Love for coworkers, love for customers, love for the product and love for self. Walt Disney instilled all of these “loves” in his company. Each of these factors is critical to achieving success in any organization.
Walt Disney said everything he had ever accomplished was a result of Mickey Mouse. Mickey was Walt’s alter ego and he was originally modeled after Charlie Chaplin’s Little Tramp character. So without Chaplin, who knows what Mickey would have become!
Twenty years ago if you provided someone with horrible service, it may take weeks or even months for the word-of-mouth message to get out to 15-20 potential customers.
Write down your Dream or story; create your own unique Values, Believe in them, and use them to make all decisions; Dare to take some risks; and Do the planning, revisions and details to realize the Dream.
In today’s global economy, innovations and improvements to products and services are not only happening more rapidly than ever before in history, they are being communicated instantaneously. So, it’s “innovate or die”!
When you focus on results, you will very seldom see a change in your culture. But, if you focus on a customer-centric culture, you will realize long-term results.
The best ideas can come from anyone within an organization. Leaders must remember that if they want employees to embrace a new organizational “Dream” or strategy, they need to include them and seek their ideas. Creativity is NOT just for the R&D department.
The two greatest role models in my professional career were Walt Disney and Dr. Deming. Dr. Deming was the Father of Total Quality Management and the person who redefined quality for the entire world.
