Inside the Disney Insitute
July 28, 2008
By Margery Weinstein
Doling out advice to other companies isn't something Disney takes lightly, says Bruce Jones, program director for the Disney Institute. "We started the curriculum [by thinking about] what do we want to say, and why?" says Jones, who spoke to me over lunch following the Institute graduation ceremony. When the company decides to share a piece of its expertise, it's doing so, he says, "because we're solving someone's business issue, are knowledgeable about it, and have results we can share."
Each of the Institute's lessons involves "deconstructing" a Disney best practice to help participants "construct" it for their own companies, says Jones. "We're deconstructing it and putting it back together so people in other organizations can use it." The themes of business savvy have to be universal because, notes Jones, "we don't want you to be Disney; we want you to be your own company and apply these principles in your own ways."
That's critical given the cross-section of companies that make their way to the Institute. There's always a wide array, but Jones notices certain participant patterns based on what's going on in the business world at large. In the early to mid-1990s, for instance, a multitude of power companies, following deregulation of their industry, headed to the Institute for help. Often perceived in a negative light—the people, after all, you call when something goes wrong or your bill is too high—they wanted to learn from the people "who create happiness," says Jones of what Disney taught them. Focusing on happiness creation meant teaching them how to emphasize their positive points in customer service—the creation of safe, comfortable environments through electrical delivery.
These days, airlines, and even a few airports, are flocking to learn at the feet of Mickey. Travel these days isn't known for the creation of sheer happiness. But maybe there's hope now that even airports slowly are getting on the Disney customer service bandwagon. "Airports are the face of the community," says Jones of their interest in Disney's tips, "so community leaders are intrigued that if they improve them, it's not just the airport, but the community that's perceived better."
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