Page 182 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

Practice, Practice, Practice 163

aligned with the overall vision of the organization), the organization’s overall
performance improves dramatically.
As should be obvious by now, an organization’s management cannot
afford simply to say to new employees, “Here’s what we expect of you. Now
go to it.” A company must be prepared to work with new employees and
guide them until they become familiar with their responsibilities and the
organization’s culture. The former manager of customer satisfaction at Disney
summed up the reasons for Disney’s success this way:

Recruit the right people, train them, continually communicate with
them, ask their opinions, involve them, recognize them, and cel-
ebrate with them. If you show respect for their opinions and involve-
ment, they will be proud of what they do and they’ll deliver quality
service. 61

Nothing more need be said. With all employees primed to deliver, we
will take a look next at the role proper planning plays in bringing dreams to
fruition.

Questions to Ask
■ Do you support individual development planning rather than the
demoralizing performance appraisal?
■ Do you verbalize and demonstrate to employees that you value their
partnership in creating plans for their own self-development?
■ Are you providing training to the right people in the organization?
■ Do you provide training that is tailored to the needs of your employees?
■ Do you celebrate the contributions of employees, even when they are
not exactly in line with management’s thinking?
■ Do your managers coach employees to reinforce important concepts
after they have been formally trained?

Actions to Take
■ Ask for feedback from employees on the value of specific organiza-
tional training that they attend.
■ Concentrate training efforts on those who need skill development
rather than on those who desire training as a company perk.