Creating Disney Magic
503 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 429 ratingsLee Cockerell shares his wisdom and experience from his time as the Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World. Along with host Jody Maberry, Lee discusses how you can apply lessons in leadership, management, and customer service to create magic in your organization.
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Episodes
The Secrets of a Great Resume
October 02, 2018 05:00 - 22 minutes - 18.6 MBThe secrets to creating a good resume may not be what you think. It is not design that matters. Or keywords. Getting people to know you, the person is what matters. Too often, people consider a complete resume to be a chronological list of the jobs you have had. If you do this, you are going about it all wrong. Want to find out if your resume stands out from the crowd? Show your resume to people you know and ask for their feedback. Also, show your resume to companies. Don't apply ...
Ask Employees How You Can Do Better
September 25, 2018 05:00 - 15 minutes - 24.4 MBThe secret to understanding how you can operate your business better, serve customers better, and better support your staff is right in front of you. All you have to do is ask. Asking employees how you can do better is a powerful way to infuse new ideas into your organization. When I was with Disney, I would do this often. I would meet 10 or 12 front line cast members to find out what is going on with them. Meeting with employees will uncover information you can get no other way. The...
How to Promote Yourself
September 18, 2018 05:00 - 15 minutes - 23.9 MBDid you know people used to call me Low-Key Lee? Don't make the mistake of thinking your work will stand for itself. People have to know you did the great work. I made this mistake when I interviewed with Marriott. When I assumed the great work I had done at Hilton would speak for itself. It doesn't work that way. You have to promote yourself. At the time, I didn't know how to promote myself Low-Key Lee was not the person Marriott wanted to hire. Fortunately for me, someone I worked ...
Create Opportunities by Meeting New People
September 11, 2018 05:00 - 18 minutes - 24.1 MBOne of the most effective ways to create new opportunities is to meet new people. Meet people and keep in touch because you never know what could pop up later. If you don't know people they can't help you. If you don't know people you can't help them. I meet as many people as I can. It doesn't matter who they are or where they are from. Don't expect anything from the people you meet. Just enjoy meeting them and enjoying the diversity of conversation. But, sometimes opportunities ...
Creating Magic With the Guest Experience Cycle
September 04, 2018 05:00 - 17 minutes - 26.1 MBOn the 200th episode of Creating Disney Magic, we examine the Guest Experience Cycle. Disney implements the Guest Experience Cycle to make sure guest have the best vacation of their lives. Anticipation - Anticipate what your guests will expect so you can work on those items before the guest arrives. Arrival - What will the experience be like when your guest arrives? Whether a guest arrives in person, on the internet, or by phone what will the experience be like for them? Experience ...
Lead by Example
August 28, 2018 05:00 - 16 minutes - 21.4 MBIf you want to make a difference in your organization, you will have the most impact if you lead by example. On this episode of Creating Disney Magic, we talk about 3 different situations, including leading by example. Here are the first two: How to handle meeting a celebrity at work. Be polite and courteous. Say hello and go away. At Disney, you can't bother a celebrity or ask for an autograph. They are there for a private event or to spend time with their family. If you are at work,...
Use 15 Minutes Every Morning to Create Magic
August 24, 2018 07:00 - 12 minutes - 20.2 MBOften, people ask me about my morning planning time. I like that question because morning planning has helped me create magic. So many questions about morning planning time led me to create the Morning Magic Planning Course, which you can find here. My career at Disney has been well documented on the Creating Disney Magic podcast, but you have to rewind nearly 40 years to discover one of the biggest secrets to my success. Before I discovered the secret, I was disciplined, but not...
How to Make a Shift in the Way You Operate
August 21, 2018 05:00 - 16 minutes - 25.1 MBPeople only change for two reasons; crisis or education. Making a life change because of education is much better, believe me. But too many of us wait until we are smacked in the face to make a change. Making a change is hard, though. In my personal life, I made a drastic shift after going to a Time Management seminar in 1980. Before then, I worked hard and I worked a lot. Yet, I still missed deadlines and didn't get all my work done. But this 2-day changed everything. It shifted the w...
How to be a Great Coworker
August 14, 2018 05:00 - 15 minutes - 23.4 MBThis week on Creating Disney Magic, I answer two questions about working with co-workers. Working with Co-workers. Two questions both involve working with co-workers. First, how do you handle it if you have information or knowledge that can help co-workers? Someone would only ask this if they have ambition and a steak of leadership. Often, people keep their heads down and do their job without consideration to co-workers, unless it has a negative impact on them. Even so, this can still be...
The Manager is Always Responsible
August 07, 2018 05:00 - 16 minutes - 25.2 MBNo matter what business you are in, poor service happens because of the general manager. If bathrooms are dirty, don't blame the guy who cleans them. Look at the general manager. If food arrives late at a restaurant and service is lousy, it is not the cooks and servers. It is the general manager. If people stick to doing only what is in their job description, it is because the manager allows it. As a leader, there are three steps to help staff create magic. Set Expectations Enforc...
Making Old Ideas New Again
July 31, 2018 05:00 - 13 minutes - 21.7 MBThis episode was recorded while I was in Italy. The sound quality is not the best because I had to find an internet connection that worked good enough to record. There is a reason I wanted to make sure we recorded an episode while I was in Italy. I have said before, the best way to gain exposure and exposure is to travel. When you meet people from other countries, you will find out they are as wonderful as your neighbors. Spending time with them will open your eyes to new ideas and new wa...
How to Deal With Gossip
July 24, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 18.7 MBGossip can spread through an organization quickly, leaving a wake of confusion, rumors, and hurt feelings. You must deal with gossip quickly and clearly. But it all begins when you hire someone. Up front, during the onboarding process, explain gossip is not tolerated. Be clear about what you consider to be gossip and rumors and how you will deal with it. Don't let it end there. Continue to discuss gossip and what you expect. You will have to continue to remind people. Raise your exp...
What Will Your Legacy Be?
July 17, 2018 05:00 - 16 minutes - 25.4 MBWhat will your legacy be? Have you taken time to consider this? This episode of Creating Disney Magic is the second episode recorded live at Urbain 40 with a group from a live Mastermind meeting. You can hear the first episode here. People who were in the room had the opportunity to ask me questions, which you will hear on the podcast. One of the questions was about what my legacy will be. For a long time, I had this all wrong. I thought it was all about Lee Cockerell. But now, I rea...
Don't Underestimate Your Influence
July 10, 2018 05:00 - 15 minutes - 24.4 MBThis episode of Creating Disney Magic was recorded live in Orlando during a private mastermind event. Twelve people joined me and Jody Maberry to spend the day talking about business and creating magic. During our time together, we turned on the microphones and recorded two episodes of the podcast. Participants of the mastermind were able to ask a question. You can find out more about my live Creating Disney Magic Mastermind events here. Having the participants of the Mastermind ask ...
Stand Up For Yourself
July 05, 2018 05:00 - 19 minutes - 29.8 MBIn the last episode of Creating Disney Magic, we answered the first half of a series of questions from a listener. After listening to every episode of the podcast, a listener wrote in with a series of questions. The first half of the questions were more about success. You can hear the first episode Here. In this episode, we answer the rest of the questions, which are more about business. Here are the questions we answer in this episode; Why do you think most companies don't follo...
If You Believe in Something, Just Keep Going
July 03, 2018 05:00 - 17 minutes - 26.8 MBThis episode of Creating Disney Magic is a bit different. Let me tell you why; recently someone discovered the podcast and listened to all of the episodes in the catalog. After listened to well over 150 episodes, he had a list of questions he wanted to ask. Normally, we answer a single question on an episode. This time, we combined all of the questions into an episode. Or, rather, two episodes. This episode we tackle the questions that are more success related. When you are around s...
How to Handle Somone Gearing Down for Retirement
June 26, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 21.8 MBImagine a basketball team where one player decides to stay in the offensive end of the court because it is easier for him. Running up and down the court is hard work. Would the other players allow it? Would the coach allow it? No way! And it should not be allowed in the workplace either. Yet, it happens all the time. Specifically, it happens as employees are getting close to retirement. People should not "gear down" for retirement. Whether an employee retires in 3 years, 1 year, or 3 mont...
How to Turn a Business Around in 30 Days
June 19, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 23 MBIf your business is struggling, it may be hard to hear this, but here is the candid truth...Your business is as good as you want it to be. Most business can turn things around in only 2 to 4 weeks. In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, I use a doctor office as an example of where to begin to turn a business around. The problem in a doctor's office is the doctor doesn't know what is going on out front. But there is so much involved in a customer's experience than the time they sp...
Don't Identify Yourself By the Work You Do
June 12, 2018 05:00 - 15 minutes - 23.2 MBWhen you introduce yourself, or someone asks about you, what do you say? So many people discuss the work they do. This is especially a problem for those of us in the United States. Be careful about becoming who you work for instead of who you are. Some people never recover from having a big-ego job. I get it. Those jobs make other people think you matter. Or, that is what you think, anyway. When I retired, people would ask me if it was hard to leave a high position at Disney. No. I...
How to Be a Great Long Distance Leader
June 05, 2018 05:00 - 16 minutes - 25.7 MBRemote teams are just a fact of business life now. There is no going back. Whether it comes from telecommuting, an organization spread out geographically or working with employees who work from remote locations, most organizations deal with remote workers. Now, leaders have to understand how to communicate better with people they do not see in person. To discuss this topic, we invited Kevin Eikenberry to join us on Creating Disney Magic. Kevin is the author of the new book, The Long ...
Why You Need to Ask Why More Often
May 29, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 22.9 MBSometimes you have to ask Why five times to get to the truth. What you hear at first is not always the truth. Or not the whole truth, anyway. At first, people put the best story up front. They hope it will be enough and you won't go deeper. Ask Why. Go deeper. Get down to the truth and get all the details. If you want to prevent the problem from happening again, you have to understand what happened. Be relentless. Don't accept what you hear at first. Dig deeper. Ask Why five t...
Creative Ways to Find and Hire New Employees
May 22, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 22.3 MBWhen you are searching for people to add to your staff, you have to have a wide approach. Don't just post a job opening and hope the right person applies. Finding the right person starts long before you have a job opening. Having the right contacts and relationships with a wide variety of people can lead you to the right person, so it is a good idea to meet people across different industries and professions. At Disney World, we would carry a card to give to people we think would be ...
Delegating Authority During an Emergency
May 15, 2018 05:00 - 13 minutes - 21.8 MBEmergencies are the extreme example of finding out how well you have done in delegating authority. When you have an emergency you have no time for anyone to wonder what they should do and what responsibility they have. You have to sort it out before you have a problem. You don't plan what to do in a tornado when you hear the tornado siren. Think about what could go wrong. Work through the scenarios and determine who will do what task. Part of the planning for handling an emergency i...
Mastering the Four Guest Expectations
May 08, 2018 05:00 - 16 minutes - 25.2 MBNo matter how big or small your organization is, your customers all have the same expectations; Make me feel special Treat me as an individual Respect me Have knowledgeable employees Now, go through these four expectations with your team and figure out how you can master them. You will have to be deliberate to master these four areas. Discuss each expectation individually and figure out what it means for you and your organization. If you master these four expectations you will ...
How to Avoid an Us Versus Them Culture
May 01, 2018 05:00 - 15 minutes - 24.2 MBHave you ever been in a situation at work where it seemed like it was Us versus Them? When you find this situation it often comes in the form of field staff vs. office staff. The problem comes from the top. This happens because the CEO lets it happen. Or, in a public agency, the Director or CEO equivalent. Al Weiss used to say there would not be any silos at Disney World. And if there were, someone would not be in their silo anymore because he would remove them. It is the responsi...
How Do You Win Back Lost Customers?
April 24, 2018 05:00 - 15 minutes - 24.3 MBWhen you lose a customer, is it possible to win them back? Yes, it is possible, but don't even try to win a customer back unless you are ready to have them back. They left you for a reason. Fix the issue that caused them to leave in the first place. Only then, should you try to win a customer back. And when you know you are ready to have them back, treat them like a VIP (very individual person). If you are in a position to do so, go see him or her in person. Don't settle for sending ...
How to Stand Out in Your Job
April 17, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 19.7 MBOften, people ask me how to stand out in their job. Perhaps they want to know a secret. Something no one has told them before. But it is no secret. Most people know what to do, but they don't. If you want to stand out, focus on the basics. If you focus on these five things, you will stand out about anyone else you work with; First impressions are important. Be an expert in something Find a way to get better every day. Add value above what is expected of you. Have a great attit...
Creating Magic with Gratitude
April 10, 2018 05:00 - 16 minutes - 25 MBWant to create a magic environment around you? Start with gratitude. When you are around someone who is grateful, you can feel it, can't you? I used to think about what I didn't have and complain about it. At some point in my career, I became more grateful for what I do have. You know what, life became more enjoyable. When you are grateful for what you have, you begin to treat people better. People around you seem to be happier. It is like taking magic with you everywhere you go. ...
Facing the Truth About Bad Hires
April 03, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 12.2 MBToo often, when we have a bad employee, we assume we made a great hire and something then went wrong with the employee. The truth is, you made a bad hire. It is hard to admit, but it is true. In this episode of Creating Disney Magic, we talk candidly about hiring and firing. If you want to build a great culture, you have to face the truth about bad hires and put an end to it. In this episode, we reference Carol Quinn and her book, Don't Hire Anyone Without Me. To go deeper in ...
Does Getting Fired Ruin Your Reputation?
March 27, 2018 05:48 - 15 minutes - 24.4 MBGetting fired can feel like a big deal. It can feel like a blow to your confidence and your career. When I was younger, I took a job I shouldn't have and it led to me getting fired. It felt awful, of course. But it turned out to be the best thing that happened to me. One thing you are concerned about after getting fired is if it has ruined your reputation. After I was fired, I was hired by Marriott. They did not care I had been fired. Next, I was recruited by Disney. By then, havi...
Is it Unrealistic to Have Big Dreams?
March 20, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 22.1 MBWalt Disney was a dreamer. Some would say he was unrealistic. Some would say he was unreasonable. But without his dreams, there would be no Mickey Mouse. No Snow White. No Disneyland or Disney World. If you have big dreams, people are going to tell you that you can't do it or you are being unrealistic. Remember, when someone tells you something can't be done, they are talking about their limitations, not yours. Don't listen to them. Take your shot so you don't have regrets later in ...
It's Time to Take Care of the Customer
March 13, 2018 05:00 - 14 minutes - 19.2 MBOn this episode of Creating Disney Magic, a listener asks what I think is the biggest opportunity for the service industry. We've tried everything else, now let's take care of the customer. No gimmicks. No marketing campaign. No technology. Just people taking care of people. To make this happen, you have to stop relying on your business strategy and develop a leadership strategy. In order to take care of the customer, you need the right people. To hire and retain the right people...
Don't Stay Where You are Not Happy
March 06, 2018 06:00 - 14 minutes - 22.2 MBThis week I answer two listener questions. Although the details are different, both questions are in the same line of "my boss doesn't listen". Yes, it happens. There are some lousy bosses out there. People are insecure. Insecurity in leadership leads to some bad behavior. If you find yourself in this position it can make your life miserable. And my advice is simple, don't stay where you are not happy. Of course, it is simple to say and hard to act on. I understand many people are not...
Planning for Disruptions
February 27, 2018 06:00 - 15 minutes - 24.4 MBIf your organization has not experienced a major disruption in the past couple of years it is coming. Technology changes so fast, you may not even see the disruption before it hits. Look at what Amazon and Uber did to other businesses in their industry. The key to being ready for these disruptions is to plan for them. Even if you don't know what the disruption is, you can plan on being disrupted. Get a group of people from your organization together. Pick a possible disruption. Work...
How to Have A Magical Job Interview
February 20, 2018 06:00 - 16 minutes - 24.9 MBIn my younger days, I had trouble talking about myself. They even called me "Low Key Lee" because I kept to myself. So you might not be surprised to hear I did not interview well. But as I became an expert and became more confident, I became better at job interviews. Looking back on my career, I realize there are three things to help you create magic in a job interview; Talk about what you are passionate about. There needs to be something you are so good at and so passionate about you...
Incremental Sales Can Boost Your Bottom Line
February 13, 2018 06:00 - 14 minutes - 22.4 MBMany businesses are missing a big opportunity by not finding the right time to make incremental sales. Or you could call it situational selling. In the right situation, you offer an additional service or product to the customer. It is what we do in the hotel and restaurant business. We encouraged it and sometimes would create a friendly competition. Some people call it upselling, but it is more like upserving because you are finding a small way to serve the customer even better. ...
Why Are Routines Important?
February 06, 2018 06:00 - 20 minutes - 16.9 MBMany people set resolutions to start a new year. Most of those people don't follow through. Usually, by February, people have already given up on losing weight, reading more books, or whatever resolution they set. They key is to do things on purpose. Or, said another way, routines. Routines are systems to help you get done what you need to get done. Can you imagine FedEx or IBM or Disney doing what they do without systems? Your life is no different. You need the routines to keep ...
Does Customer Service Hurt the Bottom Line?
January 30, 2018 06:00 - 15 minutes - 24.1 MBFocusing on numbers and neglecting the customer has become too common. When times get tough, companies cut costs, often at the expense of customer service. Is that the right move? Does customer service really hurt the bottom line? Absolutely not. Without the customer, you will not have a bottom line to worry about. Take care of the customer. It takes discipline to offer excellent customer service while still meeting financial goals. A constant focus on meeting financial numbers, you ...
Overcoming the Experience Gap
January 23, 2018 06:00 - 15 minutes - 24.3 MBAnytime you get a promotion, especially when you are young, you may face an experience gap. Whether the experience gap is real or perceived, you have to address it. When I was in the hospitality industry, I spent time as a cook, a banquet waiter, restaurant waiter, and I cleaned rooms. I worked most jobs in the guest side of operations. Experience and exposure are the keys to overcoming the experience gap. Working your way through the operations with give you the experience you need an...
How to Build Trust With Your Supervisor
January 16, 2018 06:00 - 14 minutes - 22.3 MBBuilding trust with your supervisor is an art. All of us, well, most of us, want to build enough trust so we get more autonomy and responsibility in our job. If you want to build trust with your boss, you begin with results. Bring a project forward, get approval from your supervisor, and then get good results. When you have a track record of producing results, you will move from getting approval to being able to do the project on your own and keep your boss informed. Sometimes yo...
Building an Employee Referral System
January 09, 2018 06:00 - 16 minutes - 24.6 MBAt Disney World, we are always on the lookout for good people to become cast members. When we realized some of our best new cast members were referred by current cast members, we made a program out of it. We had cards cast members could carry. If they ran into someone who gave great service, they could hand them a card with details about applying for a job at Disney. This worked well because people who have a job, and are performing well at their job, are not actively looking for a job....
Is it Your Job to Motivate Employees?
January 01, 2018 22:48 - 16 minutes - 25.9 MBOften, people ask me about how to motivate employees. My answer...you shouldn't motivate employees. Of course, you should appreciate, recognize and appreciate employees. But your job is not to motivate employees. Your job is to hire the right employees and they will motivate themselves. Hire people who want to be great. What many think is motivation is really manipulation. Do you think a pizza party or casual Friday matters to great employees? If you want to motivate great employees...
Speak Up for What You Believe In
December 26, 2017 06:00 - 19 minutes - 16.1 MBWe come to you live again from the North Idaho Leadership Summit, hosted by St. Vincent de Paul. The audience asked questions and I answered. Again, we had a series of wonderful questions that lead to a series of candid conversations. People asked me about picking your battles, creating a culture, diversity, and dealing with employees who aren't working out. Throughout the questions and my answers, one theme was woven throughout...you have to stand up for what you believe in. If y...
Overcoming Challenges (Recorded Live with an Audience)
December 19, 2017 06:00 - 13 minutes - 20.4 MBFor the first time, Creating Disney Magic was recorded live in front of an audience. St. Vincent de Paul of North Idaho hosted a leadership summit with me as the speaker. At the end of the first session, we took questions directly from the audience. When Jody asks me listener question on the podcast, I usually don't know what the question will be. But in this case, people were asking me questions directly on the spot. Three questions are featured on this live episode. Audience members ...
Why Most Companies Get Hiring Wrong
December 12, 2017 06:00 - 15 minutes - 19.8 MBDuring a recent visit to an upscale hotel, I asked the Bellman if there were a second luggage rack available for our room. "I don't know", was all he said. Can you imagine? Yes, you probably can because underwhelming service like that has become overwhelmingly common. Most people will blame the bellman for having a bad attitude, or not caring. But it is not his fault. Sure, he did have a bad attitude. And he did not care about guests of the hotel. But the responsibility is with t...
Excellent Service Comes from Excellent Training
December 05, 2017 06:00 - 14 minutes - 22.9 MBThis episode of Creating Disney Magic was recorded in the lobby of the Coeur d'Alene Resort in Coeur d'Alene, ID. It was the perfect setting to discuss customer service. When you are at a resort or hotel, or anywhere for that matter, and get great service, it is likely the result of training. Sure, there are other factors, like good hiring practices and personal attitude, but for the most part, great service comes from great training. The same is true for bad service. Poor service come...
How to Become a Culture Manager
November 28, 2017 06:00 - 16 minutes - 25.9 MBIn this episode, we talk about Jeff Merhige, executive director of Camp Widjiwagan. Jeff applied what he learned in Creating Magic to find new ways to serve better. Jeff wanted to be great, and now the Camp he runs in great. Change like this starts at the top. Jeff made the decision to move from managing a facility to managing a culture. This is when he began to Create Magic. Now, the changes Jeff has made in himself have flowed down into employees of Camp Widjiwagan. Changes have flowed ...
The Power of Appreciation
November 21, 2017 06:00 - 16 minutes - 24.6 MBWhen I spoke to the Tennessee Air National Guard, the Colonel surprised me with a challenge coin. A challenge coin is usually an award for excellence given out by officers in the military. Over the years, as I have spoken to military units, I have received probably 50 challenge coins. It is an honor to have each one of them, but this coin was different. When Colonel Smith handed me a challenge coin based on my book, The Customer Rules, I could hardly believe it. My book is ab...
Exceeding Expectations Through Innovation
November 14, 2017 06:00 - 15 minutes - 23.9 MBThis episode of Creating Disney Magic was recorded live at the Nashville airport. After 3 presentations in Nashville, we were waiting at the Nashville airport and took the time to record. You will like the fun, conversational feel of this episode. While we recorded, we sat on the shoe shine bench. Sitting up there talking into microphones attracted plenty of attention for people as they passed by. While in Nashville, we stayed at the new TRU hotel by Hilton. Our hotel sparked the conve...
What Should You Do if You Don't Get a Promotion?
November 07, 2017 06:00 - 15 minutes - 23.4 MBHave you ever been passed up for a promotion? How did you handle it? If you feel you have been overlooked, there are a couple of ways you can deal with it. When you don't get a promotion can do nothing. Or you can complain to your friends and family about how unfair it is. Or, and this is what I would do, is have a talk with your supervisor. Ask what you need to do to get a promotion the next time one is available. If you want to understand the truth, you can ask for it. But you hav...