Page 47 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

28 The Disney Way

matter how good, bad, or indifferent the idea, it can be expressed, accepted,
and considered.” 6
The “Gong Show” was a valuable learning experience for many employees,
helping them to see why one idea works and another doesn’t. It was also
an experience that enhanced the atmosphere of freedom—freedom both to
dream and to share those dreams with the company’s highest authorities.
And by creating an environment in which people felt safe to express their
creativity, the The Walt Disney Company opened itself up to literally thou-
sands of good ideas—ideas so good that they have sewn the seeds for many of
Disney’s animated features. Hercules, for example, grew from an animator’s
idea that a man is judged by his inner strength and not his outer strength.
Though the story line ended up changing, the basic premise stood and the
movie went on to be a commercial success.
Not long ago, we were showing an executive from British Petroleum
around Disney World. “What a pity that Walt Disney did not live to see
this place,” he remarked. “But he did see it,” we said. “That’s why it’s
here.”
Obviously, The Walt Disney Company is involved in an industry that is
equal parts art and commerce. But there is no industry, no matter how basic,
that couldn’t benefit from injecting a dollop of Walt’s unfettered visionary
spirit into too-often sclerotic corporate veins. Many of the greatest figures in
American business—from Thomas Edison to Bill Gates—have been dream-
ers, and it’s no accident that Steven Spielberg, an American icon approaching
Disney status, has named his new company DreamWorks SKG. Companies
must give themselves permission to dream. Whether or not they come up
with an equivalent of Walt Disney World in which to showcase their fan-
tasies, the simple act of letting imaginations run free will increase creativity
and innovation.
Any kind of cultural change comes slowly, and the powerful transforma-
tion to be fueled by adoption of the Dream principle is no exception. If your
company is large and if old attitudes and methods are firmly entrenched,
it may take three to five years for the new culture to take permanent root.
However, we have worked with organizations that began realizing improve-
ments in service and productivity within a few months.
In spite of visible short-term gains, however, some companies will still
voice concern over the slowness of the overall transformation process, at
which point we relate the story of the hundredth monkey.