

The second question is how to be a good follower when you may be more qualified for a supervisory job than the person who was promoted to the job. Here is another delicate situation. In this case, the best thing to do is to forget it. Just be nice, let him figure it out, and do your job the best you can. There are times when being a good follower is nothing more than doing your job the best you can. If your opinion is ever asked for, offer your best advice.

Have you downloaded my free Morning Magic Planner yet? You can get it here.

Creating Disney Magic has partnered with Magical Vacation Planner. Talk with them before you plan your next Disney vacation.

Aug 7, 2018

No matter what business you are in, poor service happens because of the general manager.

If bathrooms are dirty, don't blame the guy who cleans them. Look at the general manager.

If food arrives late at a restaurant and service is lousy, it is not the cooks and servers. It is the general manager.

If people stick to doing only what is in their job description, it is because the manager allows it.

As a leader, there are three steps to help staff create magic.

  1. Set Expectations
  2. Enforce expectations
  3. Train so staff can meet your expectations

Also, consider what plans you have to address any emergencies or unexpected situations come up. For example, what happens at a hotel or restaurant if the kitchen goes out of commission? Or, insert your own what-if situation.

If the staff is not prepared, it is because of the general manager.

Bottom line; the manager is always responsible for what happens in his or her operation.

I am excited to announce our my new partnership with Magical Vacation Planner. If you are going to visit a Disney property, make sure you talk to them. Magic Vacation Planner will take care of you.

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