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How important is new employee orientation?

Disney University exterior view
Yesterday, lunch meeting at Disney University.

 

Q. How important is it to conduct new employee orientation as the very first day (no exceptions) of work for newly hired employees?

A. If an organization doesn’t immediately set context for everything else that will happen in an employee’s career, what is at risk?

Seriously, let that sink in for a minute…

  • New people filling in the blanks by guessing
  • Making assumptions about priorities and focus
  • Questioning why their questions aren’t anticipated, and answered without having to ask
  • Feeling like the slick marketing doesn’t live up to the real thing
  • Setting the tone that winging it is acceptable
  • And on and on

Disney over-focuses on this question and insists that every new employee (Cast Member) attends Disney Traditions, every new employee’s first day of work.

The day is spent building an emotional connection to the Disney company culture that by the end of that first day, it’s something everyone wants to defend.

When done with excellence, that feeling should last a lifetime.

 

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Do my four world class customer service basics apply everywhere?

Top Disney Conference Keynote Speaker
His Customer Service Keynote speech covered the four world-class service basics.

 

These questions from a recent audience member prompted my response below:

Is there a difference in the customer approach between a consumer oriented organisation (like Disney) vs a corporate relation (like IBM dealing with clients), i.e do you believe that the four world class basics you present apply the same way?

And, is there a place for emotions in the type of environment where we are? How can we leverage emotions in our customer relations?

My reply:

There is no difference. Why would there be? People serve people. The product is literally irrelevant in the equation. Who cares about a great product if the employees are rude and unhelpful? No one.

Disney is a massive, global, 160,000+- employee enterprise. We have divisions (and people) who do similar things like what you do. No one at Disney says, “These things only apply to The Theme Parks.”

The other way to understand this is that the four principles work for employees serving other employees (never seeing the paying customer), as well as Leaders serving employees. There is no difference.

Emotion trumps everything. What makes us (you, me, our colleagues) loyal to a product or service is the emotional connection? We will drive farther and spend more for something we can get closer and cheaper. Yet we invest more time and/or money for the same thing. Why? Because we believe someone treats us better. We like that, and will pay a premium. Trust wins at the end of the day. Emotions and trust are inseparable.

 

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There’s a reason why i do not have an email subscription signup

Disney Leadership Keynote Speaker
An older Disney leadership portrait photograph.

 

There’s a reason why i do not have an email subscription signup. Most people are buried by their email’s in-box. i do not write to build an email subscription list. Most gurus insist an email list is your bread and butter.

Only a few hours away from hitting 72-hours without a response from an important business professional.

Rather than be frustrated for the delay, i use my energy to pray that they are okay and that some difficult, and perhaps overwhelming, business challenge isn’t consuming their soul.

Does that sound like a goody two-shoes?

 

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What is your reputation for responsiveness?

Books on a library shelf
Book near the top has a great title: “Ever Wonder Why?” Photo from last night’s NEHS induction ceremony.

 

What is your reputation for responsiveness?

You know those people who you send emails or texts to and you wonder if they’ll ever reply to you?

You know those people who you email or text and you hear back from them so quickly it astonishes (and delights) you?

Your habits define which way people think of you.

It’s either scary or comforting to think about.

If you were a Disney leader, you would want to have a reputation for being responsive. It’s that simple. It is also incredibly challenging.

 

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This website is about our career health. To leave this site to read today’s post on my home health website, click here.