Between Books - Career Magic

 

My career combines operations, customer service, leadership, and relationship building. And being a big Disney fan introduced me to former Disney executive Lee Cockerell. I have a fairly robust intellectual diet of the former Executive Vice-President of Operations, Walt Disney World Resort’s thoughts and best practices. Cockerell recently updated one of his books I had not read before, so I jumped on the pre-order as it suddenly seemed very relevant in today’s current job-seeking world.

Career Magic: How to Stay on Track To Achieve a Stellar Career by Lee Cockerell has recently been updated. Cockerell in podcasts and presentations has stated that he was dissatisfied with the editing of the first edition and that this revised edition cleans up editing errors. Career Magic narratively follows a life and career. Cockerell outlines his steps from a poor family in Oklahoma, a short stint in college, joining the Army, and then starting a hospitality career. Cockerell started at the lowest levels as a banquet server and leveraged his growing experiences into leadership positions at Hilton and Marriott. As an executive, Disney recruited Cockerell to join the Disneyland Paris opening team before he moved to Walt Disney World where he finished a career earning a window on Main Street. The book ends with Cockerell’s current retirement life as a consultant and speaker. In each chapter, Cockerell recounts his career story, connects his story to lessons he learned, and then finishes the chapter with summary statements of his career lessons.

Jobs and careers are a big topic right now. So let’s start with what this book is not. This is not a job-seeking how-to book. Anyone wanting hints and tips in getting hired by Disney or maximizing a job search will be disappointed. Cockerell does not share his ideas on using LinkedIn or his favorite resume format. So those seeking a resource on the nuts and bolts of their job search will not find tactics here.

Instead, this is a career book! Again, not tactics but really this is a book that highlights strategy. For me, I see two main themes; relationship and excellence. I really see relationship as being tied to leadership for Cockerell. He will remind his readers that he was rarely given leadership training as his career advanced. And so he often had to grow this area. As I read his journey, it seemed to me that as he grew as a manager and leader, this was really expressed in his relationships. You see Cockerell grow as a leader and executive in how he treated others. And Cockerell advocates for interactions that are respectful and emphatic. Basically, to grow a career, be nice! Second Cockerell’s journey and growth is tied to his continued excellence in assigned tasks. He took on positions that often pushed his current capabilities. He threw himself into understanding these jobs and then executing on expectations. This excellence often lead to him being noticed and advanced. And while he did have setbacks in his career, he still focused on the task at hand which allowed others to observe his execution and keep him in mind for future advancements.

Writing style, the text is very approachable and feels like Cockerell’s voice in text form. Cockerell is recounting his professional journey and the writing, and perhaps updated editing, provide an easy-to-follow story, even for those lacking a hospitality background. He also does a good job of providing easy-to-understand lessons that are directly tied to his career progress.

So many professionals in the current state of the world are reflecting on job seeking and careers. Career Magic provides professionals with many considerations while considering the next strategic steps and potential job changes. Those who are facing obstacles, perhaps they will find hope that relationship and excellence can create a career legacy of success. For those professionals who are also Disney fans, they will find two chapters on Disney parks operations that may spark additional interest. Lee Cockerell provides us with content to reflect on as we all look to create a career that satisfies and interests us.

 

This post contains affiliate links, which means that Between Disney receives a percentage of sales purchased through links on this site. 

Between Books - The Customer Rules

The Customer Rules: The 39 Essential Rules for Delivering Sensational Service by Lee Cockerell presents the former Disney executive's thoughts on providing excellent customer service.  Cockerell provides 39 separate short chapters that are easy to read and digest for those wanting to know more about superior customer service.  Cockerell's chapters generally focus on relationship building, preparation, and going beyond expectations.  In many ways his guidance aligns with his granddaughter's most basic advice, "Be Nice!"  The book's advice ranges from being prompt, understanding new technology, copying the best services of others and relationship relationship relationship.

Honestly, for listeners of Cockrell's podcast, the tone and even some of the advice is far from shocking.  Cockerell's thoughts really match the guidance he gives on a weekly basis with a focus on relationship and thoughtful service.  But the Customer Rules has an advantage that the podcast lacks, you can easily share the book to someone who may not enjoy podcasts or not be open to Cockerell as a "Mickey Mouse" executive.  Cockerell's advice here is not overly focused on Disney, again allowing the non-fan to buy into the book.  And the chapters are short enough one could easily read them on the commute or in the cough cough bathroom.

I do not think of myself as someone who provides customer service.  But as Cockerell points out it is everyone's job.  And in the midst of reading the book I was challenged with a situation that made me ask what would Lee Cockerell do?  How can I give this person something allowing them to move forward when I need to say no?  Because The Customer Rules is a great reminder that we all provide service to others and the foundation of supporting their needs is relationships.  In the end, we probably should just be nice!

Dreaming Disney - Creating Disney Magic

Over the last year or so, Lee Cockerell’s Creating Disney Magic: Lessons in Leadership, Management, and Customer Service podcast has become a Tuesday morning priority for me.  The podcast opens with host Jody Maberry setting up Cockerell, a former Disney executive, to discuss business topics that come from Maberry or even the listening audience.  The topics covered are diverse ranging from leadership to customer service to using data to time management.  In short, if there is a topic that could be useful to a professional working adult it is likely they will talk about it.  for those of us with a whimsical side, Cockerell discusses these items in the very serious Disney business setting  along with his background in hotel management.  Along with these topics, Cockerell provides a very honest appraisal of his own struggles as a leader and as a human being.

Integrity and common sense are really the words that come to mind when I think of Lee Cockerell.  And these qualities make this show essential listening to me.  I find that I not only listen on a weekly basis but also will search the archive for specific work issues that myself and others are facing in the workplace.  And the reason this is a must listen is due to Cockerell.  His answers typically provide an outlook that relies on common sense, being a person of integrity, and treating others fairly.  This is not cut throat business advice, this is advice for people.   He often makes it clear that a leader has to foster development in even poorly performing employees and that caring for people is really a core function of a leader.  The Disney background gives Disney fans a background that helps understanding.  Though honestly I have sent episodes to plenty of non-Disney fanatics and they still found these episodes highly useful.

Creating Disney Magic:Lessons in Leadership, Management, and Customer Service is probably one of my top three podcasts.  It is informative, educational, honest and short.  It attracted me through the door due to my interest in Disney history and business developments.  But I stay due to Cockerell’s reliable professional and personal development life!

Between Books - Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney

Who wouldn’t want to learn from a successful Disney parks executive? Seriously don’t we all want to know how they got to the top of their profession while also learning about successful leadership? Lee Cockrell, a former Executive Vice President, Operations for the Walt Disney World resort has collected his leadership advice into a book that is available for anyone seeking to improve their personal leadership.

Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney by Lee Cockerell shares leadership principles taught by the Disney Institute as funneled through Cockerell’s personal experiences in hospitality and as an executive at the Walt Disney World Resort.  Cockerell's chapters are typically 20 pages plus with several sub-points.  Cockerell discusses primarily how to manage effectively by valuing people and their talents, along with working hard.  Really that is Cockerell's secret to being a successful manager.  He gives extensive examples of how he has a manager listened to staff, trained staff and provided opportunity for growth both inside and outside his organizations.  He also details how he personally used practical tools to support his people and be present for them.  In addition, he focuses on the individual manager's need to educate themselves and be a person of character.  Overall, Cockerell does follow in general the same points of the Disney Institute, which puts leadership, employee excellence and guest satisfaction before business results.  One should note that Cockerell's emphasis on people includes the need for employee discipline, and so every solution is not always an instantly happy one.

Cockerell is incredibly honest!  I cannot recollect many business books that include the author admitting that he has been punched by an employee...and more than once.  He shows that the lessons that he has learned and then implemented come from experience and trial and error which has definitely included error.  And in the end really that is what we all as managers have lived.  We all make mistakes and hopefully we have all learned from them, hopefully.  So yes while it is enjoyable to read many of Cockerell's stories in a Disney context.  His stories as a young manager, an unpolished manager, in the hotel industry are honestly even more exciting.  Because they show how Cockerell grew to become the manager that Disney eventually recruited.  Seriously, he tells one story about how he once intimidated a man into the hospital.  He does not tell the story to brag, but you get the sense that the tale helps show how he transferred himself into a manager who made his brand people.

I really enjoyed Creating Magic: 10 Common Sense Leadership Strategies from a Life at Disney.  Lee Cockerell helped validate for me part of my own personal brand of leadership, people matter.  And he let me know as the reader that leaders can and do stumble and grow.  I borrowed Created Magic from the library, since I found the price a little high for me for a business book.  But in the near future I fully intend to purchase my own copy so I can start referencing it on a more frequent basis.