Importance of Setting High Expectations with Former EVP of Disney Lee Cockerell

Business Coach | Ask Clay & Z Anything

Audio Transcription

Are you struggling to know when to take action? Are you having a hard time setting high expectations for your company? Listen in as the former Executive Vice President of Operations for Walt Disney World® Resort who once managed 40,000+ employees discusses with business coaching guru Clay Clark how to know when its’ time to take action as a manger and the importance of high expectations.

When to Take Action and Setting High Expectations with Lee Cockerell

Gather the Facts Then Act

  1. Asking why to the 5th power
  2. How to create a great customer service experience
  3. Mystery shoppers

Creating High Expectations

  1. Meeting the founder of Marriott at 1974
  2. Treat your customers like loved ones
  3. Pollinate like a Bee

Always Act Professional with Lee Cockerell

  1. Dressing appropriately
  2. Find the right employees

Welcome back to an incredible tuesday here. My name is clay clark and the former united states small business administration entrepreneur of the year and i Consider myself to be kind of like the hype man for business coaching expert lee cockrell. Who’s lee cockrell will opportunity to sit down with lee cockrell, who is the former executive vice president of walt disney world resorts, this homie? You are never heard of that. You are a cubs fan. Are you not filled? What’s look up how many? What is the seating capacity of wrigley field listeners need to understand? Cuz I didn’t understand. My brain could not wrap I couldn’t wrap my brain around the concept that we are going to be interviewing for, like 20 hours, 20 hours, real sit-down interview and get every single management tip there is to get from the man the myth in the legend, who used to manage 40,000 employees and 1 million customers a week, 1 million. Could you imagine dealing with 1 million customers a week at walt, disney world? Could you imagine that looks like wrigley here, 40 1268 he can have. A team meeting has how many seats 41268 sears my tip for lee cockrell replacement. You need to start having your team meetings at wrigley. Field, that’s cool! Do what you want to do. Is you from the pitcher’s mound could grab the mic, the hot mic thing broadcast and you could announce everything needs to be done to all 41,000. At the same time, we need to do a better job of picking up the trash like a good morning and i. Tell me crazy.

So again, if you have to struggle to manage for people or 14 people you’re going to love, today’s can be done. It’s doable. So we’re going to ask him:we have two things we ask in this segment is how do you know when to make the tough call? How do you know when to make the tough call into how do you set a culture of high expectations of any further ado? So you know, if you don’t know, the truth can make the right decision. If I don’t know the truth, I’m going to make the wrong decision and I talk about my son I’d, let you know I came home one time he was 16 years old and he was dressed on a saturday morning to my wife and I’ve been out of town and it’s saturday morning and its 8 I just got off the business coaching plane. I walk any standing there. What’s wrong with that 16 year old dress on saturday morning, I said danny. What time you get home I said you may want to use a 10-second rule. We always had a 10-second rule. You get 10 seconds to decide which store you going to tell me I said, if you tell me the truth, probably you’re going to have a bad day. If you tell me a lie:you’re never bad year, he said i, don’t need that I drank beer last night and I just got here now you got to stop right now. I know the truth. What am I going to do with it, so I could have done. What my mother would have done should have got me down to the church. Aa I would have to see a psychiatrist that she would have got nuts videos about it. I couldn’t say, I’m glad you made that decision. You can go to bed, you won’t hear about it. When you wake up, I could gone after the beer I’m not going to stop that i, don’t know, but I can, but next time he doesn’t drive and get killed. His dad beat him up. So bad he’s afraid not to come home, and you can call me by the way then I’ll come get you and you’ll never hear about it. You’ve always made the right decision and I think about that, because I knew the truth. I made the right decision in business a lot of times.

There’s the emotion of the situation, for you have to find out the truth. If you get down down, do your dance, the customer? What happened? Ask employees what happened! You were like to work. Why? Because traffic? Why? Because I got up late, why I went out drink too much last night? Why will a 5 vs 5 times your peeling back the onion to get to the core of it as I get over asking 5 times today? There’s not much new starbucks italy on vacation saw them drinking expresso and coffee came back, started starbucks having basic like yeah copycat business, you’re creating now the people done this to your just going to do it in the packy about being a copycat is get the idea, but then make it better make sure your thrive is better than the ones you seen online make sure that your coffee shops better than the one you saw what you thought was a good idea. You had a good idea. You want to open a printing store and just make it better. What are you going to do to make it better if you’re going to deliver it or open earlier we’re going to pray that magic to it? I had the pieces to it. You probably won’t come up with an original business coaching idea, but you can make it better and that’s what makes things are today. Napoleon hill talks about two kinds of his success:automated. What two kinds of imagination says:one is synthetic and the other is created when he sits and synthetic is where you take an existing idea.

You modify it, make it better or you take two ideas and put it together, make it better I think creative is. Where are you just invent something out of nothing like they picked the one guy in history, universe who discovered fire? That’s a creative, but one. That’s just kind of. Are you just saying like the person who creates the creative? That’s that one out of a billion person, but that we can all do the synthetic with? No me the copycat perfectly since here fish, where the fisherman ain’t? What are you talking about? Well, don’t pay try to do what everybody else does you know what I learned my grandpa receptive and let’s move upstream, because there’s too many hooks in the water and I’m going to catch many fish down here, don’t do what everybody else is doing it if everybody opens at 8 open if everybody doesn’t deliver deliver, if everybody doesn’t stay in touch with their customers every hour, when sun supposed to be delivered, add a bunch of stuff that everybody else is not doing. How would you find out what the competition is doing and I did it just did it for a company I was a mystery shopper at a conference center for 2 days out in california and san ramon ruiz my heart medical want to be a customer set up a system where everybody I know that goes there that they were willing to give me a little report on. We can get my camera and tell him take pictures all day long, but things were bad. So, all the sudden, you get a picture of dirty bathroom water, fountain, leavenworth, the kids, to give the kids a business coaching lesson or cameraman, they’re great i. Think that’s a problem I think most people could get so much more and they don’t have high expectations. I guarantee you I could always relate back to children. You have high expectations for your children, you’re going to do anything you have to do to let them reach that and if well, if you have higher expectations for starbucks service, then when you don’t get your coffee or it’s cold or they’re going to they know what to do they’re going to take care of it. They have very high expectations for excellent. When you have high expectations, people step up when you have low expectations, people will go there.

People will meet you where you expect them to meet you. You just set those nights and guess what people meet him. He had some point ran into you when you are working at marriott, the marriott hotel chain, and he said he hit the talk to you a little bit. What what did he talk to you about as far as expectations? And that’s wasn’t bill? This was his dad. The founder of the founder of the marriott hotel in 74 34 people have the the seventies apparel on here. We go, I was 30 years old. It’s the seventies. Everybody’s got long hair way over real beetles old disco, music. That’s great and build mr. Merit senior he’s about 6 4 comes in with his wife out I’m running fairfield inn restaurant in philadelphia, marriott I have a name time since lee cockrell manager. He walked up to me and he looked at me or down at me. I said:yes, sir, you restore when they took my hair and pulled it. He said why don’t you get a haircut and look like you’re the manager I’ll, never forget that as long as I live founder of marriott, why don’t you get a haircut later on told me same thing:i walked with him years later. He learned it from his dad and they’re flies around in the food area. Recently, if you have flies, you love flies to get rid of. I said I all of a sudden have to dress formally for church, but the lesson was I was dressed, I stood or dj’s would go out on saturdays and we have 40 guys out djing, and you know they wouldn’t come home till 4 in the morning. After entertaining all these weddings and parties interceptions never be coming in. It’s all good at business coaching church, on sundays, just tired and I were one time for tickler i, just wore a ratty old, sweatshirt and i. Just looked like I know, hadn’t done in time to prepare and that one of my mentor saw me and he pulled me aside and had a similar conversation. He said we’re in the house of the lord. Why don’t you dress like it and I was like just you know, and just those sometimes that candid feedback is this. Trade to church is getting pretty casual and that mean you have to. Are you saying you can’t work, but I guess the principal was out here:i had been a liter 6 days a week and I dress like I just dress like the village idiot at that particular day, and just got done. What’s going on, I thought he was better now that you said that you want to treat your customers the way you would treat your loved one and I do a lot of work with so with hospitals now and was healthcare. That’s one of the main things we work with the nurses on make sure you treat the person laying in that bed like it’s, your mother or that’s your little daughter or it’s your father and always keep that in mind. Even though cuz your patients are going to be upset, it’s going to be angry or they’re going to maybe see you in a proper things to you, but I was think about. It could be your mom and then you will always get better service for a waiter, always treat him like it’s your grandmother sitting there having that much, even though she’s a pain I may not leave a tip just treat people like loved ones and you’ll probably be 3 people right just going to get promoted, you’re going to have more success matter where you are right now and then went away or stay at the right thing.

Ain’t nice I mean be nice, he said I don’t draw anymore. She will do you. Do you write the stories for the movies and for the cartoon she said, son i, don’t write anymore she’s. So what are you do? You survive got like a bee I just buzz around the whole company and i. Look for good ideas. I’m, like the pollen in the pollinator i, get the fallout, take it to the next place and give share it with them that I share with him that I always go around telling people what a great job you’re doing. I’m, the alternator and the paula and I just passed around good ideas and I go around inspiring people and I’ll. Tell you how much I appreciate it pollinator chuck my mind is blown lee. Cockrell is just explain how to take action when you have the tough call and how to set high expectations, but during our next segment he’s good. We talked about the importance of acting professional and what it looks like to dress, to impress don’t trip I’m, not trying to impress you, but I am saying we are completely sold out for this conference that is on friday today being tuesday. However, we have one overflow ticket left, we expanded the floor place. We have one overflow ticket left and so here’s the deal. We actually got more chairs more accommodations, and if you want to buy that ticket, we could accommodate one lucky individual from 7 a.M. To 3 p.M. Both friday and saturday. The thrive time business workshop will be occurring, would love to see you. There were teaching marketing, branding sales, everything you need to know to make a business grow. You can get your tickets right now by going to thrive. Time show was on a conference, get ready to enter that thrive. Time show on talk. Radio 1170 broadcasting live from the center of the universe. It’s business school without the bs featuring optometrist turned entrepreneur, dr. Robert zoellner with us sba entrepreneur of the year clay clark. All right, ladies and gentleman, and welcome back to the conversation, is the prime time show on your radio and recently had an opportunity to sit down with the former executive vice president of walt disney world resorts on and manage 40,000 employees that they kong cast members, but managing 40,000 people and over 1 million guests it 1 million customers. Every week, that’s mind-boggling, mind giving out of the door.

We do teach management workshop, we are completely sold out. I’ll beat we have one overflow ticket one day out with expanded quite a bit to allow more accommodations, we basically more chairs more tables. Are we rearranged everything to accommodate one more person who are sold out on on friday? We have one more overflow ticket left, as of when we hopped into the do today claimed that ticket you can get that ticket by going to thrive time, show.Com and simply clicking on the conference’s button. You can buy your tickets there or, if you’re right as an objective review on itune, just subscribe to the drive time to an itunes I’ll, write an objective review for us and send us your contact information to info at thrivetime show.Com. We can also give you free tickets that way, but our workshop, we do teach management and manager construction crew. How many people did you manage at that time? Was it like 10 people, 40 people? What do people tend to 25, and did you not have to have some conversations about acting professional daily? That I was. It was at your shirt back on your inside. What are you doing that kind of stuff? That’s the standard when it comes to professionalism and when I got a chance to sit down with him in orlando he just I’m, even though he’s retired and he’s no longer running the business. He just has level of professionalism that he just exudes and exemplifies through his daily actions and if there’s any further, do we cockrell and I talk about business coaching professionalism, professional lumias, standing up, when somebody comes in the room professional to me is going around and greeting everybody in the room and not just the hanging out with your friends over in the other cuz you’re, more comfortable professional is so dressing appropriately. When I worked at the waldorf, as my boss called me, know, brown suits after 5 or you’ll, be in a tuxedo for the gas around tuxedo. So you look like you belong in that room, professionalism as priscilla tell me. They call me your hair being positive, loving what you do.

Professionals love what they do for a living by the way, they don’t say, negative things about the customer when they walk out the door to the other employees to know a man that old lady. She comes in here. She’s, always compare professionals there’s a behavior to professionalism, even though you might think the old lady is a problem. You don’t say it because you’re going to i, don’t care. That’s people set in europe I thought they were complaining about the germans in the french and the dutch, and all that I said stop it. They have gyros you’re in business here for euros. You’re, not here whether you love germans. Our friendship just forget all that stuff you’re in business and do it in a way that you’re making sure you’re getting the best people and take your time don’t hire people quickly. As we talked about earlier hiring all the time. So you got a backup pool people ready to join you. If you are a screen and then you check the background, and you know they know they’re going to be great and when I work with a lady, we develop questions with obstacles and I’m. So we can ask you hey you play tell me about a time when you specific time when you had to deal with an irate customer now, I want to listen to what you tell me.

You did and then I want to see what was the outcome and then I want to see. If you really did go all the way cuz you could tell me. I went all the way, I’ll decide if you went all the way up. Let me hear, let’s just say that I own, like a fitness business. Okay, so today, I watch a personal trainers that work for me and the pragmatic side is I have to have for 5 trainers ready to go tomorrow, because we’ve got five or six clients every hour now I need to get another trainer. I need to get I really need to make a chance. I got one trainer. Who’s just got an attitude problem. I need to make a change. How do you balance and small business about trying to find me I just need to hire people quickly? Would you recommend maybe do like a group interview or going to be a lot of? Cannot simultaneously? Would you recommend having people shadow? You were. How do you solve the yard if you want to be selective about who you choose, but you have a meeting at immediate fire here we need to store rum. You got to think about the questions for retail. What are the questions for finance people? What are the business coaching questions for sales people tell me about it. Your salesman. Tell me about a time when the cell really wasn’t going well, and the guy told you know tell me about that. There’s an obstacle I want to hear what it can you hear good. So, when you going to, let me tell you that’s when it starts buddy, when they tell me know, I go into 12th gear, I started calling on this guy I found somebody who knew him. I got in there. I’ve met his daughter and she liked it. She told him he should but I mean, and the guy goes on for, like an hour, tell me what it did to me. I just gave up and the person who is great. They can tell you how they do it and don’t say this year. I, don’t know why you’re doing what you’re listening for either that’s so you’re just chop I think that a lot of people when they come to our conferences, they they meet a group of really positive people and I think that they always leave. There was a man you guys have the best people I have such a hard time finding people and at our workshop we are going to be teaching on friday from 7 a.M. To 3 p.M.

Or the topics will cover on both friday and saturday is how to find high quality people. Does it ever ever amaze you, when you first started that we interview people every single week. We do a group interview every single week, regardless of whether we need to hire people are not initially blow your mind. Initially I realize this would have solved 80% of the problems I had at the concrete company. I had no idea about. Even this system group hiring weekly interview always looking for people, it was literally changed. My life blew my mind. So if you have been struggling away for a while because you have you have a really good product and you have a really really good core team team member or team, but you just are struggling to find good people if they, if your linchpin, if your, if your one cornerstone needed to complete your cathedral, is just finding good people of all. You are looking for the magic sauce that you need to unlock, really unleash your. Growth of all you need is good. People you want to get to our workshop is friday and saturday, because we’re going to teach you the specific moves that we use. The specific business coaching moves that lee cockrell teaches at disney I mean how does disney find 40,000 quality employees. That’s got to be some little things. Where can I meet you at the workshop until you’ve been putting it off I encourage you to book your ticket today by going to thrive time, show.Com cook him. A conference is button. We have one overflow ticket available. That can be yours by simply going to thrive time, show.Com and buying that tickets $99 from 7 a.M. To 3 p.M. This friday and saturday. You don’t want to miss out

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