Page 76 - Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

You Better Believe It 57

One of the first steps Jerry undertook was to determine the personal
values, the expectations, and the dreams of his group. As we facilitated
this discussion during the team’s Dream Retreat, spotting the similarities
and striving to reinforce them was extremely rewarding. Jerry wanted to
understand how the members saw the long-term value of their work and
how strongly they believed in what they were doing. He attempted to
paint a picture of what the team’s work would involve. He pointed out
that most major projects like theirs were given three to four years to bring
to completion. Management expected the team to finish in a little over
two years. In addition, the budget had been cut by a third.
McColgin, in consultation with us, decided that the best start would
be to take the team off-site for a five-day retreat, a kick-off session. There,
removed from outside distractions, this disparate group of people could
begin to develop a true team spirit. We had created other teams for the
company, but they were more traditional groups. As Jerry likes to say, he
had “a whacko group of people from around the world who clearly weren’t
going to fit into a conventional business mold.” Then, too, he had specific
ends in mind: He wanted to establish a culture; he wanted the team to
understand what his expectations were; and, most of all, he was determined
to create a 100 percent commitment from each team member.

Our Featured Organization:
Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts

THE GOLDEN RULE IS ALIVE AND WELL
Walt Disney set the standard for animation and theme parks as we know
them today. Isadore Sharp, chairman, CEO, and founder of Four Seasons
Hotels & Resorts, has set the standard for luxury hotels. Both The Walt
Disney Company and Four Seasons have become legendary for offering
experiences of exceptional quality. And, like Walt Disney before him,
Isadore (known to his loyal staff as “Issy”) has built his Canadian-based
company on the premise that mediocrity is not an option.
In the mind of Isadore Sharp, being innovative and delivering an unsur-
passable level of service are the only options. After a decade of building hotels
in the 1960s, Isadore came to understand that what business travelers want
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