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132 The Disney Way
for change was distinctly lukewarm. Dr. Cross told us later that his first reaction
was, “Why do we need to change?” He knew that his division already had a
culture of quality and never let bad products go out the door. Then he real-
ized that more than quality was at stake. Dr. Cross began to get excited about
implementing a culture where team members could enjoy working together
toward common goals and objectives.
As we were laying out plans for the implementation of the change effort
and the initial Dream Retreats, Dr. Cross phoned to say that the division was
going to have its first-ever layoff in only a few months. “Should the implemen-
tation be postponed?” he asked. We couldn’t answer his question, of course,
because, ultimately, the decision was his to make. But in the end, he proceeded
as planned. “Okay,” he said, “I’m going to plunge ahead because I feel so sure
about its worth to us.”
Thus, when the layoffs came, the shock that everyone understandably
felt was mitigated by the fact that a plan was in place to change the culture
to one in which people could enjoy and take pride in their ability to meet
customer needs and problems.
After the initial teams were well on their way to success, the vice president
took the initiative to enlist the entire division in the change process. Now, the
new cultural orientation has spread throughout the unit. It was this leader’s
belief in the change effort and his recognition that the long-term future of the
division was at stake that made the success possible.
Another leader at a Fortune 500 manufacturing company with which
we work also exemplifies the kind of long-term perspective that Walt Disney
showed. Traditionally, manufacturing a new product at this company required
the installation of an assembly line costing between $80 million and $100
million. If the product failed, a large investment was lost. Obviously, finding
an alternative way of doing things was in the company’s best interests.
Deciding to experiment with the possibility of running multiple products
on the same assembly line, our client turned to an engineering manager with
eight years of service with the company who was known as someone willing
to experiment to try out new ideas—in short, someone ready to take risks.
When the company approached him, however, he was in the enviable position
of being head of the division that manufactured the most profitable product
in its line.
Although managing this pioneering project carried the possibility of
enormous benefits, success was by no means guaranteed. How many leaders