If Disney Ran your Hospital

If Disney Ran your Hospital by Fred Lee is an interesting book about a career healthcare professional who spends time working in the Disney organization and learns that many of the Disney business strategies and approaches, if implemented into healthcare, could greatly improve the industry. Thus, in this book, the author lists 9 ½ of these ideas or strategies and illustrates how adopting these same strategies in healthcare or in any business would advance results and enhance success. Below are four of my favorite 9 ½ strategies discussed in the book.

#1 Redefine Your Competition and Focus on what Can’t be Measured

Often we compare ourselves to our immediate competition, but not Disney. Instead, they compare themselves to the greatest organizations in any industry. Disney’s desire is not simply to be the best in their industry but to be the best in comparison to any company worldwide. Think about how this thought process could positively impact our results—especially if we are part of an industry that is known for poor customer service, or poor quality, or poor whatever... Likewise, Disney focuses most of its efforts on outcomes that are difficult to measure such as first impressions and special experiences. Rather than zeroing in on numbers, they attempt to evaluate feelings and emotions because to them, positive experiences, feelings, and emotions are what really drive customer loyalty.

#2 Make Courtesy more Important than Efficiency

In business, we constantly get hung-up on efficiency and often devalue, or even worse, push courtesy completely to the wayside. Thus we teach our people to be efficient but not courteous. In the Disney model, they preach that if customer service and courteous behavior come first, than the business will prosper. Through their success, and the positive impressions and experiences probably each of us have had with Disney, we can see the value in this strategy.

#3 Decentralize the Authority to Say Yes

Disney empowers employees to please a dissatisfied customer immediately. Unlike many business models, if you are a Disney employee and someone is upset, you have the power to determine what needs to be done to make that customer happy whether provide them with a free souvenir, cover their tab at the dinner table, or reimburse their money completely—each employee has the power to satisfy their customer without going to their boss or others. This immediate response to unhappy customers by all employees builds satisfaction and success.

#4 Harness the Motivating Power of Imagination

Disney encourages employees to imagine that each person is someone they know personally and like. Rather than serving, they are “on stage” each day with the goal of creating excellent experiences for each person they come in contact with. If an employee is having a bad day, is upset about something, or just doesn’t feel like working, they are encouraged to act—to imagine that they are having the best day and to perform and put on the best show possible. The Disney model believes that imagination has the power to change feelings which in turn changes behaviors. And through imagination our actions become easy, natural, and real. This power of imagination motivates employees to do their best each day and provides unforgettable memories for patrons.

These are simply four of the 9 ½ Disney strategies shared in this book. I believe the book does contain a small portion of the magic of Disney and that the ideas are creative and sound, and if implemented could improve any business. I encourage business leaders to read the book and discover the other strategies shared. And just imagine how life would be different if every company ran their business like Disney…