Page 171 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

152 The Disney Way

The immediate cause of Disney’s agitation was the behavior of the boy hired
to play Tom Sawyer. The red-haired, freckle-faced 12-year-old, who greatly
resembled the fictitious Missouri schoolboy, apparently had read Mark Twain’s
novel and was going to great lengths to imitate the rambunctious Tom. He was
actually picking fights with other boys visiting the island!
It was a delicate matter, since Walt himself had suggested the boy, previ-
ously a messenger in his office, for the job. The vice president, taking his cue
from the boss, had hired the young man on the spot. Now the executive was
telling Disney, “The kid is beating up all your guests. We have to fire him.”
But Walt’s response, from behind closed doors, took the vice president
by surprise. The boss was upset, to be sure, but his anger was directed toward
the executive for his failure to train the boy to deliver the “good show.” The
youngster was only trying to do his job in the best way he knew how, Walt
reasoned. The fault lay with Disney management for not making sure the
boy understood what was expected of him.
The incident, which had been forgotten until it was recounted by the
then-retired vice president at a celebration honoring the little red-haired boy
for his 30 years of service to the company, illustrates the underlying belief that
led to the evolution of Disney University into a world-class training program.
Because Walt Disney believed so strongly in a company’s responsibility for
training its employees, students at Disney U now receive a complete orienta-
tion called Traditions, which includes an explanation of the company’s values
and traditions, on-the-job training, and procedures for advancement.
As the story suggests, Walt Disney understood the detrimental effects that
the sink-or-swim mentality can have on the workplace. Under this approach,
which unfortunately is prevalent at far too many companies today, people are
thrown into new jobs and left to discover the rip tides on their own—hope-
fully before they are dragged under by them. If someone is deemed worthy
of being in your employ, why not take the time to pilot him or her through
dangerous currents? After all, if you buy a $30,000 piece of equipment, you
would likely follow the manufacturer’s break-in procedure.
Consider an orientation program as the recommended break-in proce-
dure for new employees. Drawing on the expertise of its veterans, Disney
designates trainers in each department to oversee and guide the work of new
cast members. Front-line employees at Disney also serve as facilitators in
some training sessions, sharing their on-the-job experiences with newcomers.
Believing the adage that “to teach is to learn twice,” Disney thus accomplish-
es the dual goal of instructing new staffers while reinforcing company values