by Amy Hanna, Vice President

Taking a behind-the-scenes walking tour of Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom was exciting for me not just because I’m a total Disney geek, but also because I am fascinated by the procedures Disney has put in place to ensure customer (they call us “guests”) satisfaction.

The “Keys to the Kingdom” tour center on four main points, or “keys,” that all Disney employees (they call them “cast members”) work and live by:

1. Safety: Disney’s primary concern is for the safety of its guests and cast members. For example, there are three separate evacuation plans in place for Disney theme parks, and all cast members participate in evacuation scenarios monthly. It’s a good reminder that every business needs a crisis plan – both an operational plan and a communications plan. And, we need to rehearse and test the plans on a regular basis.

2. Courtesy: The “two-fingered” point was pioneered by Disney because pointing with a single finger is offense in some cultures. Regardless of whether we’re working with colleagues from our own country or another culture, we should always remember to practice courtesy with clients and colleagues. From returning phone calls and e-mails promptly to always being available to assist, courteous service develops solid, lasting business partnerships.

3. Efficiency: “Is there a better and faster way to do this?” Disney encourages, and even rewards, its cast members for recommendations on a better way to accomplish something. Just because a process has been in place for some time doesn’t mean that there’s not a better was to do it. At Borshoff, we’ve found it helpful to try to step back and look at something through different “eyes” to determine if we can do something event better for our clients.

4. Show: One of the most fascinating parts of my tour was visiting the Magic Kingdom’s “utilidors,” a nine-acre underground system of tunnels and offices where Disney cast members work and travel throughout the park – all without disturbing their guests’ experience. It’s a good reminder that, when partnering with a client or colleague on a project or event, it’s not necessary to share or show every single detail of the process. Does your client or partner need to understand your thought processes and how you arrived at a solution? Absolutely. Does he/she need to read your notes or know what occurred in every single meeting? Probably not.

Keeping these four keys in mind during your daily work may just unlock some great new ideas for you, your business and clients. Now, if I could just convince the principals that Mickey Mouse ears are “business casual dress.”

This entry was posted by Borshoff on Friday, October 23rd, 2009 at 10:13 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the Comment Feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.