This was my second to last Leadership class and we met at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
We broke into groups and were given a hand out. We were to look at three areas: operations, merchandise, and food and beverage. We were to write down examples that we saw in the park when it came to services we provide guests, products we make available, innovations we use, and storytelling.
We found services like our FastPass system which allows guests to wait in a shorter line, rider swap passes, tram service to the parking, Disney's dinning plan, package pick up, and package delivery. We found products that were ride and theme park specific as well as products that you can buy property wide for the convenience of our guests. We also provide wheelchair and stroller rentals. We have both sit down restaurants and quick service ones that provide a variety of choices including vegetarian.
Innovation was our FastPass system as Disney was the first to come up with the idea, the Disney dinning plan which allows guests to pay a fee up front and get a number of meals throughout their stay, the ability to build your own ticket to meet your wants and needs, and the new automated ordering system at some of our quick service restaurants where you order off a touch menu.
This was a great activity to get us out of the class room and looking for the things that we have been learning during our class. It is one thing to sit in a classroom and be told about things but it is another to actually see what we have been learning in action. It really reinforces the learning and shows that Disney is committed to practicing what they preach.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
week 12
This was Thanksgiving week and because of that we did not have a leadership class. I thought I would take the time this week to write about how the company treated us during one of our busier times.
No one wants to work on holidays but Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of our most busy days. The company provided our work area with a little Thanksgiving dinner in our break area. The company provided turkey, ham, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. There was plenty of food for the entire day as I went into work at 5 and I was still able to have two plate fulls during my breaks.
This is another example of a small thing that the company does for us to let us know how much they appreciate all we do and for thanking us for coming in to work on a holiday. I was told that the company will do the same thing on Christmas day.
Again, not a big thing, but it does go a long way to making us want to work for the company and making us feel like the company cares about us.
No one wants to work on holidays but Thanksgiving and Christmas are two of our most busy days. The company provided our work area with a little Thanksgiving dinner in our break area. The company provided turkey, ham, stuffing, and mashed potatoes. There was plenty of food for the entire day as I went into work at 5 and I was still able to have two plate fulls during my breaks.
This is another example of a small thing that the company does for us to let us know how much they appreciate all we do and for thanking us for coming in to work on a holiday. I was told that the company will do the same thing on Christmas day.
Again, not a big thing, but it does go a long way to making us want to work for the company and making us feel like the company cares about us.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Week 7
This week I experienced a unique guest situation. Every morning a life guard comes down and selects one family to be the first family and they get to open the park to by being the first to go down Summit Plummet, which is our tallest water slide.
One morning we had a father and a daughter at the gate an hour before we opened, which is unusual for this time of the year. One of our cast members started talking to them and they said they were from Georgia and were leaving latter that day and just wanted to get a few rides in before leaving for the airport. That was the end of it, or so we thought. Later, the lifeguard comes down and selects a different family to be the first family. The guest who was from Georgia threw a fit that he and his daughter were not selected. It turns out this family was not from Georgia but from Florida and are Disney Annual Pass Holders. They obviously knew that we do this magical moment every day and they wanted it to be them so they created this story in hopes of being selected. The man became very angry and we had to call security in just in case because we were worried about what the man might do. Later he yelled at the lifeguard who made the selection, demanded that his daughter gets the medal we hand out and then demanded to talk to the park's GM.
He told the GM that he told us he wanted to be the first family, which wasn't true, and that we had broken his daughter's heart for not being selected, and that we at the turnstiles had told him that we will make sure that he will never be the first family, again, not true.
So what happens to this crazy guest who threw a temper tantrum and cried in front of everyone? The GM set up a day for them to return to be the first family. The first day he picked out didn't work for the family so they had to pick another day. I found it absolutely ridiculous that this man was getting what he wanted after the way he had acted. The magical moment is suppose to be a surprise to an unsuspecting family, not a reservation system.
Two weeks later he was back and he got to be the first family and everything that goes with it. He was all smiles as the crowd applauded for him and his daughter, shaking the hand of the GM who was also there. This came on the heels of yesterday's first family taking time to stop on their way out to ask for a pen and paper to write a thank you note to everyone who made their day magical and special. Those are the ones who deserve to be first family, not this guy who acted like a three year old until he got what he wanted.
However, even though I didn't agree with the decision I can see why it was done. Disney is all about making every guest feel special and going above and beyond. For the most part deserving guests get the special things but every once and awhile you are going to get the type of people who will try to take advantage of Disney being Disney. You just have to understand that the deserving guests far out weigh the ones who aren't.
One morning we had a father and a daughter at the gate an hour before we opened, which is unusual for this time of the year. One of our cast members started talking to them and they said they were from Georgia and were leaving latter that day and just wanted to get a few rides in before leaving for the airport. That was the end of it, or so we thought. Later, the lifeguard comes down and selects a different family to be the first family. The guest who was from Georgia threw a fit that he and his daughter were not selected. It turns out this family was not from Georgia but from Florida and are Disney Annual Pass Holders. They obviously knew that we do this magical moment every day and they wanted it to be them so they created this story in hopes of being selected. The man became very angry and we had to call security in just in case because we were worried about what the man might do. Later he yelled at the lifeguard who made the selection, demanded that his daughter gets the medal we hand out and then demanded to talk to the park's GM.
He told the GM that he told us he wanted to be the first family, which wasn't true, and that we had broken his daughter's heart for not being selected, and that we at the turnstiles had told him that we will make sure that he will never be the first family, again, not true.
So what happens to this crazy guest who threw a temper tantrum and cried in front of everyone? The GM set up a day for them to return to be the first family. The first day he picked out didn't work for the family so they had to pick another day. I found it absolutely ridiculous that this man was getting what he wanted after the way he had acted. The magical moment is suppose to be a surprise to an unsuspecting family, not a reservation system.
Two weeks later he was back and he got to be the first family and everything that goes with it. He was all smiles as the crowd applauded for him and his daughter, shaking the hand of the GM who was also there. This came on the heels of yesterday's first family taking time to stop on their way out to ask for a pen and paper to write a thank you note to everyone who made their day magical and special. Those are the ones who deserve to be first family, not this guy who acted like a three year old until he got what he wanted.
However, even though I didn't agree with the decision I can see why it was done. Disney is all about making every guest feel special and going above and beyond. For the most part deserving guests get the special things but every once and awhile you are going to get the type of people who will try to take advantage of Disney being Disney. You just have to understand that the deserving guests far out weigh the ones who aren't.
Week 6
This week during one of my shifts I was pulled off the turnstiles to take part in a Feedback and Action Planning meeting. It was myself and five other cast members who also work turnstiles and three managers. The whole meeting was based off an employee survey that the entire resort took over the summer. The survey was area specific so your work location determined what survey you took over the summer. Since I was not with the company during the summer I did not take the survey but I was still invited to the discussion meeting.
The managers went over the results of the survey and they had listed on poster boards the top 10 things Disney does well (according to the cast members) and the top 10 things Disney can improve on (according to the cast members). The managers then left the room and we were instructed to put a check mark by three of results on the list that Disney can improve on that were most important to us. This was done completely anonymous.
The managers then reentered the room and we discussed what had been checked. The managers were taking notes on our ideas and our feelings. I generally felt like Disney was interested in hearing from me, a bottom of the barrel front line cast member who will only be with the company for five months. The managers led with questions and really were interested in hearing what we had to say. They made a point to ask every cast member int he room what they were feeling or thinking. If a cast member wasn't partaking the in the discussion they were asked direct questions. The managers wanted to hear from everyone and wanted to make everyone feel included in the discussion. No one was going to be left out or silenced in the room.
The meeting lasted about two hours and I came away impressed. The whole meeting was set up for the sole reason of hearing back from their cast members and generating ideas that can make the job better. I don't know how many companies the size of Disney do this but I thought it was impressive for such a large company like Disney. I sort of have this picture in my head of large companies making decisions and creating procedures by having the top executives sitting in a room far away from everything. Disney seems to genuinely care and what to know what their front line cast members think and have to say.
The managers went over the results of the survey and they had listed on poster boards the top 10 things Disney does well (according to the cast members) and the top 10 things Disney can improve on (according to the cast members). The managers then left the room and we were instructed to put a check mark by three of results on the list that Disney can improve on that were most important to us. This was done completely anonymous.
The managers then reentered the room and we discussed what had been checked. The managers were taking notes on our ideas and our feelings. I generally felt like Disney was interested in hearing from me, a bottom of the barrel front line cast member who will only be with the company for five months. The managers led with questions and really were interested in hearing what we had to say. They made a point to ask every cast member int he room what they were feeling or thinking. If a cast member wasn't partaking the in the discussion they were asked direct questions. The managers wanted to hear from everyone and wanted to make everyone feel included in the discussion. No one was going to be left out or silenced in the room.
The meeting lasted about two hours and I came away impressed. The whole meeting was set up for the sole reason of hearing back from their cast members and generating ideas that can make the job better. I don't know how many companies the size of Disney do this but I thought it was impressive for such a large company like Disney. I sort of have this picture in my head of large companies making decisions and creating procedures by having the top executives sitting in a room far away from everything. Disney seems to genuinely care and what to know what their front line cast members think and have to say.
Week 5
This week my manager pulled me off of my turnstile to talk. What we ended up doing was The Basics Walk. First I was asked what the four Disney Basics are, then we walked around Blizzard Beach and we observed cast members performing their jobs. We would watch for about five minutes and then I explained what the cast members were doing well in keeping with the basics and what they were doing that was not in keeping with the basics.
We observed life guards, quick service food and beverage, and the turnstile cast members. At the end of the walk I was asked what I think I do well and what areas I could improve on. I explained that I felt that I could do a better job in engaging in conversation with the guests as they went through my turnstile. The first two weeks or so I was focused on working the turnstile and understanding how it worked and knowing what procedures to follow in each situation. This meant that I wasn't as talkative as I could have been during this time. However, now that working the turnstile is second nature I am much more engaging with guests and talk to every guest that comes through my line and I try to personalize each conversation based on what the guest is wearing.
This was the third time that I have been taught the Basics. First at my Traditions class, second at my Forecast Blizzard class, and the third on my Basics Walk. This is just reaffirming that The Basics really do matter to the company and they want their cast members to follow through on them. Many companies will say they want their employees to do certain things but only tell them the one time. In my 5 weeks at Disney I have been reminded of the Basics every day. Whether it be in the classes or the signs that are posted in the bask stage areas with the Basics listed.
We observed life guards, quick service food and beverage, and the turnstile cast members. At the end of the walk I was asked what I think I do well and what areas I could improve on. I explained that I felt that I could do a better job in engaging in conversation with the guests as they went through my turnstile. The first two weeks or so I was focused on working the turnstile and understanding how it worked and knowing what procedures to follow in each situation. This meant that I wasn't as talkative as I could have been during this time. However, now that working the turnstile is second nature I am much more engaging with guests and talk to every guest that comes through my line and I try to personalize each conversation based on what the guest is wearing.
This was the third time that I have been taught the Basics. First at my Traditions class, second at my Forecast Blizzard class, and the third on my Basics Walk. This is just reaffirming that The Basics really do matter to the company and they want their cast members to follow through on them. Many companies will say they want their employees to do certain things but only tell them the one time. In my 5 weeks at Disney I have been reminded of the Basics every day. Whether it be in the classes or the signs that are posted in the bask stage areas with the Basics listed.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Week 11
The topic of discussion this week in class this week was storytelling and how we can use story telling to be better leaders. Class met at the Magic Kingdom and we examined the turnstile area, Main Street USA, the hub, and Liberty Square. At each location we looked at how the imagineers told a story to our guests in each different location. Most of this was done through the little details that a majority of our guests will never pick out individually, but when you combine them all together they deliver the story.
What does this have to do with becoming a better leader? Not all of us are going to become an imagineer and design Disney theme parks. However, there is something to being able to tell your employees the story that they are to deliver to the customers.
By being a good storyteller you do four things with your workers: 1. You establish a rapport 2. You establish credibility 3. You build trust and 4. You communicate your vision.
By being able to communicate well and tell your "story" to your workers you are going to create a tighter and closer group of workers. They trust you, they are going to be more open with you, they are going to be more willing to come discuss improvement ideas that they may have. It's not so much about being able to tell this wonderful "story" to your workers, but rather it is about being able to communicate to them well and establish an open line of communication. Workers want to trust their leaders and know that what they are hearing from their leaders is credible and the truth. You have to present yourself and your vision in such a way that people want to follow you. Make them want to take this journey with you.
Our imagineers realized that not every single little detail is going to be noticed by every guest. However, they also realized that those small details add up to deliver an overall atmosphere that every guest can identify and describe to their family and friends. The same can be said about being a leader. Do the small things. Not every worker is going to notice every little thing you do, however, it will all add up to a great work environment.
The topic of discussion this week in class this week was storytelling and how we can use story telling to be better leaders. Class met at the Magic Kingdom and we examined the turnstile area, Main Street USA, the hub, and Liberty Square. At each location we looked at how the imagineers told a story to our guests in each different location. Most of this was done through the little details that a majority of our guests will never pick out individually, but when you combine them all together they deliver the story.
What does this have to do with becoming a better leader? Not all of us are going to become an imagineer and design Disney theme parks. However, there is something to being able to tell your employees the story that they are to deliver to the customers.
By being a good storyteller you do four things with your workers: 1. You establish a rapport 2. You establish credibility 3. You build trust and 4. You communicate your vision.
By being able to communicate well and tell your "story" to your workers you are going to create a tighter and closer group of workers. They trust you, they are going to be more open with you, they are going to be more willing to come discuss improvement ideas that they may have. It's not so much about being able to tell this wonderful "story" to your workers, but rather it is about being able to communicate to them well and establish an open line of communication. Workers want to trust their leaders and know that what they are hearing from their leaders is credible and the truth. You have to present yourself and your vision in such a way that people want to follow you. Make them want to take this journey with you.
Our imagineers realized that not every single little detail is going to be noticed by every guest. However, they also realized that those small details add up to deliver an overall atmosphere that every guest can identify and describe to their family and friends. The same can be said about being a leader. Do the small things. Not every worker is going to notice every little thing you do, however, it will all add up to a great work environment.
Week 10
Typhoon Lagoon, our other Disney water park closed down this week for its winter rehab. With this Disney had to merge the two water park staffs and because I am on the College Program I was one of the many cast members who were "deployed" or moved to another job in the resort. This is all done based on senority and also based on what type of worker you are-College Program, Part-Time, Full-Time, or seasonal. One Typhoon Lagoon reopens then Blizzard Beach will go for its winter rehab. The workers will return to their normal work locations in about five months.
I was moved to Epcot doing the same job as park greeter. However, because I was new to the location I once again had to go through the entire training process even though I had been doing the same job for about two months. Instead of two days of training there were four days at Epcot which I thought was a bit much. Now, for a brand new cast member totally new to being a park greeter then I think a four day training process is wonderful for them instead of the two I got at Blizzard Beach. However, for a cast member who has already been performing the same job, just at a different work location, it was a bit much.
The only thing new I had to learn was working the cast member turnstile which prints out the tickets. Each cast member is giving a number of tickets that they can use to bring friends into the park. They have to go to these certain turnstiles that will print off their tickets. Once I had mastered that I pretty much knew everything else when it came to working the turnstiles. The other thing I had to learn was just the overall operation of Epcot and how some things are done differently than at Blizzard Beach such as when to bring out the covers, where to get my assignment, and what to do with demagnetized tickets.
On my fourth day of training I was to receive my assessment but the cast member who was to perform this task called in sick. There was no other person working that day who could have assessed me so they put me on exit gate for eight hours. Exit gate is standing there telling our guests good bye and opening the gate for wheelchairs and strollers. Not the most exciting job. The next day was to be my first day of regular working. However, again, there was no one there to assess me so I again worked exit gate for another six hours. The following day I was finally assessed and was able to work the turnstiles.
This was the first time that I really looked at Disney and thought they had failed from a managing stand point. I understand that people are going to call in sick. It happens. However, the managers had zero back up plan. They had no idea what to do except put me on a position that doesn't require any training. Why didn't they call in someone who could quickly perform the assessment? I think they didn't do that because that would mean they would have to pay someone who wasn't suppose to be working that day. I just found it a bit ridiculous that for two days I was basically forgotten about and thrown on exit gate. It is really the first time I felt like Disney didn't care about me while at the work place.
There are two parts to an assessment. You performing your job and taking the written test. The test I took at Epcot was the same exact test that I took at Blizzard Beach and it is a global test for park greeters. I just found it a bit of an overkill that I had to take the same test twice even though I had been performing this job for two months straight just because I was at a new work location.
Typhoon Lagoon, our other Disney water park closed down this week for its winter rehab. With this Disney had to merge the two water park staffs and because I am on the College Program I was one of the many cast members who were "deployed" or moved to another job in the resort. This is all done based on senority and also based on what type of worker you are-College Program, Part-Time, Full-Time, or seasonal. One Typhoon Lagoon reopens then Blizzard Beach will go for its winter rehab. The workers will return to their normal work locations in about five months.
I was moved to Epcot doing the same job as park greeter. However, because I was new to the location I once again had to go through the entire training process even though I had been doing the same job for about two months. Instead of two days of training there were four days at Epcot which I thought was a bit much. Now, for a brand new cast member totally new to being a park greeter then I think a four day training process is wonderful for them instead of the two I got at Blizzard Beach. However, for a cast member who has already been performing the same job, just at a different work location, it was a bit much.
The only thing new I had to learn was working the cast member turnstile which prints out the tickets. Each cast member is giving a number of tickets that they can use to bring friends into the park. They have to go to these certain turnstiles that will print off their tickets. Once I had mastered that I pretty much knew everything else when it came to working the turnstiles. The other thing I had to learn was just the overall operation of Epcot and how some things are done differently than at Blizzard Beach such as when to bring out the covers, where to get my assignment, and what to do with demagnetized tickets.
On my fourth day of training I was to receive my assessment but the cast member who was to perform this task called in sick. There was no other person working that day who could have assessed me so they put me on exit gate for eight hours. Exit gate is standing there telling our guests good bye and opening the gate for wheelchairs and strollers. Not the most exciting job. The next day was to be my first day of regular working. However, again, there was no one there to assess me so I again worked exit gate for another six hours. The following day I was finally assessed and was able to work the turnstiles.
This was the first time that I really looked at Disney and thought they had failed from a managing stand point. I understand that people are going to call in sick. It happens. However, the managers had zero back up plan. They had no idea what to do except put me on a position that doesn't require any training. Why didn't they call in someone who could quickly perform the assessment? I think they didn't do that because that would mean they would have to pay someone who wasn't suppose to be working that day. I just found it a bit ridiculous that for two days I was basically forgotten about and thrown on exit gate. It is really the first time I felt like Disney didn't care about me while at the work place.
There are two parts to an assessment. You performing your job and taking the written test. The test I took at Epcot was the same exact test that I took at Blizzard Beach and it is a global test for park greeters. I just found it a bit of an overkill that I had to take the same test twice even though I had been performing this job for two months straight just because I was at a new work location.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Week 4
For this week's journal entry I thought I would go over a typical day at Blizzard Beach. Every morning there is a pre-opening and pre-closing checklist of tasks that the cast must complete. You are assigned the tasks by the coordinators and they tend to rotate you throughout the week so you do something different each day. We get about 45 minutes to complete our morning tasks, an hour for some of the longer ones.
Each morning we needed to open umbrellas, clean the turnstiles, rake the sand by the photo sled, wipe down the benches and trash cans, pick up litter at the bus stops, pick up litter in the parking lot, restock the park maps and pens, and clean and sweep the backstage cast area. Yes, even the trash cans get cleaned every morning at Disney World.
Cleanliness, or show as we call it, is one of our service basics. The idea is simple enough, if you provide a clean play for people to play they are going to feel welcome and are likely to return. I can't even tell you how many comments I get from guests saying how clean everything is.
I have also learned guest service, how can you not at Disney? That is what we are known for, not good guest service, not great guest service, but exceptional guest service. I feel a responsibility to the company, and those who have worked before me and those who will work after me, to keep up these high standards. We have a saying at Disney, "Our guests may not always be right, but they will always be our guests." No matter how angry or upset a guest may be it is our responsibility to make it right for the guest. Why do we feel this way? Why don't we just meet our breaking point and yell back? I really do feel it is because of the connection/ownership we all feel for the company. Why do we feel this connection? I think it is a combination of fond memories we have of visiting Disney World in the past and of the history we learned in our Tradition class and park orientation. We really do feel a part of this gigantic company.
The closing tasks are closing the umbrellas, saying goodbye to all guests, zeroing out the turnstiles, putting the covers on the turnstiles, and shutting them all down after the last guest has left.
We have two coordinators and one manager always on duty. Our two coordinators tend to stay in the ticket booth while our manager, Heather, is always very visible. Every other job I have had when I saw the manager I got nervous and it was a sign of bad things. Heather is always there and I like having the manager right there if the need arises.
For this week's journal entry I thought I would go over a typical day at Blizzard Beach. Every morning there is a pre-opening and pre-closing checklist of tasks that the cast must complete. You are assigned the tasks by the coordinators and they tend to rotate you throughout the week so you do something different each day. We get about 45 minutes to complete our morning tasks, an hour for some of the longer ones.
Each morning we needed to open umbrellas, clean the turnstiles, rake the sand by the photo sled, wipe down the benches and trash cans, pick up litter at the bus stops, pick up litter in the parking lot, restock the park maps and pens, and clean and sweep the backstage cast area. Yes, even the trash cans get cleaned every morning at Disney World.
Cleanliness, or show as we call it, is one of our service basics. The idea is simple enough, if you provide a clean play for people to play they are going to feel welcome and are likely to return. I can't even tell you how many comments I get from guests saying how clean everything is.
I have also learned guest service, how can you not at Disney? That is what we are known for, not good guest service, not great guest service, but exceptional guest service. I feel a responsibility to the company, and those who have worked before me and those who will work after me, to keep up these high standards. We have a saying at Disney, "Our guests may not always be right, but they will always be our guests." No matter how angry or upset a guest may be it is our responsibility to make it right for the guest. Why do we feel this way? Why don't we just meet our breaking point and yell back? I really do feel it is because of the connection/ownership we all feel for the company. Why do we feel this connection? I think it is a combination of fond memories we have of visiting Disney World in the past and of the history we learned in our Tradition class and park orientation. We really do feel a part of this gigantic company.
The closing tasks are closing the umbrellas, saying goodbye to all guests, zeroing out the turnstiles, putting the covers on the turnstiles, and shutting them all down after the last guest has left.
We have two coordinators and one manager always on duty. Our two coordinators tend to stay in the ticket booth while our manager, Heather, is always very visible. Every other job I have had when I saw the manager I got nervous and it was a sign of bad things. Heather is always there and I like having the manager right there if the need arises.
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