Walt Disney’s Program Won’t Save You

By Steve Topper

I’m usually amused by media articles suggesting that the solution to a company’s problem is to hire a consultant to make things better.

Our country is being overrun with a bevy of consultants promising to solve every problem – big and small.

Often these articles include a list of well-known companies that have hired the consultant in question.  This always rings my “lemming bell” as it suggests one, a cookie-cutter approach to addressing one of the many pressing issues facing companies at any point in time and two, senior management listens to consultants.

I was not disappointed with the article appearing in Sunday’s edition of The Sacrament Bee.  Take a look at the big, bold headline.

What would Walt do?

He’d probably shake his head…bewildered that companies of every size, shape, and type would believe that using his approach to employee hiring and training would be the solution to their problems…or that they would even embrace his methods.

I know I am.

Now I’m not belittling Walt’s training programs and Disney University.  They are undoubtedly filled with “best practices” and have proven to work.  Anyone visiting one of Walt’s theme parks can attest to this.

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