Essay on the Disney Way
Content
UNIVERSITY OF BOHOL
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
THE DISNEY WAY
MARCH 9, 2015
Report Submitted To:
DR. AMMON DENIS R. TIROL, DM, CPA
As Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in
BA206: Business Policy
Submitted by:
FRANCIS PAUL J. BUTAL
MSBA
1 | Page
Thriving in the new economy will never happen without strong values that
are embraced by all employees. With these values as an internal compass,
employees will provide their customers with a unique experience that is not easily
duplicated by others in the market place. This is the secret of Walt Disney. He has
embraced values that his employees also willingly have embraced throughout the
years. This is the secret of the success of Disney. This is the DISNEY WAY. After
all, it all began with a mouse.
SYNOPSIS:
"I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I
execute my vision to make those dreams come true." -Walt Disney.
Walt Disney's dreams, beliefs, and daring gave birth to captivating
characters, thrilling theme park attractions, and breathtaking tales that have
inspired the imaginations of generations of children and adults. Disney also
launched an entertainment and marketing empire whose influence is felt around
the world, and whose success provides a model of business excellence that can
guide any company. Each principle is then examined in detail by illustrating the
principle at work at Disney as well as at other successful companies.
From just being a struggling Midwestern artist in Chicago, Walt Disney has
been able to transform his meager beginnings into someone great, spearheading
the building of an entertainment empire, casually ripping off every obstacle along
the way. He started by dreaming big, borrowed $500 from his uncle, who insisted
to be paid in cash, instead of an ownership stake in the company. I am pretty sure
2 | Page
if that uncle lived long enough to see what he has been missing all through the
years. Together with his brother Roy, who was the one controlling the expenditures
of the company, Walt Disney has grown enormously from being a cartoon movie
company to a theme park to multimillion movies and cartoons, to TV and cable
channel ownership, to a whole lot more.
But what keeps on guiding this Great Big Dream are Walt’s values and
beliefs. For people have had the chance to see the true magic behind the curtain.
But learning also about these guiding principles opens the magic for so many of
us. Walt gave the world so many gifts – the gifts of dreaming big, believing in our
dreams, daring to take risks and actually doing it.
This book teaches us how to: Give every member of your organization the
chance to dream, and tap into the creativity those dreams embody; Treat your
customers like guests; Build long-term relationships with key suppliers and
partners; Dare to take calculated risks in order to bring innovative ideas to fruition;
Align long-term vision with short-term execution. And more. No fairy dust. No
magic wands. No wishing on a star. Just sound, effective management principles
that stem from Walt Disney's values, vision, and philosophy. Lists of questions to
ask and actions to take, along with real-life examples, will help you adapt the
Disney Way to suit your company's needs. From the hiring and training of
employees to the realization of a creative concept to exceptional customer service,
every aspect of the Walt Disney Company is linked to Walt Disney's vision.
3 | Page
The words of Walt Disney is highly compelling and moving, and serves as
an inspiration to a lot of people and other companies, both young and old,
established and struggling. It will forever echo in our minds. As he stated’ “I dream,
I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I executive my vision
to make those dreams come true. Dream, believe, dare, do.” These are the four
principles and the pillars of Walt Disney’s success. It is no wonder that Disney’s
consistency in direction and overall strategy, its unrivaled customer service, its
employee training and relatively low turnover, its product creativity, and its
spectacular profitability combined, in our view, to make it the perfect business
model. It is the utmost and ultimate business model, and the foremost strategy in
handling human behavior in an organization, and organizations as whole.
Such principle are reinforced by the strong family values espoused at
Disney. These values include honesty, reliability, loyalty and respect for people as
individuals. A set of bedrock values, such as these, gives a sense of security to all
stakeholders, and serves as a touchstone for company leaders. The company’s
customer relations value incorporates the following aspects: to deal well with
customers; display honesty, integrity and a sincere concern for their needs;
remember names and faces; and maintain poise, integrity, and confidence during
all interactions.
The book also stressed the importance of employee recognition and
forming good habits in customer relations and intra-employee relations. It almost
goes without saying that recognizing and applauding an employee’s contribution
are critical to reinforcing the desired behavior. Without some expression of
4 | Page
appreciation, the enthusiasm and hard work required for further improvement are
likely to diminish. But someone who is commended for an achievement usually
responds by producing even better results. Ultimately, the employer can expect
that the results will translate into cost savings, quality improvements, reductions in
cycle times, and strengthened customer relationships. When the newly learned
skills are reinforced with coaching, practice, and recognition, they become habits;
habits that will move your company steadily along the path of improvement.
The goal of learning is to develop positive habits that benefit individuals and
organizations. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do . . . excellence, then,
is not an act, but a habit.” If this is so, organizations that wish to pursue superior
performance at all levels must work to ensure that the characteristics that define
excellence are practiced, and then practiced some more, until they, too, become
an involuntary reaction. A company that claims the corporate value of excellence
must therefore establish a specific ongoing process to transmit knowledge and, in
turn, improve employees’ skills and attitudes. But for such an effort to produce the
desired results, a company must understand that the customer drives the process.
Similarly important is valuing your employees, since they are our partners in
the business. In any aspect, they too have a stake in our business. Thus for an
organization to be effective, there is a need to choose the best people and train
them well. It is imperative that we recruit the right people, train them, continually
communicate with them, ask their opinions, involve them, recognize them, and
celebrate with them. If you show respect for their opinions and involvement, they
will be proud of what they do and they’ll deliver quality service.
5 | Page
It has also been mentioned that there are ten core principles that continually
serve as the foundation of the success at and of Disney. These are:
1. Give every member of your organization a chance to dream, and to tap into
the creativity those dreams evoke and nourish.
2. Stand firm on your beliefs and principles.
3. Treat your customers like guests.
4. Support, empower, and reward employees.
5. Build long-term relationships with key suppliers and partners.
6. Dare to take calculated risks in order to bring innovative ideas to fruition.
7. Train extensively and constantly to nurture and strengthen the company’s
culture.
8. Align long-term vision with short-term execution of what achieves that
vision.
9. Take full advantage of storyboarding techniques during brainstorming
sessions to generate ideas that answer questions and solve problems, and
10. Pay very close attention to every detail.
6 | Page
However vast and diversified the Disney organization is today, all of these
core principles are relevant to almost any other organization, whatever its size and
nature may be.
Furthermore,
the
book
mentioned
of
the
Disney
company’s
ten
management principles, which are actually the titles of the chapters. They are
Make Everyone’s Dreams Come True, You Better Believe It, Never a Customer,
Always a Guest, )
All for One and One for All, Share the Spotlight, Dare to Dare,
Practice, Practice, Practice, Make Your Elephant Fly, Capture the Magic with
Storyboards, and Give Details Top Billing.
The Motto: Dream. Believe. Dare. Do. These are the principles that Walt
Disney lived and worked by, and now the secrets to these strong statements are
brought to whomever will listen, complete with many success stories from
companies who took the risk and embraced them. Case studies included are
Whirlpool, The Cheesecake Factory, John Roberts Spa, Downtown School, Griffin
Hospital, Four Seasons, Ernst & Young and Men’s Warehouse. Details about their
strategies really emphasize the commitment required and the stellar results that
can be found. Many examples from Walt Disney and the Disney Corporation are
interwoven into this extremely useful and interesting guide.
By following all of these pillars and key concepts, Walt Disney knew how to
make a successful organization and create “the most magical places on earth.”
Walt Disney considered four steps crucial in making a successful organization:
One must dream beyond the boundaries, believe in resolute values, dare to make
7 | Page
a difference, and then go out and do it. His underlying philosophy of creating
magic in the Disney experience demonstrates how success was accomplished—
from a lot of work and planning, but also fun. All these principles, concepts and
lessons, when meshed together, truly create a perfect guide to a great
organization. All it needs is your leadership and implementation. After all, it will be
one hell of a magical ride in one magical world!
ESSAY
I choose this book because I have always been a fan of Disney movies all
my life. My parents have exposed me to that magical world ever since I was a
young boy. Growing up with my sister, we memorized lines of Beauty and Beast,
The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King and even the near 40’s Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs never escaped my eyes. Even when I was growing up, I
never stopped watching Disney films, from the Prince of Egypt, Princess and the
Frog to the Incredibles.
I even love their non-animated films. I have received tons of inspiration and
motivation from the Mighty Ducks trilogy and Remember the Titans. Being a
scrawny and sickly kid, I was never into sports during my elementary years. It
changed after I watched those films, and I started engaging into different sports. I
have played basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton, golf and martial arts. The
pinnacle of it all is when I became part of the Ateneo Fencing Varsity Team in
college, and was able to compete in the UAAP.
8 | Page
I still get goosebumps whenever I watch National Treasure, the original
Three Musketeers (the one with Charlie Sheen, Oliver Platt and Chris O’Donnell),
Sky High, The Pirates of Caribbean series, and the list goes on and on.
I have always been enthralled and curious how this magical world started,
and I have always wanted to be a part of it. Being a failed and budding
entrepreneur, I have always wanted to know their secrets as to how the company
achieved success. Their management principles are now right before my eyes,
thanks to this book.
The book has opened my eyes to a lot of meaningful lessons especially in
handling people. It has always been said that the hardest aspect to manage in
business are people. I have experienced that a lot of times in my life.
As a young supervisor, barely two months into the job, I had troubles
leading a group of middle-aged people in Berkley, an American insurance
company. There I was, a 21 year old fresh graduate managing these people in
their 30’s and 40’s, and who had been in the company longer than me. If only
these concepts were readily available to me, then I could have had handled the
situation better, and I would not have cried more often.
I have also failed so many times in business as well. I used to join bazaars
in Manila and Cebu, and had my own tiangges. I had a variety of goods to sell,
from hotdogs, to RTWs, to fruitcakes, to DVDs and to ladies shoes. Again, I failed
in those businesses due to failing partnerships. The ideas in this book would have
been helpful.
9 | Page
I also used to own a Resto Bar along Gallares Street of this city. I had
arguments with my people before, specifically with an education graduate of a
cashier. Maybe, I failed to empower them, or maybe I was too relaxed as the
manager-owner. Again, this book would have given me the right insights to remedy
that situation. Perhaps, I failed to give them the necessary training and
information.
Anyhow, as the book stressed, mistakes do happen, and it is up to us to
convert such mistakes into valuable informative experiences. What is important is
that we are able to learn from it. Hence, there is always treasure to be found in
human lapses.
Right now, I am very much confident, that armed with this know-how from
the valuable lessons learned from this book and from the lessons in our class in
BA206, I am equipped not to not commit mistakes, because mistakes are
inevitable, but to face challenges and rectify errors as they come way. The
important thing is I vow to dream, believe, dare and do.
As I am starting new businesses this year, having created a new company,
and entered into the world of internet marketing, I am looking forward to applying
the principles in this book as my guide. There are two important topics which I
learned from the book that I want to emphasize, which I know will be helpful in my
journey as an entrepreneur (and where I failed before). These are: Employee
Empowerment, and Customer Relations and Requirements. After all, our partners
in business are our employees and our customers.
10 | P a g e
Employee Empowerment
Thus, the ways in which the Walt Disney Company trained and empowered
its employees, managed creativity and innovation, and provided service to its
customers were all influenced by the four-pillared philosophy. Remember, the
pillars start with Dream, and here, this does not refer to the dreams of the owner,
but everyone within the company. All employees must be given the chance to
dream, express that dream and embody that dream. The employees need to be
given a voice. Salaries and monetary benefits may be important, but in the long
run, when a person approaches that mid-life crisis stage, or even the quarter-life
crisis stage, he needs to feel important, he needs to know that he is valued, we, as
humans, as employees want to know that we matter! After all, every employee is
the company in the mind of the customer. More on that later.
The success of a company rests and hangs also with the people working for
such company. Many times it has happened that workers regard the work place as
their second home. I myself during my HSBC days loved to stay in the office. In
fact, I slept there at times, took a bath there, had my own bed (or sort of), and had
lunch and dinner there even during Sundays. As such, since employees regard the
workplace as their second home, then they need to feel important, they need to be
heard. In fact, the best creative juices and ideas come from the employees, and
11 | P a g e
not from the managers, since they are the ones doing the dirty work. They do
know how to improve the system and the processes.
No matter how ingenious an idea was, no matter what kind of financial
interests were at stake, Disney demanded that the company adhere to his belief in
and commitment to honesty, reliability, loyalty, and respect for people as
individuals. Whether he was producing a cartoon or building an amusement park,
he refused to palm off a shoddy product on his audience. This is the secret to
Disney’s success. He has empowered his people by asking even janitors, elevator
operators and other low-level employees for critical inputs about a new product or
service. Walt Disney instinctively knew that participation by cast members in the
development of a new “show” gave them a sense of commitment, both to the
project in question and to the company itself. There is dislike in the arrogance on
the part of management, and they desperately want real two-way communication
that includes them in planning and resolving critical issues.
It takes everyone to act together, and as the old adage goes, “Two heads
are better than one.”
Knowing this now, I must change the way I manage people. When I started
those failed businesses, I lack one important thing, and that is having a vision. I
never knew where I was headed. I just operated without really knowing what my
goals for the business were. This rubbed off on my people, and hence making
them unmotivated to do more work. There was no empowerment since the cause
12 | P a g e
of empowerment was absent. Hence, I start with a vision, and the empowerment
will come after. I will ask for more ideas from the people working for me, or shall I
say, people working with me. Their inputs are as important as mine.
Customer Relations and Requirements
I had to add this concept on customer requirements to customer relations. It
is an important idea in the evolution of Total Quality Management (a subject I am
currently teaching) and the modern business that one secret ingredient to success
is how you please your customers. I like the idea of Walt Disney, wherein he
never regarded customers, as merely customers, but as guests. In the words of
Walt Disney, “You don’t build the product for yourself. You need to know what the
people want and build it for them.”
We do treat guests differently. We reserve our most special set of plates
and glasses for our guests. We provide them with the best blankets and pillows
when they sleep over. We show to them our best behavior. This is the best we
should also treat our customers, like guests.
The trend nowadays is to create products and offer services in
conformance with customer requirements. It is only then that you can truly sell
most of your products, and even sell more. There are a number of different ways
to gather data. Some firms make use suggestion boxes or complaint boxes.
Others do surveys. Still, others distribute questionnaires, after they offer free
samples. Even some companies use their employees as test subjects. At HSBC
before, the new products being created were initially used on us, employees. The
13 | P a g e
management would get our feedback whether we like the product or service or
not. Usually, the tests ran for at most a month, or at least a week. After all, the
employees can be or are even the customers of the company.
Even banks nowadays and other financial institutions are mandated to
follow the KYC or Know Your Customer program. In hotels, it is important for the
sales and marketing, and the front office department to recognize and know their
guests. They even call them during such occasions as birthdays and
anniversaries. In this way, they may expect repeat businesses from these
customers. It is all about going the extra mile. The need to know your guests
(customers), treat them honestly and with respect, and they will keep on coming. It
is no longer about imposing the highest mark-up, it is all about taking care of
customers, the lifeblood of every organization, since the customers will take care
of you. It was mentioned in the book that the hard truth is that it costs five times
more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an old one. A five percent
increase in customer retention results in a 25 to 95 percent increase in profits.
My last point is never leave any customer complaint unattended. Just
recently, I had the worst dining experience at Chowking. The cashier was maybe
having a bad day, such that it emanated from her through her rudeness and
disrespect. The experience was so bad that her negative emotions rubbed off on
me and my companions. I had to complain, and I did. It disheartened me more
since I found out that she was actually the manager, and not a mere cashier. She
should have led by example. The assistant manager was apologetic. Good thing
14 | P a g e
was that he handled it well, because if he did not, I really vowed never to eat there
again. They could have lost one regular customer.
One of the best ways to know for sure if customers really count is to
evaluate how an organization deals with guest problems and complaints. For
every customer complaint that an organization receives, there are 26 other
dissatisfied customers who will remain silent. Each of the 27 dissatisfied
customers will tell 8 to 16 others about the experience, and 10 percent will tell
more than 20 other potential customers. If you do the arithmetic, you will find that
three complaints translate into more than 1,000 potential customers hearing about
the poor service a company provided. No company can afford to drag its feet when
handling customer complaints.
There is a strong correlation between the quality of a company’s customer
service and its long-term success. A typical consumer switched businesses they
dealt with twice in the past three years because of “bad service.” Your most
unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
We must rededicate ourselves to solving customer problems. That means
we must do what our customers ask of us unless it is illegal, immoral, or unethical.
Just do it. Execution is the key. Go beyond what your customers expect and
surprise them with your ability to solve their problems.
And if you are able to do this well, then you will reap off more profits that
you can ever imagine. Your customers will keep on coming, and the whole world
will know what you company is all about. Trust me. Have you ever dine at Golden
15 | P a g e
Cowrie? You should! They offer the best service possible. See? They never pay
me anything, but I blab about their quality service all the time.
Just recently, I was offered to open my own review center. I was number
one in Region 7 for the Civil Service which I took last October 13, 2013, merely
two days before the earthquake. My supposedly business partner pressured me to
product the materials right away, so I can be ready and prepared for the upcoming
exams this April. I immediately said no. I want to be very well prepared before I
embark on this new business. I want my guests (customers or reviewees) to feel
that all the materials are complete before starting a review center. I am taking my
time because I want them to talk about my review center as the best in the city, all
because I prepared well.
Applying the Disney Way to My Life
I have so much regret in my life, from early childhood days until the most
recent times. I regret not having to study harder when I failed the bar exam in
2012. I regret that I postpone doing things a lot to the point that I lost a German
partner in a real estate business deal. Things could have happened differently. I
should have taken more risks. I should have accepted certain lucrative job offers
while I had the chance. I was hired as the branch manager for Unionbank
Tagbilaran at the age of 23. I regret having to decline it due to immature reasons. I
should have sold more insurance plans, and have recruited diligently more people
as unit manager for Philam Life.
But the thing is, they should not be regarded as mere regrets, but as
mistakes that can be learned from. As mentioned early on in this paper, we should
16 | P a g e
be thankful for these mistakes since they are inevitable. They do happen, but we
must learn from them. I will just have to make sure that I will not make the same
mistake twice, or else, it is my own stupidity to be blamed.
Like I said, I have failed so many businesses for, but I am looking forward to
engage in more businesses in the future, and making my new ventures successful.
I regretted not having read this book before, but moving forward I dare to believe
that things will be better, since I am equipped with more know-how on how to
handle sticky situations. I will choose the right partners who share my values, after
all, partnerships are fiduciary in character. I failed to choose the right people
before as well, with regards to partners and employees. Hence, to form my future
business team, I will start with recruiting the right people, train them well, and
prepare for the long-term. One mistake with Takito was I adhered to short-term
vision of my partners. I should have opposed such. I will now listen to the opinions
of the people I am working closely with.
This time, I am starting with a concrete dream, and I will never stop
dreaming. I have visions of my own to fulfill. From these dreams and vision, as I
said, choosing the right people is critical, and training them is important as well. I
will be their guide, and their true north as their leader. I will equip myself with the
right values a leader should possess like honesty, reliability, loyalty and respect for
people as individuals. I won’t bash employees in front of others. Besides, I never
did. I will ask for their opinions, most especially the front line employees, since
frontline is the bottomline! I will not rely on the subjectivity of a single performance
appraisal, but will do recognize the self-worth and hard work of an individual. I will
17 | P a g e
not allow others to experience what I experienced due to the personal biases and
prejudices of people. I will not promote ill-gossips since I too fell victim to that
painful experience at work.
Most importantly, I will regard my customers as guests. This starts in my
classrooms, since my students are my customers, and therefore my guests. There
will be more interaction in class, and I vow to engage them in intellectual exchange
of ideas, since not only do they learn from me, but I as well learn from them. I will
continue to listen to people, because it is in listening that good and lasting
relationships are created. I promise to follow the Disney Way to be not only an
effective manager, but a member of society, as a person with others, as a son, a
brother and a friend.
CONCLUSION
Thereby, to conclude, let me quote George Zimmer of Men’s Warehouse,
“We are always looking for great people to fill our openings for Wardrobe
Consultants in all of our markets. If you would enjoy working as an integrated
member of a team, focused on helping people dress well and feel good about
themselves, this position is a good fit for you. We are really in the people
business, we just happen to have clothing on our racks.” The ability to establish
and manage a creative climate in which individuals and teams are self-motivated
to the successful achievement of long-term goals in an environment of mutual
trust and respect.”
18 | P a g e
The Disney Way is truly the highway to success. Just ask The Cheesecake
Factory, Downtown School, Ernst and Young, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts,
Griffin Hospital, John Robert’s Spa and Men’s Warehouse. They all have followed
the success formula of Walt Disney. Now it is time for us to follow suit.
There are lot more words to say about what I have learned. But it all can be
summed up in four words: Dream, Believe, Dare, Do.
“I dare to dream where no one else dare not go. My mind gets me to places that I
have never been to, and make me do things that I never would have imagined
doing. My mind is a tapestry of dreams turning into reality…”
-
Francis Paul J. Butal (2015)
19 | P a g e
PROFESSIONAL STUDIES
THE DISNEY WAY
MARCH 9, 2015
Report Submitted To:
DR. AMMON DENIS R. TIROL, DM, CPA
As Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements in
BA206: Business Policy
Submitted by:
FRANCIS PAUL J. BUTAL
MSBA
1 | Page
Thriving in the new economy will never happen without strong values that
are embraced by all employees. With these values as an internal compass,
employees will provide their customers with a unique experience that is not easily
duplicated by others in the market place. This is the secret of Walt Disney. He has
embraced values that his employees also willingly have embraced throughout the
years. This is the secret of the success of Disney. This is the DISNEY WAY. After
all, it all began with a mouse.
SYNOPSIS:
"I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I
execute my vision to make those dreams come true." -Walt Disney.
Walt Disney's dreams, beliefs, and daring gave birth to captivating
characters, thrilling theme park attractions, and breathtaking tales that have
inspired the imaginations of generations of children and adults. Disney also
launched an entertainment and marketing empire whose influence is felt around
the world, and whose success provides a model of business excellence that can
guide any company. Each principle is then examined in detail by illustrating the
principle at work at Disney as well as at other successful companies.
From just being a struggling Midwestern artist in Chicago, Walt Disney has
been able to transform his meager beginnings into someone great, spearheading
the building of an entertainment empire, casually ripping off every obstacle along
the way. He started by dreaming big, borrowed $500 from his uncle, who insisted
to be paid in cash, instead of an ownership stake in the company. I am pretty sure
2 | Page
if that uncle lived long enough to see what he has been missing all through the
years. Together with his brother Roy, who was the one controlling the expenditures
of the company, Walt Disney has grown enormously from being a cartoon movie
company to a theme park to multimillion movies and cartoons, to TV and cable
channel ownership, to a whole lot more.
But what keeps on guiding this Great Big Dream are Walt’s values and
beliefs. For people have had the chance to see the true magic behind the curtain.
But learning also about these guiding principles opens the magic for so many of
us. Walt gave the world so many gifts – the gifts of dreaming big, believing in our
dreams, daring to take risks and actually doing it.
This book teaches us how to: Give every member of your organization the
chance to dream, and tap into the creativity those dreams embody; Treat your
customers like guests; Build long-term relationships with key suppliers and
partners; Dare to take calculated risks in order to bring innovative ideas to fruition;
Align long-term vision with short-term execution. And more. No fairy dust. No
magic wands. No wishing on a star. Just sound, effective management principles
that stem from Walt Disney's values, vision, and philosophy. Lists of questions to
ask and actions to take, along with real-life examples, will help you adapt the
Disney Way to suit your company's needs. From the hiring and training of
employees to the realization of a creative concept to exceptional customer service,
every aspect of the Walt Disney Company is linked to Walt Disney's vision.
3 | Page
The words of Walt Disney is highly compelling and moving, and serves as
an inspiration to a lot of people and other companies, both young and old,
established and struggling. It will forever echo in our minds. As he stated’ “I dream,
I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I executive my vision
to make those dreams come true. Dream, believe, dare, do.” These are the four
principles and the pillars of Walt Disney’s success. It is no wonder that Disney’s
consistency in direction and overall strategy, its unrivaled customer service, its
employee training and relatively low turnover, its product creativity, and its
spectacular profitability combined, in our view, to make it the perfect business
model. It is the utmost and ultimate business model, and the foremost strategy in
handling human behavior in an organization, and organizations as whole.
Such principle are reinforced by the strong family values espoused at
Disney. These values include honesty, reliability, loyalty and respect for people as
individuals. A set of bedrock values, such as these, gives a sense of security to all
stakeholders, and serves as a touchstone for company leaders. The company’s
customer relations value incorporates the following aspects: to deal well with
customers; display honesty, integrity and a sincere concern for their needs;
remember names and faces; and maintain poise, integrity, and confidence during
all interactions.
The book also stressed the importance of employee recognition and
forming good habits in customer relations and intra-employee relations. It almost
goes without saying that recognizing and applauding an employee’s contribution
are critical to reinforcing the desired behavior. Without some expression of
4 | Page
appreciation, the enthusiasm and hard work required for further improvement are
likely to diminish. But someone who is commended for an achievement usually
responds by producing even better results. Ultimately, the employer can expect
that the results will translate into cost savings, quality improvements, reductions in
cycle times, and strengthened customer relationships. When the newly learned
skills are reinforced with coaching, practice, and recognition, they become habits;
habits that will move your company steadily along the path of improvement.
The goal of learning is to develop positive habits that benefit individuals and
organizations. Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do . . . excellence, then,
is not an act, but a habit.” If this is so, organizations that wish to pursue superior
performance at all levels must work to ensure that the characteristics that define
excellence are practiced, and then practiced some more, until they, too, become
an involuntary reaction. A company that claims the corporate value of excellence
must therefore establish a specific ongoing process to transmit knowledge and, in
turn, improve employees’ skills and attitudes. But for such an effort to produce the
desired results, a company must understand that the customer drives the process.
Similarly important is valuing your employees, since they are our partners in
the business. In any aspect, they too have a stake in our business. Thus for an
organization to be effective, there is a need to choose the best people and train
them well. It is imperative that we recruit the right people, train them, continually
communicate with them, ask their opinions, involve them, recognize them, and
celebrate with them. If you show respect for their opinions and involvement, they
will be proud of what they do and they’ll deliver quality service.
5 | Page
It has also been mentioned that there are ten core principles that continually
serve as the foundation of the success at and of Disney. These are:
1. Give every member of your organization a chance to dream, and to tap into
the creativity those dreams evoke and nourish.
2. Stand firm on your beliefs and principles.
3. Treat your customers like guests.
4. Support, empower, and reward employees.
5. Build long-term relationships with key suppliers and partners.
6. Dare to take calculated risks in order to bring innovative ideas to fruition.
7. Train extensively and constantly to nurture and strengthen the company’s
culture.
8. Align long-term vision with short-term execution of what achieves that
vision.
9. Take full advantage of storyboarding techniques during brainstorming
sessions to generate ideas that answer questions and solve problems, and
10. Pay very close attention to every detail.
6 | Page
However vast and diversified the Disney organization is today, all of these
core principles are relevant to almost any other organization, whatever its size and
nature may be.
Furthermore,
the
book
mentioned
of
the
Disney
company’s
ten
management principles, which are actually the titles of the chapters. They are
Make Everyone’s Dreams Come True, You Better Believe It, Never a Customer,
Always a Guest, )
All for One and One for All, Share the Spotlight, Dare to Dare,
Practice, Practice, Practice, Make Your Elephant Fly, Capture the Magic with
Storyboards, and Give Details Top Billing.
The Motto: Dream. Believe. Dare. Do. These are the principles that Walt
Disney lived and worked by, and now the secrets to these strong statements are
brought to whomever will listen, complete with many success stories from
companies who took the risk and embraced them. Case studies included are
Whirlpool, The Cheesecake Factory, John Roberts Spa, Downtown School, Griffin
Hospital, Four Seasons, Ernst & Young and Men’s Warehouse. Details about their
strategies really emphasize the commitment required and the stellar results that
can be found. Many examples from Walt Disney and the Disney Corporation are
interwoven into this extremely useful and interesting guide.
By following all of these pillars and key concepts, Walt Disney knew how to
make a successful organization and create “the most magical places on earth.”
Walt Disney considered four steps crucial in making a successful organization:
One must dream beyond the boundaries, believe in resolute values, dare to make
7 | Page
a difference, and then go out and do it. His underlying philosophy of creating
magic in the Disney experience demonstrates how success was accomplished—
from a lot of work and planning, but also fun. All these principles, concepts and
lessons, when meshed together, truly create a perfect guide to a great
organization. All it needs is your leadership and implementation. After all, it will be
one hell of a magical ride in one magical world!
ESSAY
I choose this book because I have always been a fan of Disney movies all
my life. My parents have exposed me to that magical world ever since I was a
young boy. Growing up with my sister, we memorized lines of Beauty and Beast,
The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King and even the near 40’s Snow White
and the Seven Dwarfs never escaped my eyes. Even when I was growing up, I
never stopped watching Disney films, from the Prince of Egypt, Princess and the
Frog to the Incredibles.
I even love their non-animated films. I have received tons of inspiration and
motivation from the Mighty Ducks trilogy and Remember the Titans. Being a
scrawny and sickly kid, I was never into sports during my elementary years. It
changed after I watched those films, and I started engaging into different sports. I
have played basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton, golf and martial arts. The
pinnacle of it all is when I became part of the Ateneo Fencing Varsity Team in
college, and was able to compete in the UAAP.
8 | Page
I still get goosebumps whenever I watch National Treasure, the original
Three Musketeers (the one with Charlie Sheen, Oliver Platt and Chris O’Donnell),
Sky High, The Pirates of Caribbean series, and the list goes on and on.
I have always been enthralled and curious how this magical world started,
and I have always wanted to be a part of it. Being a failed and budding
entrepreneur, I have always wanted to know their secrets as to how the company
achieved success. Their management principles are now right before my eyes,
thanks to this book.
The book has opened my eyes to a lot of meaningful lessons especially in
handling people. It has always been said that the hardest aspect to manage in
business are people. I have experienced that a lot of times in my life.
As a young supervisor, barely two months into the job, I had troubles
leading a group of middle-aged people in Berkley, an American insurance
company. There I was, a 21 year old fresh graduate managing these people in
their 30’s and 40’s, and who had been in the company longer than me. If only
these concepts were readily available to me, then I could have had handled the
situation better, and I would not have cried more often.
I have also failed so many times in business as well. I used to join bazaars
in Manila and Cebu, and had my own tiangges. I had a variety of goods to sell,
from hotdogs, to RTWs, to fruitcakes, to DVDs and to ladies shoes. Again, I failed
in those businesses due to failing partnerships. The ideas in this book would have
been helpful.
9 | Page
I also used to own a Resto Bar along Gallares Street of this city. I had
arguments with my people before, specifically with an education graduate of a
cashier. Maybe, I failed to empower them, or maybe I was too relaxed as the
manager-owner. Again, this book would have given me the right insights to remedy
that situation. Perhaps, I failed to give them the necessary training and
information.
Anyhow, as the book stressed, mistakes do happen, and it is up to us to
convert such mistakes into valuable informative experiences. What is important is
that we are able to learn from it. Hence, there is always treasure to be found in
human lapses.
Right now, I am very much confident, that armed with this know-how from
the valuable lessons learned from this book and from the lessons in our class in
BA206, I am equipped not to not commit mistakes, because mistakes are
inevitable, but to face challenges and rectify errors as they come way. The
important thing is I vow to dream, believe, dare and do.
As I am starting new businesses this year, having created a new company,
and entered into the world of internet marketing, I am looking forward to applying
the principles in this book as my guide. There are two important topics which I
learned from the book that I want to emphasize, which I know will be helpful in my
journey as an entrepreneur (and where I failed before). These are: Employee
Empowerment, and Customer Relations and Requirements. After all, our partners
in business are our employees and our customers.
10 | P a g e
Employee Empowerment
Thus, the ways in which the Walt Disney Company trained and empowered
its employees, managed creativity and innovation, and provided service to its
customers were all influenced by the four-pillared philosophy. Remember, the
pillars start with Dream, and here, this does not refer to the dreams of the owner,
but everyone within the company. All employees must be given the chance to
dream, express that dream and embody that dream. The employees need to be
given a voice. Salaries and monetary benefits may be important, but in the long
run, when a person approaches that mid-life crisis stage, or even the quarter-life
crisis stage, he needs to feel important, he needs to know that he is valued, we, as
humans, as employees want to know that we matter! After all, every employee is
the company in the mind of the customer. More on that later.
The success of a company rests and hangs also with the people working for
such company. Many times it has happened that workers regard the work place as
their second home. I myself during my HSBC days loved to stay in the office. In
fact, I slept there at times, took a bath there, had my own bed (or sort of), and had
lunch and dinner there even during Sundays. As such, since employees regard the
workplace as their second home, then they need to feel important, they need to be
heard. In fact, the best creative juices and ideas come from the employees, and
11 | P a g e
not from the managers, since they are the ones doing the dirty work. They do
know how to improve the system and the processes.
No matter how ingenious an idea was, no matter what kind of financial
interests were at stake, Disney demanded that the company adhere to his belief in
and commitment to honesty, reliability, loyalty, and respect for people as
individuals. Whether he was producing a cartoon or building an amusement park,
he refused to palm off a shoddy product on his audience. This is the secret to
Disney’s success. He has empowered his people by asking even janitors, elevator
operators and other low-level employees for critical inputs about a new product or
service. Walt Disney instinctively knew that participation by cast members in the
development of a new “show” gave them a sense of commitment, both to the
project in question and to the company itself. There is dislike in the arrogance on
the part of management, and they desperately want real two-way communication
that includes them in planning and resolving critical issues.
It takes everyone to act together, and as the old adage goes, “Two heads
are better than one.”
Knowing this now, I must change the way I manage people. When I started
those failed businesses, I lack one important thing, and that is having a vision. I
never knew where I was headed. I just operated without really knowing what my
goals for the business were. This rubbed off on my people, and hence making
them unmotivated to do more work. There was no empowerment since the cause
12 | P a g e
of empowerment was absent. Hence, I start with a vision, and the empowerment
will come after. I will ask for more ideas from the people working for me, or shall I
say, people working with me. Their inputs are as important as mine.
Customer Relations and Requirements
I had to add this concept on customer requirements to customer relations. It
is an important idea in the evolution of Total Quality Management (a subject I am
currently teaching) and the modern business that one secret ingredient to success
is how you please your customers. I like the idea of Walt Disney, wherein he
never regarded customers, as merely customers, but as guests. In the words of
Walt Disney, “You don’t build the product for yourself. You need to know what the
people want and build it for them.”
We do treat guests differently. We reserve our most special set of plates
and glasses for our guests. We provide them with the best blankets and pillows
when they sleep over. We show to them our best behavior. This is the best we
should also treat our customers, like guests.
The trend nowadays is to create products and offer services in
conformance with customer requirements. It is only then that you can truly sell
most of your products, and even sell more. There are a number of different ways
to gather data. Some firms make use suggestion boxes or complaint boxes.
Others do surveys. Still, others distribute questionnaires, after they offer free
samples. Even some companies use their employees as test subjects. At HSBC
before, the new products being created were initially used on us, employees. The
13 | P a g e
management would get our feedback whether we like the product or service or
not. Usually, the tests ran for at most a month, or at least a week. After all, the
employees can be or are even the customers of the company.
Even banks nowadays and other financial institutions are mandated to
follow the KYC or Know Your Customer program. In hotels, it is important for the
sales and marketing, and the front office department to recognize and know their
guests. They even call them during such occasions as birthdays and
anniversaries. In this way, they may expect repeat businesses from these
customers. It is all about going the extra mile. The need to know your guests
(customers), treat them honestly and with respect, and they will keep on coming. It
is no longer about imposing the highest mark-up, it is all about taking care of
customers, the lifeblood of every organization, since the customers will take care
of you. It was mentioned in the book that the hard truth is that it costs five times
more to attract a new customer than it does to keep an old one. A five percent
increase in customer retention results in a 25 to 95 percent increase in profits.
My last point is never leave any customer complaint unattended. Just
recently, I had the worst dining experience at Chowking. The cashier was maybe
having a bad day, such that it emanated from her through her rudeness and
disrespect. The experience was so bad that her negative emotions rubbed off on
me and my companions. I had to complain, and I did. It disheartened me more
since I found out that she was actually the manager, and not a mere cashier. She
should have led by example. The assistant manager was apologetic. Good thing
14 | P a g e
was that he handled it well, because if he did not, I really vowed never to eat there
again. They could have lost one regular customer.
One of the best ways to know for sure if customers really count is to
evaluate how an organization deals with guest problems and complaints. For
every customer complaint that an organization receives, there are 26 other
dissatisfied customers who will remain silent. Each of the 27 dissatisfied
customers will tell 8 to 16 others about the experience, and 10 percent will tell
more than 20 other potential customers. If you do the arithmetic, you will find that
three complaints translate into more than 1,000 potential customers hearing about
the poor service a company provided. No company can afford to drag its feet when
handling customer complaints.
There is a strong correlation between the quality of a company’s customer
service and its long-term success. A typical consumer switched businesses they
dealt with twice in the past three years because of “bad service.” Your most
unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.
We must rededicate ourselves to solving customer problems. That means
we must do what our customers ask of us unless it is illegal, immoral, or unethical.
Just do it. Execution is the key. Go beyond what your customers expect and
surprise them with your ability to solve their problems.
And if you are able to do this well, then you will reap off more profits that
you can ever imagine. Your customers will keep on coming, and the whole world
will know what you company is all about. Trust me. Have you ever dine at Golden
15 | P a g e
Cowrie? You should! They offer the best service possible. See? They never pay
me anything, but I blab about their quality service all the time.
Just recently, I was offered to open my own review center. I was number
one in Region 7 for the Civil Service which I took last October 13, 2013, merely
two days before the earthquake. My supposedly business partner pressured me to
product the materials right away, so I can be ready and prepared for the upcoming
exams this April. I immediately said no. I want to be very well prepared before I
embark on this new business. I want my guests (customers or reviewees) to feel
that all the materials are complete before starting a review center. I am taking my
time because I want them to talk about my review center as the best in the city, all
because I prepared well.
Applying the Disney Way to My Life
I have so much regret in my life, from early childhood days until the most
recent times. I regret not having to study harder when I failed the bar exam in
2012. I regret that I postpone doing things a lot to the point that I lost a German
partner in a real estate business deal. Things could have happened differently. I
should have taken more risks. I should have accepted certain lucrative job offers
while I had the chance. I was hired as the branch manager for Unionbank
Tagbilaran at the age of 23. I regret having to decline it due to immature reasons. I
should have sold more insurance plans, and have recruited diligently more people
as unit manager for Philam Life.
But the thing is, they should not be regarded as mere regrets, but as
mistakes that can be learned from. As mentioned early on in this paper, we should
16 | P a g e
be thankful for these mistakes since they are inevitable. They do happen, but we
must learn from them. I will just have to make sure that I will not make the same
mistake twice, or else, it is my own stupidity to be blamed.
Like I said, I have failed so many businesses for, but I am looking forward to
engage in more businesses in the future, and making my new ventures successful.
I regretted not having read this book before, but moving forward I dare to believe
that things will be better, since I am equipped with more know-how on how to
handle sticky situations. I will choose the right partners who share my values, after
all, partnerships are fiduciary in character. I failed to choose the right people
before as well, with regards to partners and employees. Hence, to form my future
business team, I will start with recruiting the right people, train them well, and
prepare for the long-term. One mistake with Takito was I adhered to short-term
vision of my partners. I should have opposed such. I will now listen to the opinions
of the people I am working closely with.
This time, I am starting with a concrete dream, and I will never stop
dreaming. I have visions of my own to fulfill. From these dreams and vision, as I
said, choosing the right people is critical, and training them is important as well. I
will be their guide, and their true north as their leader. I will equip myself with the
right values a leader should possess like honesty, reliability, loyalty and respect for
people as individuals. I won’t bash employees in front of others. Besides, I never
did. I will ask for their opinions, most especially the front line employees, since
frontline is the bottomline! I will not rely on the subjectivity of a single performance
appraisal, but will do recognize the self-worth and hard work of an individual. I will
17 | P a g e
not allow others to experience what I experienced due to the personal biases and
prejudices of people. I will not promote ill-gossips since I too fell victim to that
painful experience at work.
Most importantly, I will regard my customers as guests. This starts in my
classrooms, since my students are my customers, and therefore my guests. There
will be more interaction in class, and I vow to engage them in intellectual exchange
of ideas, since not only do they learn from me, but I as well learn from them. I will
continue to listen to people, because it is in listening that good and lasting
relationships are created. I promise to follow the Disney Way to be not only an
effective manager, but a member of society, as a person with others, as a son, a
brother and a friend.
CONCLUSION
Thereby, to conclude, let me quote George Zimmer of Men’s Warehouse,
“We are always looking for great people to fill our openings for Wardrobe
Consultants in all of our markets. If you would enjoy working as an integrated
member of a team, focused on helping people dress well and feel good about
themselves, this position is a good fit for you. We are really in the people
business, we just happen to have clothing on our racks.” The ability to establish
and manage a creative climate in which individuals and teams are self-motivated
to the successful achievement of long-term goals in an environment of mutual
trust and respect.”
18 | P a g e
The Disney Way is truly the highway to success. Just ask The Cheesecake
Factory, Downtown School, Ernst and Young, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts,
Griffin Hospital, John Robert’s Spa and Men’s Warehouse. They all have followed
the success formula of Walt Disney. Now it is time for us to follow suit.
There are lot more words to say about what I have learned. But it all can be
summed up in four words: Dream, Believe, Dare, Do.
“I dare to dream where no one else dare not go. My mind gets me to places that I
have never been to, and make me do things that I never would have imagined
doing. My mind is a tapestry of dreams turning into reality…”
-
Francis Paul J. Butal (2015)
19 | P a g e
