Disney Magic Doesn't Rub Off Easily

  Last month I read a post that linked to an interesting article about how airports were trying to implement a Disney-style service model. The article has sort of stuck with me for the past few weeks, as I pondered all of the companies and professionals (myself included) who have attended the Disney Institute to study the Disney way, as well as all the companies who have hired former Disney executives hoping that a little magic will rub off on them. But the magic doesn't rub off so easily.

How many companies can you name that deliver a customer experience like the Magic Kingdom?

Has the Disney Institute failed? Have we failed?

Here's a couple of thoughts I've been mulling over...

• It's harder to change a corporate culture than it is to grow one. One of the lessons I've learned in the call center business is that it's easier to get new employees to embrace a service attitude than the crusty old veterans. Culture is hard to change, and the larger the company the more difficult it becomes. You're fighting years of baggage and branding. Your great Disney-esque ideas are easily perceived to be the latest in a series of fad initiatives that employees have seen come and go.
• Disney's core business is entertainment. All of the businesses, merchandise, and services are wrapped around the reality that we were entertained by Walt every Sunday night growing up. Now, our children and grandchildren have been entertained by endless DVDs and the Disney Channel. Disney is pleasure. Disney is leisure. Disney is fond childhood memories. The widgets I'm hawking B2B in Hoboken and Fargo just don't engender the same warm fuzzies from the stressed out plant manager who's next on my cold call list.
• If it was easy, everyone would be doing it. Even Disney didn't get there overnight. One of the things I did pick up at the Disney Institute was the major hurdles even Disney has had to overcome. In 14 years of doing Quality Assessment with companies all over the country, I've learned that consistent, quality customer experiences are less about magic and more about hard work.

I'm not trying to have a glass-half empty mindset here. I'm a glass-half full kinda guy. I have come to believe, however, that there is only one Disney. While we can all learn nuggets of wisdom from Disney's experience, we must ultimately do the work to create our own magic.

Tell us about the magic you've created in your company.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and d4rr3ll.