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Pride...An Effective Management Strategy
by Tom Goetschius, RRP
President
Tom Goetschius Associates Seminars
In the last issue of Resort Trades’ Management & Operations I wrote about creating Guest Service Synergy by redefining what customer means, identifying the internal customer as well as the external customer. All employees have customers, whether they are the end user of the product or those within a company who provide goods and services for others within the company. This idea fosters a culture where employees treat each other the way they expect front line employees to treat external customers. I described the Disney concept of creating Magic Moments and how the personal connection part of every transaction between employees and customers is more important than the task for which one is initially hired. When these simple concepts are applied then everyone in a company sells the experience and Guest Service Synergy is achieved.
It sounds idyllic, but there is one component that may be taken for granted and yet is essential for the whole thing to work. Employees have to want to treat each other the way front line people are expected to treat their customers. Employees have to want to create Magic Moments for each other and for external customers. Where does the “want to” come from? How can we ensure that the people we manage are motivated to create Guest Service Synergy? Steve Brown with The Fortune Group in Atlanta says, There are two questions an employee will ask before they will voluntarily participate with management……
“What are my chances for success?”
“Where is the value to me?”
The basic challenge we have as managers is to create an environment where our people derive self esteem from what they do.
PRIDE is the key to effective management. Our people need to have pride in their company, pride in what they do and pride in themselves. We all have a need to be part of something larger than ourselves. It gives our lives and careers meaning. It makes it easier to get through the rough times, the challenging times and the frustrating times. In my estimation the company who is among the best at creating pride is the Walt Disney Company. Pride is at the center of their management philosophy. In typical Disney fashion they call pride “Pixie Dust” and they sprinkle it liberally.
The application of “Pixie Dust” is a serious and well planned matter at the Walt Disney Company. Their formula for pride is Training plus Communication plus Caring. Let us regard it as a model for creating pride in our organizations.
Training
In the training component they identify six programs, each of which is valuable, independently, but when applied as an overall strategy, it becomes an important component of pride.
Orientation and Company Knowledge
The purpose of a company wide orientation program is to transfer the “Corporate Culture.” It speaks of the traditions of the company. (Disney actually calls their orientation program “Traditions”) It outlines the company, today, and highlights the future of the company.
Disney’s Traditions is a moving and memorable experience. All cast members attend Traditions, from street sweepers to a newly hired executive vice president. I had the privilege of experiencing Traditions many years ago and it as fresh in my memory and as impressive today as it was then. All newly hired cast members are gathered in a rather large room at Disney University and are seated at six or eight top tables. Following opening remarks and a quick “ice breaker” survey testing how much new hires know about Disney, the facilitator begins an exciting history of the Disney company. On each of the four walls of the room, arranged in chronological order, are displays, artifacts and photos depicting the rich history and heritage of the company. The facilitator starts with a photo of the tar paper covered shack that served as Walt Disney’s first studio and tells a story about that humble beginning. For the major part of the morning, he moves from photo to display to artifact around the room and relates an anecdote, an interesting point of fact or a personal story at each station. It spans the history of the company from the beginning to the state of the company in the present and previews some key events and attractions on the drawing boards for the company in the future, some of which the public is not yet privy. The stories are fascinating. The points of fact give insight into what the company is all about, and the preview of what is to come is inspiring and makes the new cast members feel very special in that they are “in the know.” Following that exercise, the new cast members are invited into an adjoining theatre where an emotional and entertaining film is shown that includes testimonials from cast members, comments from theme park and resort guests, and, at the same time, identifies and names the major themes that comprise the Disney culture.
Following the movie, the facilitator gathers everyone back in the large room where the Disney heritage and traditions surrounded them. His final remarks, before a company provided lunch, goes something like this (paraphrased, of course)…..
"So there you have it. What you see around you and have heard today is the rich heritage and traditions of the Walt Disney Company. The company will never be the same now, because you have joined us. We place these proud traditions on your shoulders to carry them forward and make your contribution to the ongoing heritage and reputation of the company. It’s all up to you now. Do us proud!"
Heavy emotional stuff, huh? Can you imagine the pride that a new cast member has when they return home and relate to their family or friends what kind of a company they have just signed on with?
After lunch the second component of training begins…
Effective Initial Training
This is a well designed and executed program of product knowledge and basic skills required for a new person to effectively be able to perform their function and represent the company in a professional manner displaying high integrity and professional competence. Human Resources covers this segment in the Disney model.
On-the-Job Training
Following an afternoon with Human Resources, the Disney cast members are sent off to their operating units where they undergo extensive On-The-Job Training, where they spend as much time as required until they perfect the Disney way to cook a hamburger or process a reservation or operate an attraction. On-The-Job Training utilizes adult learning theory consisting of instruction, demonstration, explanation, practice, observation, follow-up, and individualized attention.
Ongoing Skill Building
School is never out for the professional. This segment consists of regularly scheduled and frequent drill sessions, weekly skills training, and one-on one training. “Required Skills To Be Successful” are charted and monitored. The department’s proficiency is charted as well as the individual, and achieved proficiencies are documented and rewarded.
Continuing Education
Seeking to be all one can be. Discussion groups, panel discussions, roundtables, guest speakers, study groups, and presentations are regularly scheduled dealing with new developments, theories, techniques or anything designed to keep personnel informed, challenged and on top of their craft and the industry. Make ongoing education easy by maintaining a library of books, tapes, videos, articles and magazines that are available to personnel.
Professional Development
There are two types of professional development.
In-house development is best achieved by a well planned and published Career Path Program of advanced training, courses of study, and experience that leads an individual up a predetermined path of achievement and recognition. The levels of development can be identified by whatever titles best suit a company. As an example, a new person might come on as an Associate, and moves over time and achievement to a Certified, Senior and Master whatever; cook, grounds person, salesperson or customer service representative.
Outsourced professional development comes in the form of credits, incentives and assistance for courses of study or seminars provided by agencies, other companies, colleges or institutes related to a person’s professional development.
Training in a well managed organization is a comprehensive program that requires well defined, planned and executed programs in all six of the above areas.
Communication
The second component in the Disney model for establishing pride is Communication.
Here is what we know about communication:
(Source: The Disney Approach To People Management)
Therefore, a company must….
Caring
The third and final component of pride, and the most important, is Caring. The special company brand of treatment and service to guests, owners and customers does not come from training and communication alone. Positive employee attitudes are the key to excellent service and a profound sense of pride. People will respond in kind to the way that they are treated.
The Disney Company Philosophy: We treat each other with the same courtesy, respect, understanding and consideration that we expect them to demonstrate toward the guests, owners and customers.
CARING is demonstrated through the physical environment, employees activities, and employee recognition and appreciation.
The Physical Environment:
The employee work areas have an influence on their attitude and how they think about their company and themselves. The physical environment communicates value and commitment to employees, informs and builds pride, and provides a productive and stimulating place to work.
Employee Activities:
Employee activities maximize the work experience, improve morale and loyalty, promote understanding employees, improve teamwork and synergy and create a sense of belonging to the company family. For example, carpooling, check cashing, sports leagues, voter registration, travel programs, holiday parties, employee birthdays/anniversaries and day care services are all activities that can help employees feel like you care.
Employee Recognition and Appreciation
The US Chamber of Commerce has conducted a survey for many years that asks what employees want most from their work experience. Compensation and other issues are important but they rank way down the list of the ten things they want. Recognition and appreciation for work done always ranks in the top three items and most often is number one.
I hope that it is plain to see that pride is not something that happens automatically in a well run organization. It is a comprehensive management strategy, well conceived, meticulously planned and effectively executed. It leaves nothing to chance and strives to be better and better. Companies are not so much about the product or services they provide as much as they are about the people that provide them.