Book – Disney Creativity and Innovation Keynote Speaker

Legendary Service Training

Disney speaker Jeff Noel with his book at Orlando Magic Arena — Third to last Disney Institute gig. Retired October 31, 2014.

Mid Life Celebration, the book at Orlando Magic Arena — Center court.

A terrible photograph.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Like all things in life, depends on your focus.

Taken a week before Disney retirement after 30+ years and one year after book release announcement, this photo timestamps a date and place: October 2014 at Orlando’s Amway Center.

Some fascinating stats:

Envisioned it in college
Took 30 years to write first sentence
Took two years to write
Took two additional years for the guts to publish
Never mentioned Disney, not once, intentionally
Written father to son as life-guide in case i died
Never written to make money

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This website is about our HOME. This is the fifth of five daily, differently-themed blog posts about: (1) mind, (2) body, (3) spirit, (4) work, (5) home. To return to Mid Life Celebration, the site about MIND, click here.

Wilderness Lodge Self-Propelled Linen Cart Patent

What you are about to read was written years ago. It is part of my Disney Creativity and Innovation Insights book. It is randomly being shared today…

Disney Lodgekeepers (housekeepers at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge) had an idea shortly after Disney’s Wilderness Lodge opened in 1994.

To maximize daily efficiency with the fewest number of linen-room trips for supplies, Lodgekeepers packed as much onto their linen carts as possible.

A heavy linen cart on a carpeted floor is hard to push.

In the mid-1990’s Walt Disney World was unveiling Performance Excellence – an unprecedented management reorganization.

The primary goal was to tap into the knowledge “library” and experience base of the front line Cast Members.

The secret leadership ingredient that went missing from all previous “empowerment” initiatives was leadership involvement and approval.

Performance Excellence was designed to provide the missing link.

When the Cast said they wanted a self-propelled linen cart (like a self-propelled lawn-mower), leadership checked with our linen-cart vendor and you can just imagine their response.

Cool idea, but no.

Such a thing didn’t exist.

Anywhere.

So Disney leadership relayed the message to the Cast and the Cast responded, “But you said this time we promise.”

Long story longer – guess who co-owns the patent for the first ever self-propelled linen cart?

Additional backstory:

Disney’s Central Shops (where we build the Magic) and the linen-cart vendor partnered to invent the cart and receive the patent.

A Disneyland Merchandise Executive was visiting Walt Disney World – specifically, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – and noticed the self-propelled linen cart in her hallway.

She took an existing idea and made it work for the food and beverage carts at Disneyland.

Can you imagine how heavy a beverage cart is that’s full of cases of bottled and canned drinks?

Creativity, for Disneyland Merchandise, didn’t mean invention, it meant adaptation.

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Don’t fear the reaper

screen shot of blog post — Thousands upon thousands of hours. Repetition is the mother of all learning. Habits are what you think and do without thinking.

Be consistent.

Have prioritized priorities.

Have fun.

Reap what you sow.

Note: Counting down to 2022’s first Glacier trip. T-minus three days.

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i have a dream

i have a dream…

A dream so lofty, it’s impossible.

And that is why i want to do it.

Note: Love is the key driver. From father to son.

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Before We Begin, Are You Satisfied With Your Organizational Vibrancy?

Before we begin, let’s ask, “Are you satisfied with your Organizational Vibrancy?”

And by the way, you have anonymity, right now, with your answer – so relax, be real, and lean into discomfort just enough for your truth to be set free.

So let’s ask again…

Take a deep breath…

Exhale.

Another slow, deep breath as you hear this again…

Are you satisfied?

You.

Your Organizational Vibrancy reputation and your results.

Are you satisfied?

Your answer?

Anyone’s answer?

An educated guess says our answers match.

That’s why you’re reading this book and that’s why this Disney Organizational Vibrancy book needed to be written.

• • •

Summary:

Everyone wants to improve.

There are exceptions to every rule, but there aren’t many.

We are not the exceptions.

Opportunity:

Dissatisfaction can and should be used as a tactic (tool) to gain a competitive advantage.

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