The Disney Institute – Observations & Conclusions

In case you missed my posts from last week, I, along with several other bloggers, was invited to Walt Disney World to audit a Disney Institute program and report on our observations.  In full disclosure, Disney paid for our travel and expenses while on property. However, we were not compensated for our time, our analysis, or these posts and tweets. And, although Disney is a highly progressive organization in many ways, this was the first time that social media representatives were actively sought in this manner. As such, I’ve been thinking very carefully about what I’d like to say about the Institute.

Those of you who know me well would agree that I tend to fall on the cynical side of the aisle. And, frankly, it’s a very comfortable place for most bloggers to sit. You can observe with brow furrowed and eye poke at your leisure. Idle fingers leap to action should a Twitter-ready sound bite emerge that makes the speaker look the fool. And believe me when I say that it’s very tempting to drop hand grenades from this comfortable distance while never being accountable for the carnage that ensues.

Despite twenty pages of handwritten notes, a few key thoughts did bubble to the surface. They include the context of the program we attended, reasons the Disney Institute works, and some reasons that it may not. Let’s jump right in.

Content In Context

The Institute offers a variety of programs to a broad range of business professionals. For example, you probably didn’t know that they offer customized, at-the-client-site programs in addition to more traditional, classroom-based training courses. In such an instance, Institute “cast members” (aka employees) parachute into their client sites to perform consultant-like discovery, assess needs, define a specific curricula and engage the client’s audience. The outcomes of these custom programs are designed to materially impact top and bottom line C-level issues. Both parties understand the desired end state while leveraging a wide body of Disney knowledge and business intelligence to address the issue(s) at hand. And unlike off-the-shelf programs, these engagements can range anywhere from a few months to several years.

Open enrollment programs are a completely different ballgame. As the name suggests, anyone can enroll in a wide variety of programs covering an even wider array of general knowledge. It doesn’t matter if you’re a small, medium or large enterprise. It doesn’t matter if you’re a student, a first-time manager, or the CEO of your business. You all go through the same curriculum, participate in the same activities and take the same backstage tours.

Now this may sound like a cattle call, but my sense is that the program we attended was more of an exception than the rule. The five-day program we attended is entitled, “Disney’s Approach to Business Excellence“. This course is only offered once a year and tends to touch lightly on several subtopics that usually require three full days per topic to fully digest. And although we arrived halfway into the program, my impression is that our observations would have applied to the entire week.

Five Reasons It Works

With specific focus on the open enrollment program, let me offer you five reasons the Disney Institute is very effective and well worth your consideration:

1.     Storytelling – At its essence, Disney’s is a storytelling culture. Whether waiting in line for a show or sitting in a conference room, there is a story to be told. The Institute attempts to weave lore into learning by sharing such tales many, many times a day.

2.     Behind The Scenes – The ability to go underground and “off stage” is one of the more exciting draws to Institute programming. These field-based experiences are memorable and draw theory into Disney’s day-to-day reality.

3.     Emotional Connection – No less than ten attendees cried during our time in class. Disney leverages this emotional connection by returning you to your own childhood. The mystery, excitement and magical moments are quite moving and leave you wondering how you can bring the same connection to your business.

4.     Brand and Credibility – Disney is banking on Disney. The brand is renowned, and Disney’s business success makes them a living case study for implementation and deployment of their teachings. In fact, I would venture that the Institute would have little to no value without this blatantly obvious connection. If you don’t admire Disney, you shouldn’t bother coming. But if you do admire Disney, you will be in heaven.

5.     Location, Location, Location – Although Disney offers “off campus” programs, I cannot imagine experiencing the same amount of value anywhere but in their parks. The Institute is working the issue of transferability as we speak, but this will be a difficult challenge for them to overcome.

Five Reasons It May Not Work

1.     Affecting Change – If do you not enter the classroom with specific desired outcomes and the ability to drive change, this may not be the destination for you. Disney relies on a participant’s ability to apply lessons learned without facilitation, so be sure to do your homework and come prepared.

2.     Vocation Vacation – Times are tough, so don’t think of this is a boondoggle or time off. Sure, you can treat it as such (and several participants weren’t ashamed to admit it), but don’t be surprised by the reaction when you return to the office with your graduation mouse ears.

3.     Inside Out – The facilitators are all seasoned Disney cast members. As such, they bring a cultural understanding that’s second to none. Although they have worked elsewhere earlier in their careers, don’t expect them apply non-Disney teachings during your time together.

4.     The Basics – Without the benefit of the Disney connection, the content would be considered a commodity. Lessons are fairly straightforward and the takeaways common to most mid-level management training coursework.

5.     Scattershot – We asked the Institute’s leadership team who the target client was for the open enrollment programs. Their answer was mid-level management, so if you sit higher in the executive food chain, you may want to think twice about participation. That being said, the participants we met were all over the map.

Final Thoughts

The facilitators did an amazing job of building rapport with the attendees. As such, satisfaction with the program seemed to be extremely high. Participants were largely attentive, very invested and quite emotionally charged about their experience. Still, I expected more.

My sense is that more is coming. The Institute’s leadership team was extremely interested in our feedback and quite open in sharing some of their future concepts. They have a number of new models and initiatives that are at various stages of maturity. And unlike many of their traditional (and non-traditional competitors), the Disney Institute has an incredible opportunity to shake up the largely stagnant learning and development space. They have permission to play everywhere, but it remains to be seen what bets they will place and which markets they will tackle. They are definitely one to watch, so keep a trained eye out for new releases and initiatives in the coming months. I, for one, will be fascinated to see how the organization evolves.

Please share your thoughts – both good and bad – as well as any questions on our experience. I’m thrilled to have had this opportunity and fully intend to the keep this conversation going.