Page 119 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

100 The Disney Way

problems. Trust is the interpersonal principle that needs to be in alignment
with the personal, managerial, and organizational levels in a progressive
culture.
Trust cannot exist without people themselves being trustworthy. They
must share the values and possess the skills needed to meet and exceed
customer expectations. If you want your organization to be truly customer-
driven, you must give your employees control in assisting each and every
customer they serve. In most environments, however, only certain individu-
als are entrusted and empowered to this degree.
As Father Carl, former general manager of Abbey Press, put it,

We are definitely talking more about the customer here at Abbey Press.
Our teams are more focused on how to work better together making
the best use of their time to try to get something done. They also do a
good job of taking assignments away from meetings and working inde-
pendently or in smaller teams to expedite the process of improving the
overall business processes. These are all real powerful benefits.

A Collective Effort or an Effort at Collecting?

Father Carl’s is a positive appraisal to be sure, and one that confirms our
belief in the power of teams. Yet we would be remiss if we did not recog-
nize that some companies have had mixed results with teams. The synergy
just isn’t developed, or there may be a lack of energy and inspiration. In
fact, some situations simply aren’t suited to the team concept at all. These
drawbacks raise the danger that cynicism will creep in and overshadow the
importance and potential value of teams.
Thus, it’s important to recognize that when teams work well, they are
spectacularly successful in solving problems and delivering results quickly and
cost-effectively. At their best—and we have seen many that rate that superla-
tive description—teams are about harnessing the collective talents of a diverse
group of employees. The sum is far greater than the parts, and that adds up to
an important tool for companies that want to wind up on the winning side.
A company that has recognized the power of collective effort is primed
for the next phase of the Believe principle: Go outside the corporate family
to draw on the talents of suppliers and partners. In Chapter 6, we’ll look at
what secure, long-term external alliances can mean for your organization.