Creating Disney Magic – Détails, épisodes et analyse

"There is a clear difference between those who have their act together those who are just half there, not communicating well and not paying attention."

Key Moments

05:32 Presenting yourself professionally leads to opportunities.

08:32 Body language impacts the perception of professionalism. 

10:22 Understand professional etiquette in job interviews.

14:41 Frontline Rules is a course that supports personal and organizational improvement.

Resources

The Cockerell Academy

About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader

Magical Vacation Planners  407-442-2694

Body Language and Hospitality

First impressions are made within seconds. That is why professionalism, appearance, and a good attitude are crucial in hospitality. They can quickly make or break a customer’s impression of your organization. That is why sometimes it is more important to "hire for the smile and train the skill."

Understanding how non-verbal cues impact hospitality can make a significant difference in how you connect with others and create magical experiences. During this episode I highlight ways to ensure you and your team are presenting yourselves in the best possible light every day. This attitude doesn't just help in your career but builds trust and leaves positive lasting impressions of your organization. 

Notable Takeaways:

1. First Impressions Matter: Learn why first impressions are formed within the first 20 seconds and how to ensure you always make a positive impact.
2. Professionalism Counts: Discover the importance of maintaining a professional appearance and the impact it has on your odds of getting hired or promoted.
3. The Power of Body Language: Understand how non-verbal cues like eye contact, posture, and a welcoming demeanor can set you apart.
4. Training for Excellence: Get insights into why it’s crucial to train for skills but hire individuals who naturally exude warmth and positivity.

Whether you're aiming for a promotion or running a small business, confidence and professionalism will set you apart.

At Disney, it was my job as a leader to show how important it is to present ourselves in the best possible light—every day. This attitude doesn't just help in your career but builds trust and leaves positive lasting impressions on those you serve.

Go out and create some magic in you organization by recognizing the impact of your team's body language.

Learn More by Reading "Creating Magic"

"Creating Magic" continues to be a vital resource for aspiring leaders and managers. It's even used as a textbook in colleges across the country! If you haven't yet, grab your copy at CockerellStore.com and start your journey to creating your own magic.

Featured Course: The Frontline Rules

"The Frontline Rules," is a course designed to elevate frontline staff performance. With 50 short, actionable lessons, it's perfect for both individual development and organizational training. It’s time to put on a better show than anyone else around you!

Upcoming Articles in The Main Street Leader

Keep an eye out for the upcoming volume of The Main Street Leader, where I share more about lessons from throughout my career journey. The newsletter offers tips on how to excel in any role, including by simply striving to be better than everyone else.

Vacation Planning

Make sure you reach out to Magical Vacation Planners. Let them plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

"I started listening to the Jordan Harbinger Show and have really enjoyed the variety of guests that he talks to"... "The more you know and the more points of view you hear, the better you're going to run your life, your business and your relationships"... check out the Jordan Harbinger Show - we think you're going to enjoy it.

"Make sure you're doing things for other people long before you're going to ask them to do something for you."

Key Moments

01:24 Building Meaningful Professional Relationships

04:57 How to Handle Unresponsive Colleagues

06:31 The Power of a Phone Call or Face to Face Conversation in a Digital Age

07:43 Impact of Personal Stress on Leadership

Resources

The Cockerell Academy

About Lee Cockerell

Mainstreet Leader

Build Relationships Before You Need Them

A crucial aspect of leadership and management is building relationships before you need them. When a someone takes the time to build relationships across departments, they ensure seamless collaboration when the time comes. Throughout my years as a leader, including an executive with The Walt Disney Company, I learned a number of practical strategies that maintain strong connections and while also making sure everyone is held accountable.

Everyone needs to recognize that proactive relationship building is always valuable. Develop strong connections with colleagues outside your department long before you need their help. Invest time in genuine interactions—have a casual lunch, send a thank-you note, or simply check in. These small gestures accumulate and solidify a foundation of trust and mutual support.

When you need to delegate tasks outside your department, be persistent yet considerate. This is not as challenging to do when you have already built a relationship and have an empathetic lens.  Humor and directness can go a long way in breaking resistance. There are times you will have to push through the obstacles, but always maintain a respectful and understanding demeanor towards others' pressures and workloads.

In our digital age, it’s easy to rely on emails and texts. Switch things up and prioritize communication over convenience. Picking up the phone or having face-to-face conversations can resolve issues more effectively and save time. Direct communication makes sure everyone has clarity and shows your commitment to collaboration.

Whether you're in management, customer service, or just interested on leadership advice, this episode is an important one. If you are ready to create magic in your organization, make sure to listen. By the end you will be ready to build relationships that will pave the way for smoother operations and enhanced cooperation.

Magical Vacation Planners does a great job of building relationships. When you are ready for a vacation reach out to them. Once you meet their team you will know why you will want them to plan every trip you take. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Today Jody and I unpack how you, as a leader, using outside resources to train your team can add value to the training.

Often we think of training as something we develop or put in place. When it comes to the technical aspects of your organization, that is the foundation you build on. However, you can provide high-quality training and invest in your team by utilizing outside resources. Today, there are many valuable offerings available, many of which are free or low-cost. You can utilize podcasts, books, and articles to help drive points home in your team.

Be creative about how you are infiltrating the brains of your team members. Find ways to help them grow and learn. As the boss, you need to get things stated. Make developing your team a priority. It doesn’t cost much, just the intention and follow-through. Leaders make their people better; they don’t just manage the bottom line.

As a leader, it is your job to make your team better. The better they get, the less there is for you to do. You can make a difference when teams have clarity and work together.

If you are looking for a good place to start with outside resources, check out our Main Street Leader Newsletter or the Cockerell Academy.

Another great outside resource you can use it Magical Vacation Planners. They can help you plan your next vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Mainstreet Leader
Cockerell Academy
Ron Logan Tribute Episode

Today Jody and I are answering another question we asked during a recent webinar. This one came while we were talking about setting clear expectations when hiring and retaining people.  One of the attendees asked , “what if this was not part of the process when you were hired somewhere?” It can cause anxiety when you don’t know or understand your managers expectations.

Be brave enough to go ask them. How am I doing? Is there anything about my attitude, performance, or skills that you think I should improve? Ask them directly to give you feedback. Let them know you appreciate their clarity.

Believe it or not, there were a lot of people that would decide not to work at Disney once we got clear with them. They realized they the schedule or responsibilities wouldn’t work for them. And that is okay. It saves everybody trouble if you are clear in the beginning.

In Time Management seminars I always talk about how important it is to get clear right at the beginning of a project. Ask right away for a day or time that it should be done. Without it there are too many ways to make mistakes and fall behind. Do not leave room for loopholes.

One way to get clarity on the planning needed for your vacation is to call Magical Vacation Planners. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Careermagicbook.com

Today Jody and I are talking about an incident that happened to me recently. With all the credit card scams in the world I often wonder if I am next, and I was. There were a lot of things that were very frustrating about the issue, but it was a great reminder that your attitude can save the day.

After going to the bank and taking care of everything we thought needed to be done, my wide Pricilla and I were still running into issues. We ended up having to go back to the bank, spend even more of our time, and getting frustrated because the bank seemed to be totally screwed up.

At the end of the day, the only thing that kept me from getting mad was the attitude of the banker that was helping us. He was really polite. Showed that he really cared. And took care of the problem by being persistent.

Some people I have worked with are very technically competent but they don’t care too much. They don’t have the personality that gives you the confidence that they can and will take care of this.

People will believe and trust you when you are nice. That may be the key to keeping customers. No matter what you do, even when you don’t know what to do, be nice. It goes a long way in an otherwise stressful situation.

Another thing that would be nice is a vacation. Magical Vacation Planners can help. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Have an excellent career by learning from Lee: Career Magic

Lee's website: https://www.leecockerell.com/

Today Jody and I are answering a question we asked during a recent webinar. An event planner observed, “Burnout is a common problem in any environment.” She followed up with this question: “What are your thoughts on working through burnout?”

Be proactive. Burnout stems from time management issues and is a precursor to incoming mental health issues like anxiety. The best way to deal with it is to not get to that point. It all ties back into time management. There are seasons we encounter. Sometimes you need to focus. Sometimes you need to put your head down, work and sleep. But that shouldn’t be all the time.

The concept of time management is simple. Determine what needs to doing and what needs to stop. Do you need to ask for help? If you don’t make room for caring for yourself physically, you are setting yourself up to run down. Even when things are busy, you need to think about where you need to spend your time so you can keep your health and relationships under control.

As a leader, if you have an employee dealing with burnout, you need to be aware. Don’t assume everyone is ok; check in on people. We all need to pay more attention. Create space for your team and ask them what you can do for them. Think about what we are doing and make changes as needed.

If you are feeling burnout, maybe you need a vacation. Magical Vacation Planners can save you any unneeded anxiety. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Have an excellent career by learning from Lee: Career Magic

Lee's website: https://www.leecockerell.com/

Today Jody and I are discussing the difference between motivating or inspiring as a leader. There is a difference, and it impacts the culture of your business.

There is a fine line between motivation and inspiration. It is not a leader's job to motivate people. A good leader hires motivated people. Then it is the leader's job to inspire them. That is done on many different levels.

The best leaders create an environment that inspires people to do their best and stay engaged. Motivated people will do a great job because they are passionate about and inspired by what they do. As a leader, you create the environment. It is your policies, procedures, and the opportunities you present to your team.

Today, pay means more than just a dollar amount. People want flexibility, to be valued and treated well. This is just as much part of their pay as the cash in their pocket. These building blocks make up the environment that will inspire employees to give their all. Motivation may have a place, but it can also be a form of manipulation. If your management depends on incentives or fear of repercussion, you won’t foster an inspiring environment.

As a leader, you want to inspire your team. You don’t want them dependent on circumstances or a specific person for them to be able to do a good job. Give them an environment they can be passionate in, and you will see they motivate themselves.

If you are inspired to travel, let Magical Vacation Planners create the perfect environment for you. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Have an excellent career by learning from Lee: Career Magic

Lee's website: https://www.leecockerell.com/

Today Jody and I are looking at how to hire and retain the right people. Everywhere you look, people are struggling to hire or keep employees. What can you do to avoid this pitfall?

Everyone needs the right amount of the right people to run their business, but where do you start? What do you do if you don’t have enough employees? You need to invest in fixing the problem. It may take time. It may take money. There are resources available and companies that help you find and hire the right employees. Let them work on getting people in the door so you can focus on keeping them there.

How do you retain the right people? You invest in them from the beginning. Starting their first day, and every day after, let them know you care. Connect with them, invest in them, and value them from the beginning. Make them part of the process and help them understand they matter. Create an environment that appreciates and equips people. Then be intentional about implementing it. Be purposeful about building trust.

 There are seasons you have to buckle down and focus to get yourself out of the situation you are in. Invest the time, energy, and resources to build your team, and be intentional about keeping them. Communicate how you invest in your team and follow through.Magical Vacation Planners is a worthwhile resource when it comes to planning a vacation. You can reach them at 407-442-2694.

Resources

Tim Dyck - bestculturesolutions.ca
Carol Quinn – hireauthority.com