Smith School Hosts "The Disney Keys to Excellence" Conference
Learning the Business Behind Disney Magic

The University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business partnered with the Disney Institute to bring its "Disney Keys to Excellence" program to the Washington, D.C., area this month. The full-day event, held on June 6, 2007, in Van Munching Hall, gave business professionals from all over the mid-Atlantic region a chance to discover the business behind Disney magic. The program sessions introduced participants to innovative Disney business strategies on leadership, management, service, and loyalty that they can implement in their own organizations. Smith School Dean Howard Frank (left) opened the conference.

The Disney experience started from the moment attendees walked up the steps into Van Munching Hall as they were greeted with Mickey and Minnie Mouse balloons and then followed mouse-prints leading into Howard Frank Auditorium.

Attendees acknowledged that this conference was unlike any they had attended, with "critter incentives" for audience participation (Disney figurines - see right) and tasks like naming as many Disney animated characters as possible, and easy-to-remember tips for customer service, like how to respond to a question like "When is the 3 o'clock parade?"

"Everyone has a '3 o'clock parade' question," said the facilitators -- Kris Lafferty and Tom Madden. How do you respond without making the questioner feel bad? You ask a question in response. For example: "What do you want to do after the parade?" Then you can direct them where to sit -- on the shady side of the street -- and suggest that they get there 30 minutes beforehand, and then say that the parade will be passing by that particular spot at about 3:20 p.m.

Taking a peak backstage at the core of Walt Disney World Resort operations is exciting, to say the least. Exceeding guest expectations is part of the routine for the employees--or cast members, as they are called--and they are rewarded for it. The hiring process is an adventure in itself and allows only the best-fit candidates to move forward, and once hired the day-to-day processes are fine-tuned and feedback is encouraged. Customer loyalty and employee dedication go hand-in-hand: about 70 percent of the visitors at Disney are repeat customers and there is less than 20 percent employee turnover, which is low in the hospitality industry.

The entire process is enviable. One participant said, Anyone who has visited Walt Disney World Resort has seen the incredible attention to detail, but this program really hit home on how that attention to detail and service can be applied to all industries. It was really interesting to see Disneys strategy for exceeding guest expectations, then to turn that thinking around and apply it to my own job to strive to improve service.

Great service is just one ride in the park, though. Another key point brought home to attendees was the power of story-telling in leadership. Disney is known for its classic tales of love, loss and family, but how does story-telling relate to the business environment? "Every leader is telling a story about what he or she values," said Lafferty. We judge ourselves by our intentions, but others judge us by our behaviors.

All-in-all, the four sessions on leadership, management, service, and loyalty were all delivered with a lot of useful information, some Disney magic and a little bit of pixie dust. No Disney day would be complete without an emotional payoff, and that came in the form of video testimonials from guests and cast members on how Disney has made a difference, and exceeded expectations. Laughs were had, and a few tears were shed.

"This is the kind of conference where you come out of it feeling like you can really head back to work and make a difference--make things better for the people you work with and the customers you serve," said one participant.

Professional development programs that we offer to groups meeting at the Walt Disney World Resort have proven extremely popular, said George Aguel, senior vice president for Walt Disney Parks and Resort. Community leaders around the country started asking us to bring similar programs to their cities, and The Disney Keys program does just that. Participants discover Disney success stories and learn about management philosophies and behind-the-scenes operations that have made the Walt Disney World Resort a benchmark for businesses around the world.

The next time you head to Walt Disney World Resort, remember this parting advice: if you know what time you arrived in the parking lot, but forgot where you parked, there is no need to ride the shuttle in circles aimlessly hitting buttons on your car's keyless remote. The parking attendant will be able to help you find your car. There is a record of which rows in the lot were filled by the minute. "It might not be our fault (that you lost your car), but it is our problem," says Kris Lafferty. The shuttle driver reminds guests to write down the row where they parked multiple times during the journey to the front gates, but each day hundreds forget where they parked their cars. The time-recording system was put into place by employees on the frontline who needed to solve this recurring lost-car problem.

"You can dream, create, and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality." -- Walt Disney

▓ Alissa Arford-Leyl, Office of Marketing Communications