"Make sure you're doing things for other people long before you're going to ask them to do something for you."
Key Moments
01:24 Building Meaningful Professional Relationships
04:57 How to Handle Unresponsive Colleagues
06:31 The Power of a Phone Call or Face to Face Conversation in a Digital Age
07:43 Impact of Personal Stress on Leadership
Resources
Build Relationships Before You Need Them
A crucial aspect of leadership and management is building relationships before you need them. When a someone takes the time to build relationships across departments, they ensure seamless collaboration when the time comes. Throughout my years as a leader, including an executive with The Walt Disney Company, I learned a number of practical strategies that maintain strong connections and while also making sure everyone is held accountable.
Everyone needs to recognize that proactive relationship building is always valuable. Develop strong connections with colleagues outside your department long before you need their help. Invest time in genuine interactions—have a casual lunch, send a thank-you note, or simply check in. These small gestures accumulate and solidify a foundation of trust and mutual support.
When you need to delegate tasks outside your department, be persistent yet considerate. This is not as challenging to do when you have already built a relationship and have an empathetic lens. Humor and directness can go a long way in breaking resistance. There are times you will have to push through the obstacles, but always maintain a respectful and understanding demeanor towards others' pressures and workloads.
In our digital age, it’s easy to rely on emails and texts. Switch things up and prioritize communication over convenience. Picking up the phone or having face-to-face conversations can resolve issues more effectively and save time. Direct communication makes sure everyone has clarity and shows your commitment to collaboration.
Whether you're in management, customer service, or just interested on leadership advice, this episode is an important one. If you are ready to create magic in your organization, make sure to listen. By the end you will be ready to build relationships that will pave the way for smoother operations and enhanced cooperation.
Magical Vacation Planners does a great job of building relationships. When you are ready for a vacation reach out to them. Once you meet their team you will know why you will want them to plan every trip you take. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.
"I think 99% of the time, they don't tell you everything that is causing that, and maybe they don't even know."
Key Moments
01:52 Effective Communication in the Workplace
02:46 The Impact of Workplace Pressure
05:34 Overcoming Fear in Your Career
07:58 The Power of Checking In
Resources
Helping an Employee Deal with Burnout
One topic that resonates with many professionals is employee burnout. Someone recently reached out with concerns about an employee feeling overwhelmed and burnt out. It is a reality many employees and leaders face. However, it is important to recognize that it is not just about one stressor. Burnout is often due to a combination of personal & professional pressures. Identifying the root cause is key.
Key takeaways from this episode:
Some experience burnout more intensely than others so it is important to know how to handle it. From understanding the underlying causes of burnout to practical solutions for alleviating stress, this episode provides guidance to help you support your team members effectively.
If planning a vacation has you feeling burnt out, let our friends at Magical Vacation Planner handle the details so you can truly relax. Make sure you reach out to them at 407-442-2694.
“Leaders need to recognize how important it is to have trust and involvement and being inclusive, and especially appreciating people telling you the truth."
Key Moments
03:14 Mishandled meetings lead to a toxic culture.
05:15 Empower employees, listen, learn, and succeed.
07:08 Navigating the choice to improve or accept a bad workplace situation.
09:54 Responding to constructive criticism as a leader.
12:04 Impact of implementing pre-shift meetings
13:45 Recapping the art of effective meetings
Resources
Dealing with Bad Meetings
One way to create a toxic environment and drive away talent is to lead with a “my way or the highway” style. Recently a listener reached out with a question about dealing with bad meetings. The meetings she mentions are so bad that employees now call their meetings the “you suck meeting.” This term was coined by employees frustrated by the negative and authoritarian style of their morning meetings. Unfortunately, culture issues like this can develop in any workplace if leadership doesn't strive for positive and inclusive communication.
If you are ever in a toxic workplace situation and are on your way out, consider writing a helpful and constructive note. Let leadership know the impact of their approach. They may not even realize how their actions are driving away good employees. Workplace information delivered the right way can spark change. On the flip side, if you are staying in a workplace with a toxic culture you are going to have to face a hard truth. You either deal with the environment or start looking for a better one.
Leaders need to pay attention. Creating a toxic atmosphere drives away talent. When an employee gives feedback it is important to be open to it. When you create an environment where people feel included in meetings you are less likey to get to a point where your meetings are no longer deemed effective. There are two essential questions to include in your next pre-shift meeting. What do I need to know to help you do a better job? What do you want to be working on? Empower your team through involvement and support.
If you want to be average, let it go. If you want to be great, everything matters. Aim for greatness. And remember that every detail counts.
To make sure you have a great vacation make sure you reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. Let them plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.
"Something I learned from Al Weiss was if you don't understand something, ask questions."
Key Moments
01:10 Questions from 500th episode that are focused on Disney
02:49 Importance of asking questions in leadership
06:25 Opening day of "Euro Disney" had challenges with multinational staff
09:31 Disney enforcing professional uniform and appearance standards.
11:08 Value of sharing knowledge across generations.
15:31 Experience and exposure opens eyes to new career paths and possibilities.
Resources
Great Leaders Ask Questions
During our live recording for episode 500 people asked a lot of questions in the chat. Any time someone asks a question I appreciate it. Years ago while working at Disney I realized that great leaders ask questions. During this episode we answer more questions about my years working for Disney, including who taught me to ask questions.
When I moved to Florida from Paris I worked closely with the president of Walt Disney World, Al Weiss. Al's clarity, financial acumen, and insistence on understanding the details really shaped my approach to leadership. The company has great attention to detail, which is brought to life through hard work and clear communication from leaders. Those were key in making big moments happen, such as the opening of what was then called Euro Disney. Disney's commitment to clear expectations, training, and professionalism are the keys to creating Disney magic over and over again.
One of the best parts of being retired and now teaching, speaking, and conducting workshops on more leadership and management lessons like these. I get a lot of joy in passing on valuable knowledge to individuals of all ages. Not only here in businesses and schools, but in locations like Mexico and Brazil. There are always stories and lessons to share after so many years working for an organization like Disney. Let me know how I can help your organization create their own version of Disney magic.
Make sure to listen to this episode and find ways you can apply the lessons in your own work environment. Whether it's asking more questions to gain clarity, maintaining high standards, or finding opportunities to pass on knowledge to others. Creating a plan is the first step in creating magic.
Another step to take is to reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. Let them plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694 so they can help you create magic on your trip.