Page 156 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

Dare to Dare 137

The dentist office is just about the last place one could think of to go for
a good time. But a visit to Dischinger Orthodontics in Portland, Oregon,
would make you think you’d arrived at The Walt Disney World of dentistry.
“We have always tried to make our office fun, with fun things happening all
the time,” says Terry Dischinger. “It is in our mission statement to produce a
unique personal experience for those who encounter our office—and part of
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that is having fun!” Perhaps Terry learned the value of fun as a professional
NBA basketball player in the 1960s. He was also a three-time All-American
and Olympic Gold Medalist: a member of the winning U.S. basketball team
at the 1960 Games in Rome.
Keeping the energy high and incorporating fun takes a little thought,
but there are many simple and inexpensive ways to do this. You don’t have
to fly to Four Seasons Istanbul for a Dream Retreat (although that would be
nice!). Even something as simple as a pizza lunch, a “Hawaiian Shirt Day,”
or a karaoke party can turn poor attitudes during a slow quarter into positive
attitudes for the next quarter.
Some years ago, the fishmongers of Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle,
Washington, committed themselves to becoming “world famous.” To date, the
now World-Famous Pike Place Fish Market has never spent a dime on advertis-
ing. Their goal is simply to interact with people and give them the experience of
having been served and appreciated, whether they buy fish or not.
These fishmongers are the subject of the best-selling book FISH!, coau-
thored by our friend John Christensen (who also penned the foreword for this
edition of The Disney Way). In FISH!, readers learn the benefits of a fun and
happy workplace. Some may find the story line and principles—like Play, Be
There, Make Their Day, and Choose Your Attitude—elementary. Others,
however, find a framework of solid management techniques that can transform
a workplace into one where energy, productivity, and incredible teamwork
drive out boredom, toxic energy, and burnout.
The FISH! philosophy and principles give people a common language,
one that empowers and energizes the entire employee base. And here’s the
best thing of all: as the culture is transformed, new attitudes develop, trust
increases, performance improves, and, yes, customers notice.
The idea that work should be fun is not new. In the 1985 book Reinventing
the Corporation, John Naisbit noted, “Many business people have mourned the
death of the work ethic in America. But a few of us have applauded the logic
of the new value taking its place: ‘work should be Fun.’” That outrageous