Page 102 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

Chapter 5

All for One and

One for All

Many hands, and hearts, and minds generally contribute to anyone’s
notable achievements. 23
Walt Disney

e was renowned for his creativity and superior crafting ability and
was successful beyond compare, yet even the great Walt Disney
Hdid not presume to be able to accomplish his goals without the
contributions of a well-coordinated group working alongside him. “I don’t
propose to be an authority on anything at all,” he once explained. “I follow
the opinions of ordinary people I meet, and I take pride in the close-knit
teamwork of my organization.” 24
That Walt Disney so readily acknowledged the value of collaboration is
a measure of his greatness—or perhaps a cause of it. In any event, his belief
in the team concept was such that he promoted it both in his films and
throughout his company. In fact, teamwork is a crucial element underpinning
the Disney “be our guest” philosophy. To wit, exceeding guests’ expectations
requires a well-rehearsed cast, with every member playing a significant role.
In the area of feature animation, The Walt Disney Company has tradition-
ally tapped the collective power of its workforce by using a long-standing pro-
cess for determining the value of various concepts for production. As a first step,
the senior leaders discuss ideas from several sources to decide which to pursue.
As the project moves along, directors, art directors, and the head of back-
ground production all join in the give-and-take of planning. The dialogue

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