The Disney Way, Revised Edition: Harnessing the Management Secrets of Disney in Your Company

332 Pages·2006·1.22 MB·English

by  Bill Capodagli

The
Disney
Way
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REVISED AND FULLY UPDATED
The
Disney
Way
Harnessing the Management
Secrets of Disney
in Your Company
Bill Capodagli and Lynn Jackson
Foreword by John Christensen,
FISH!
coauthor of the best-selling book
McGraw-Hill
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Copyright © 2007, 2002 by Center for Quality Leadership, D.B.A. Capodagli Jackson Consulting. All
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ISBN: 978-0-07-176681-4
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To those who continue Dreaming,
Believing, Daring, and Doing despite
continual economic change and a
nation at war—we salute you.
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Contents
Foreword to New Edition by John Christensen ix
Preface to New Edition xi
Acknowledgments xv
Chapter 1. Walt’s Way 1
DREAM
Chapter 2. Make Everyone’s Dreams Come True 17
BELIEVE
Chapter 3. You Better Believe It 37
Chapter 4. Never a Customer, Always a Guest 61
Chapter 5. All for One and One for All 83
Chapter 6. Share the Spotlight 105
DARE
Chapter 7. Dare to Dare 127
DO
Chapter 8. Practice, Practice, Practice 149
Chapter 9. Make Your Elephant Fly—Plan 169
Chapter 10. Capture the Magic with Storyboards 185
vii
viii The Disney Way
Chapter 11. Give Details Top Billing 201
Chapter 12. Re-Creating the Magic 215
PUTTING IT TOGETHER:
FEATURED ORGANIZATIONS
Chapter 13. Dream, Believe, Dare, Do 225
Epilogue. The Magic Continues 267
Appendix 277
Notes 285
Bibliography 293
Index 297
Foreword
I

can still remember the feeling of excitement that came over me every
Sunday evening—the great anticipation of getting my grilled cheese
sandwich and tomato soup on a TV tray and awaiting the start of my
favorite show.
Then, on the screen it would begin. The beautiful castle would appear,
Tinker Bell would wave her wand and the “pixie dust” would drop, and the
“Wonderful World of Disney” would begin. Wow! All those feelings come
back like it was just last night. For me, that was over 40 years ago, but that
feeling still excites me every time I have a Disney experience.
What is the magic? Part of me wants to know, while the other part of
me just wants to keep on experiencing it, like wanting and not wanting to
know how a magic trick is performed. Bill and Lynn have cracked open the
curtain so we can all have access to some of the insights into the Wonderful
World of Disney.
It was the Disney standard of imagination and engagement that inspired
me so many years ago, and with that “pixie dust” in my heart I discovered
the FISH! Philosophy, a group of daily practices that reflects the ideals Walt
Disney shared with the world. Now, Bill and Lynn bring these ideals and
practices into practical use, with something for any dreamer to use.
We have all heard of the Disney secrets: customers are called “guests”; theme
parks are called the “show”; and behind the scenes is called “backstage.” But the
real magic that Bill and Lynn share with us is Walt’s underlying philosophy of
“I dream, I test my dreams against my beliefs, I dare to take risks, and I execute
my vision to make those dreams come true: Dream, Believe, Dare, Do.”
ix