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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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Archives
Now displaying: September, 2022
Sep 27, 2022

Today Jody and I are answering another question we asked during a recent webinar. This one came while we were talking about setting clear expectations when hiring and retaining people.  One of the attendees asked , “what if this was not part of the process when you were hired somewhere?” It can cause anxiety when you don’t know or understand your managers expectations.

Be brave enough to go ask them. How am I doing? Is there anything about my attitude, performance, or skills that you think I should improve? Ask them directly to give you feedback. Let them know you appreciate their clarity.

Believe it or not, there were a lot of people that would decide not to work at Disney once we got clear with them. They realized they the schedule or responsibilities wouldn’t work for them. And that is okay. It saves everybody trouble if you are clear in the beginning.

In Time Management seminars I always talk about how important it is to get clear right at the beginning of a project. Ask right away for a day or time that it should be done. Without it there are too many ways to make mistakes and fall behind. Do not leave room for loopholes.

One way to get clarity on the planning needed for your vacation is to call Magical Vacation Planners. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Careermagicbook.com

Sep 20, 2022

Today Jody and I are talking about an incident that happened to me recently. With all the credit card scams in the world I often wonder if I am next, and I was. There were a lot of things that were very frustrating about the issue, but it was a great reminder that your attitude can save the day.

After going to the bank and taking care of everything we thought needed to be done, my wide Pricilla and I were still running into issues. We ended up having to go back to the bank, spend even more of our time, and getting frustrated because the bank seemed to be totally screwed up.

At the end of the day, the only thing that kept me from getting mad was the attitude of the banker that was helping us. He was really polite. Showed that he really cared. And took care of the problem by being persistent.

Some people I have worked with are very technically competent but they don’t care too much. They don’t have the personality that gives you the confidence that they can and will take care of this.

People will believe and trust you when you are nice. That may be the key to keeping customers. No matter what you do, even when you don’t know what to do, be nice. It goes a long way in an otherwise stressful situation.

Another thing that would be nice is a vacation. Magical Vacation Planners can 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/

Sep 13, 2022

Today Jody and I are answering a question we asked during a recent webinar. An event planner observed, “Burnout is a common problem in any environment.” She followed up with this question: “What are your thoughts on working through burnout?”

Be proactive. Burnout stems from time management issues and is a precursor to incoming mental health issues like anxiety. The best way to deal with it is to not get to that point. It all ties back into time management. There are seasons we encounter. Sometimes you need to focus. Sometimes you need to put your head down, work and sleep. But that shouldn’t be all the time.

The concept of time management is simple. Determine what needs to doing and what needs to stop. Do you need to ask for help? If you don’t make room for caring for yourself physically, you are setting yourself up to run down. Even when things are busy, you need to think about where you need to spend your time so you can keep your health and relationships under control.

As a leader, if you have an employee dealing with burnout, you need to be aware. Don’t assume everyone is ok; check in on people. We all need to pay more attention. Create space for your team and ask them what you can do for them. Think about what we are doing and make changes as needed.

If you are feeling burnout, maybe you need a vacation. Magical Vacation Planners can save you any unneeded anxiety. 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/

Sep 6, 2022

Today Jody and I are discussing the difference between motivating or inspiring as a leader. There is a difference, and it impacts the culture of your business.

There is a fine line between motivation and inspiration. It is not a leader's job to motivate people. A good leader hires motivated people. Then it is the leader's job to inspire them. That is done on many different levels.

The best leaders create an environment that inspires people to do their best and stay engaged. Motivated people will do a great job because they are passionate about and inspired by what they do. As a leader, you create the environment. It is your policies, procedures, and the opportunities you present to your team.

Today, pay means more than just a dollar amount. People want flexibility, to be valued and treated well. This is just as much part of their pay as the cash in their pocket. These building blocks make up the environment that will inspire employees to give their all. Motivation may have a place, but it can also be a form of manipulation. If your management depends on incentives or fear of repercussion, you won’t foster an inspiring environment.

As a leader, you want to inspire your team. You don’t want them dependent on circumstances or a specific person for them to be able to do a good job. Give them an environment they can be passionate in, and you will see they motivate themselves.

If you are inspired to travel, let Magical Vacation Planners create the perfect environment for you. 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/

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