Archives for Creativity

To REALLY get a Promotion you have to transfer into this department

August 16, 2011

They are the best of the best. Handsome and beautiful in a honest, aw-shucks way. They are the troops of the Guest Services department at Disney. These young men and women have the honor of being the host and hostess for visiting dignitaries, for treasured guests. Recently I approached Sarah and Nathanel at Disneyland. They stood in front of a huge sign that posted waiting times for the major attractions. When I asked what it takes to get into the core of Guest Services they responded, “you cannot hire into this group. You must interview and get promoted from other
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The first one to blink will . . . . .

August 12, 2011

Snow White, Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella were at the head of the respective lines waiting to perform their magic on the waiting masses of young lasses in Toon Town at Disneyland. It was clear that each “actor” had been chosen from thousands of applicants, since each was indeed an incarnate of their cartoon counterpart.
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“Excuse me. You have a French fry sticking out of your nose.”

June 21, 2011

Five Guys hamburgers.  Visions of red and white checked decor, with peanuts in shells to distract you while your burger is customized in it’s assembly and you are assaulted with the French fry experience. Assaulted?  By French fries?  Experience? To the uninitiated.  You can pay less to get a hamburger at almost every other fast food joint in town.  But then you are not vacuumed into the experience of a Five Guys . . . “burger and fries” (I know the rhyming is too much).  The added price is worth the price of admittance. There on the wall is the
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What happens when you charge for free things

May 3, 2011

Can it be that simple? That the customer feels certain resentment about a $1.00 charge for air when the competitor is free. That the customer FEELS like they are being nickel and dimed. (Which would not be hard to do with the price per gallon of gas). When all things are equal, is there an attitude that shifts the customer’s loyalty when customer FEELS like they are being taken?
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Do you know how much fun chocolate is?

April 13, 2011

There is the science of this brown stuff. Chocolate contains all these awesome chemicals.  Phenylalaine elevates mood and increases amiability and helps the brain manufacture serotonin . . . which is linked to mood stability.  Beside the small amount of caffeine, chocolate also contains theobromine  which makes the nervous system more alert and improves concentration.   For decades, Hershey had a business of extracting theobromine from their discarded cocoa bean shells and selling this compound to Coca-Cola, who then put this powerful chemical in their soft drinks to add pep.  This continued until the 1950’s, when Coke found a less expensive
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Minus 36 degrees . . .Cookstoves . . .Carrott . . . How to make email and voicemail that connects.

March 30, 2011

Research shows that 80% of all interaction in the workplace is done with you communicating with some sort of technology.  Voice mail, email, etc.  So how do you “get through?” I arrived to 36 degrees below zero temperatures. When it I got up the next morning and started the car, the transmission was frozen.  I had to let the car sit in idle for 15 minutes before it worked. Canada in March.  The coldest cold in my life.   I was there for a series of presentations over three days in various Alberta and Saskatchewan cities. And then there was the
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Bionic Bob goes quack quack quack

March 23, 2011

I am sitting in a meeting room with my friend Bob Cannon.  The quiet of the room is interrupted by the load quacking of a duck.  Since the library bumps up against a park with a stream, my first thought was, “what window is open?” Looking across the table I watch Bob smack his chest and say, “Hello, this is Bob.” I thought, “what the heck is he doing?”  I sat amazed as he acted as if he were on the phone with someone, sitting there, grinning at me.  Next I thought, “hey, my friend is getting old, just humor
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Are YOU Happy? . . . my conversation with Alex Trebek

December 14, 2010

It took a minute because he was out of place, at least in my mind. After I sat down, I looked at the row of seats opposite mine in the airport gate area.  There in front of me was Alex Trebek of Jeopardy fame.  He had a slight warm smile as our eyes met.  (I have since learned that he is worth about $45 million so he should be smiling. . . no?) I asked him.  “May I ask you a question?” “Sure.” “Do you ever get tired of your celebrity?  Are you happy with what you are doing?” Alex
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