Announcing Disney at Work: Epcot

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I'm excited to announce my newest iPhone/iPod Touch App, Disney at Work: Epcot! Just like in my MousePlanet articles, I've taken the organizational lessons and stories of Epcot together through this new interactive showcase. With scores of stories and more than 250 photos, you'll find insights to this amazing park that you've never heard before. Here's one example from the Land at Epcot:

Photo courtesy Patrick Jenkins of Matterhorn1959.blogspot.com.

In recent years, this entire attraction was remodeled, but for many years, it hosted a fountain in the center of this atrium.

Back in the 1990s, the vice president of Epcot came through the Land pavilion. The executive found the fountain in the center of the building malfunctioning. The fountain is displayed in the food court, but in asking management in food and beverage, they responded that the problem was not theirs, but was the responsibility of attractions. Upon inquiring with attractions, management stated that they, too, did not have a responsibility over the fountain, but that it was the job of maintenance. He then confronted maintenance; they concurred that the fountain was their responsibility. Then they invited the vice president to fill out a job order and they would get around to getting the fountain fixed.

Photo courtesy Patrick Jenkins of Matterhorn1959.blogspot.com.

Additional conversations led the leader to realize that the operation was working as a grouping of individual silos, each only concerned with their own duty. In time, it was decided to change the organization into business units, with The Land being one of nearly two-dozen such businesses in the park.

Each would have a senior manager that would be responsible for the entire operation, including fountains. In supporting this accountability, they also looked at performance bonuses. It seemed that while the bulk of the bonus should be due to the success of their business area, it also made sense that they should be accountable for the success of the park as a whole, so there is incentive to make the entire operation succeed.

Why I like this story is because it makes you ask what silos exist in your own organization. Also, how can an organization structure itself and hold each other accountable for collaborating?

There are dozens of stories like this in Disney at Work: Epcot. For example, you'll:

• Discover around-the-world lessons for improving your business from organizations like Goebel, Mikimoto, Kodak, GM. And Coca Cola.
• Find out how through outside contractors the Norway ride became the “No Way” ride until the “Can Do” teams of Disney’s Central Shops came to the rescue.
• Learn lessons in the American Adventure of courage and leadership through the lives of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.
• Go around World Showcase, from the United Kingdom to Japan, from Germany to Morocco to see how many cultures approach time management.

To know more, visit my blog at Disneyatwork.blogspot.com. Write me an e-mail identifying who the vice president of Epcot was when this occurred at The Land. The first ten people who write me with the name of that individual will receive a complimentary app.

And if you haven't already, don't forget Disney at Work: Magic Kingdom. It is also an amazing app filled with seldom-heard stories that will help bring the magic to your own business.

And in the months to come, more Disney at Work Apps for your enjoyment. It's the best way to enjoy Disney when you're at work—by simply observing Disney at work!