Abdill Career College Training and Development Reflection Activity Worksheet

case study:Pick ‘N Pay
“Vuselela” Means “Rebirth” For South Africa’s Largest Retailer
Take any well-known “super” store, add a few more ‘supers’ in
front of that, then think South Africa, and the result is Pick ‘n Pay.
South Africa’s leading retailer, Pick ‘n Pay operates 123 corporate
stores employing more than 30,000 people. The company’s story
is one that is as emotionally inspiring as it is financially impressive.
In a business journal profile of Pick ‘n Pay as one of the top
100 companies in South Africa, the writers observed that, “As
a predominately cash business, Pick ‘n Pay has been sheltered
from much of the depredations a tough economy has wrought
on credit retailers. However, internal innovations have also been
driving its growth.” Those internal innovations, the emotionally
inspiring part of the story that has given rise to the enormous
success of the stores, began with a “rebirth” of the company four
years ago.
We live by honesty and integrity. We support and participate
in our communities. We take individual responsibility. We are
all accountable.
Also inherent in Vuselela are the strategies and tactics for
fulfilling the promise contained in the mission and values
statements. The company sees Vuselela as a process,
not an end in itself. It is the vehicle through which every employee
can realize his or her full potential as an associate of Pick ‘n Pay.
The company believes its long-term growth strategy hinges on its
ability to develop people and harness their incredible energy for
wanting to make a difference.
Because service excellence is such a high priority at Pick ‘n
Pay, the performance of their staff is now monitored on an
ongoing basis. The company developed the “Dare to Dream”
program in cooperation with
Sean Summers, Pick ‘n Pay
management, unions, salaried
CEO, championed the change
“The program, designed in conjunction with
front-line employees, and even
initiative that focused the
Pick ‘n Pay and Disney Institute executives,
external customers to recognize
immerses Pick ‘n Pay’s employees in “The Disney
organization on the mission
Approach”
to
quality
service,
leadership,
and
and reward all employees who
to hone quality service levels
management.”
go the extra mile. In addition to
and become the best “people
other rewards, “Dare to Dream”
company” in the retail industry
provides
an
opportunity
for
employees
at all levels to qualify
worldwide. The banner for the mission became known as
for
a
trip
to
Disney
Institute
in
Lake
Buena
Vista, Florida for an
Vuselela, a term meaning “rebirth.”
intensive ten-day learning experience.
The Vuselela metamorphosis began by canvassing employee
Since 1997, more than 600 Pick ‘n Pay employees have traveled
opinion on the corporate mission statement. The result was the
to the Walt Disney World® Resort to attend a customized
rebirth of Pick ‘n Pay’s core philosophy: Our Mission ~ We serve.
Disney Institute program. The program, designed in conjunction
With our hearts we create a great place to be. With our minds we
with Pick ‘n Pay and Disney Institute executives, immerses
create an excellent place to shop. Our Values ~ We are passionate
Pick ‘n Pay’s employees in “The Disney Approach” to quality
about our customers and will fight for their rights. We care for, and
service, leadership, and management. Through the experience,
respect each other. We foster personal growth and opportunity.
employees learn how to help their company adapt Disney best
We nurture leadership and vision, and reward innovation.
practices to improve their own practices back home.
© Disney
www.disneyinstitute.com
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case study:
Pick ‘N Pay
Eighty percent of “Dare to Dream” program participants have
never been outside of their own province, much less traveled
on a plane, and the experience is overwhelmingly life-changing.
Leaders of “Dare to Dream” have noted that the capacity of
people to learn and change is enormous — they see people
blossom in amazing ways over the course of the program, both as
individual contributors and as team members. With the company’s
extensive independent measurement system in place, significant
improvements in quality service and productivity have been
documented.
accords to all the freedom to grow and pursue their chosen
careers, and to deliver to our consumers, both internal and
external.”
Sean Summers contends that, “The very essence of our initiative
is to create a society in Pick ‘n Pay that mirrors that which South
Africa is striving to become. A society that is just and fair and
To learn more about how Disney Institute can assist your
organization on its own journey to excellence, call
(321) 939-4600 or visit www.disneyinstitute.com.
© Disney
The initiative is paying off. Pick ‘n Pay has quadrupled its spending
on training in the last four years and the leadership team sincerely
believes it’s worth every penny. They made the commitment to
embark upon a journey within their company that was envisioned
and designed by all employees. The result, Vuselela — rebirth. It
can be seen in their bright attitudes, in their fresh, new stores, and
in their reenergized approach to service excellence.
www.disneyinstitute.com
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case study:
old mutual group
Adapting Disney’s Quality Service Culture
Old Mutual Group, an international financial services institution,
was founded in 1845 in South Africa. Its operations extend
around the globe to include Europe, the United States, India,
Latin America, and Australia. Currently, plans are also underway
to market in China. Old Mutual’s primary listing is on the London
Stock Exchange as Old Mutual plc. The firm has approximately
50,000 employees worldwide.
Creating a culture of service excellence at Old Mutual began in
2001 when a new Managing Director was appointed following
the retirement of the previous leader. This change in leadership
presented an ideal opportunity for a culture change.
In 2002, the first group of Old Mutual employees took a 20-hour
flight to the Walt Disney World® Resort to attend “The Disney
Approach to Quality Service” program presented by Disney
Institute. Hannah and Jerry were both in that first group of 20,
along with eighteen other Old Mutual employees who were
primarily in roles that require customer interaction.
Hannah and her classmates were absolutely delighted by their
Disney Institute experience. Hannah comments, “Everything
here has a purpose, the guest experience is amazing and it all
stems from Disney’s commitment to their service philosophy
and standards.”
After the three-day program and enjoying a few days in
Central Florida, the team returned to South Africa charged with
coordinating a large-scale effort to develop Old Mutual’s version of
two key tools to implementing a service culture. They knew it was
important to not simply adopt Disney’s Service Theme and nonnegotiable Service Standards learned during the Disney Institute
The management at Old Mutual listened and knew they had to
program, so they left with an action plan to adapt it to make it their
take action. They appointed
own. Hannah remarks, “What
Jerry van Niekerk, Executive
is amazing is how easily any
According to Hannah Thomas, “Disney Institute
General Manager, as Service
organization can bring back the
is the only place in the world where you receive
Champion responsible for
learning from this experience and
the principles of service excellence combined
driving improved service
apply it, regardless of industry
with the hands-on experience of seeing these
throughout the company and
or geography. Customers
principles applied everywhere you look.”
Hannah Thomas, Campaign
are customers and they have
Manager – Old Mutual Client
fundamentally the same needs.
Service, was designated to work closely with Jerry to coordinate
It was natural to adapt Disney Institute’s principles and practices
the successful execution of new service strategies.
to our financial institution environment.” To determine the Service
Theme and Standards for Old Mutual, they ran workshops with
Next, they looked at benchmarking organizations widely known
various groups representing different parts of the business. In
as world-class service icons from around the world. Several
these workshops, they discussed how to simply articulate their
organizations were considered, and the Walt Disney Company
organization’s desired philosophy toward customers so everyone
was chosen. According to Hannah Thomas, “Disney Institute is
would clearly understand their purpose everyday during their
the only place in the world where you receive the principles of
interactions.
service excellence combined with the hands-on experience
Old Mutual started the process by interviewing large numbers of
employees to determine what specific changes were necessary.
One of the themes that emerged from these interviews, supported
by results of numerous customer satisfaction surveys, was that
customer service needed significant improvement.
of seeing these principles applied everywhere you look.”
© Disney
www.disneyinstitute.com
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case study:
old mutual group
After six months of hard work, they arrived at a solution for their
Service Theme: “SMILE – Service, Make It a Life Experience!”
Hannah explained, “People entrust their savings with Old Mutual,
and we are committed to making each experience with us
one that will encourage them to stay with us for life.” The goal
was to craft something that could permeate all aspects of their
business. Their Service Standards were captured in the acronym
REWARD, which stands for Responsiveness, Efficiency, Warmth
& Courtesy, Accountability, Reliability, and Demonstrate & Show.
These service standards became the common foundation of
expectations for employee behaviors at all levels.
Recognizing the need for buy-in from senior management, a
presentation of the proposed Service Theme and Standards was
made. The proposal was approved and Old Mutual’s internal
training group then developed training programs to introduce the
service theme and standards and to help support employees’
implementation of service excellence.
Community of Practice for the Disney alumni. This group meets
monthly to discuss areas of shared interest and make additional
service recommendations.
Have these changes made a difference? Absolutely. According
to the South African survey, “Best Company to Work For,” Old
Mutual has improved its employee ratings on several important
dimensions including job satisfaction, diversity, and training
and development. In fact, job satisfaction has emerged as the
top-scoring dimension for the last five years, which implies that
Old Mutual employees on the whole are feeling challenged and
satisfied in their jobs. Eighty-seven percent of Old Mutual’s clients
surveyed in 2005 indicated they were satisfied with the service
they had received and 57% of clients were delighted by the
service they had received, ten points above the industry average
of 47%.
Jerry van Niekerk, Executive General Manager and Service
Champion, has this to say, “At Old Mutual we provide financial
services to our customers who often buy a ‘promise’ which is
To further encourage adoption of the new theme and standards,
delivered many years later; at the end of the term of investment
several measures for sustainability were taken. Monthly reports of
or at the point of retirement. The
client service go to the Board
manifestation of our commitment
of Directors for their review.
Hannah comments, “Everything here has a
purpose,
the
guest
experience
is
amazing
and
to deliver on these promises
Also, service champions were
it all stems from Disney’s commitment to their
is found in our service. Good
appointed within each business
service philosophy and standards.”
service is about positively
unit at the executive level to
surprising those around us by
drive service initiatives through
our attitude and commitment. Our challenge is to simplify things,
their units. A monthly magazine and weekly newsletter were
to remove hassles and the so-called ‘red tape.’ Our focus on the
developed to help spread the word about service successes.
big picture with Disney’s Service Theme and Standards concept
The most exciting incentive is the Managing Director’s “Award
has helped us concentrate on the things which will have the
for Excellence.” This annual program allows employees who are
greatest impact.”
typically on the front-line to be nominated by their colleagues
What was Disney Institute’s contribution to the changes at Old
for recognition. From these nominations, elections are held and
Mutual? Hannah Thomas sums it up by saying, “There are
only a very small group of people who deliver sterling service are
many companies that are excellent at service. What makes
then given the award – the opportunity to attend the next Disney
Disney Institute unique is the powerful combination of theory and
Institute program!
experience. Individuals go back home asking, ‘What can I do for
To date, over 100 people from Old Mutual have attended the
my clients, based on what I just learned and saw firsthand?’”
Disney Institute program. After the program, each group develops
For information on how Disney Institute can help your organization
recommendations for service improvements to their various work
adapt concepts and strategies for service excellence, please
areas. To keep the momentum going, Old Mutual has created a
contact (321) 939-4600 or visit www.disneyinstitute.com.
© Disney
www.disneyinstitute.com
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case study:
Duncan Regional Hospital
Fostering an Enduring Service Culture in a Rural Hospital Setting
Located near several major cities, Duncan Regional Hospital
faces significant competition from larger, big-city hospitals.
Coupled with Oklahoma being one of the lowest-paid states in
the Medicare system, Duncan faced considerable challenges in
achieving — and sustaining — operational and financial success.
The hospital had a longstanding tradition of providing personalized
service. In 1997, the hospital’s 600 team members embarked on
a quest to deliver the best possible service to patients and visitors.
To do that, the management team sought out effective models in
service excellence. That led Duncan to Disney Institute, where
the management team learned the principles and practices that
have reaped nearly three decades of success.
Duncan’s tradition of Guest service was documented by Press,
Ganey, the well-known survey firm. Surveys indicated that
in-patient satisfaction ratings were consistently above the 95th
percentile when measured against other facilities. But Duncan
CEO David Robertson wanted to do even better.
Although this was a significant expenditure for a hospital strapped
from a reimbursement standpoint, the hospital carried forward
the recommendation.
“A significant highlight of the Disney experience is field
experiences, where you actually go into backstage areas of
the parks and resorts to see Disney philosophies and practices
in action,” continues Robertson. “The advantage of sending
our entire management team to Disney Institute was that it
helped us speak a common language and have a common
experience base.”
“When something comes up, we can say things like, ‘It’s time
we bumped the lamp,’ or ‘Remember the backstage area at the
Wilderness Lodge?’ You have a core group of people who have
bought into the change. There has to be a critical mass that
begins the process of change; we developed that critical mass at
one moment in time. And that helped us implement a number of
things more rapidly,” says Robertson.
With Disney strategies for people
Says Robertson, “We wanted
management and Guest service
to compare ourselves against
Says Robertson, “We wanted to compare
in hand, the entire Duncan
a world-class benchmark.” As
ourselves against a world-class benchmark.”
Regional Hospital management
it turned out, that yardstick
team returned home prepared to
was not to be found within the
initiate change. “Traditionally, hospitals talk about how to improve
healthcare industry. “Healthcare is not the industry in which we
things for the management, the physicians, and the staff. Looking
would choose to compare ourselves. It isn’t doing as good a job
at the Disney approach, we knew we needed to improve things for
as other industries.”
the patients. This would achieve an economy of cost, improved
A team was sent to Disney Institute to study its offerings and make
satisfaction and morale, and many other benefits.
a recommendation to the Board of Directors on a course of action.
The program was rolled out to everyone — the board, the
The cross-functional leadership team participated in a three-andmedical staff, the volunteers and most importantly, the physician
one-half-day “Disney’s Approach” seminar. The team returned
office staff. Says Robertson, “Physician office staffers are of
home with the recommendation that Disney Institute offered a
pivotal importance, because they see things from the patient’s
solid platform on which to build an even higher level of satisfaction
perspective more than anyone. If there’s a bottleneck in the
and service culture. It recommended that the entire management
system, they’re in the best position to remedy the situation.”
team of 60 people go through the initial program as a way
of accelerating and solidifying the implementation process.
© Disney
www.disneyinstitute.com
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case study:
Duncan Regional Hospital
Working together with team members in all departments and in
various roles, Duncan selected as its service theme, “Personalized
Care and Service with a Commitment to Excellence.” With
that vision in mind, the team created specific standards for
service and achieved buy-in from the 600-employee staff
within the organization. Much of the success of the program
ultimately stemmed from active involvement from the frontline team members. With their feedback and input, changes
were implemented to ensure that everyone felt welcomed
and valued.
For example, team members said that the Human
Resources area was too public, so the office was moved
to a more private area. In another case, to ensure that
new team members understood the hospital’s service
commit-ment, the orientation program was revised
to include the service theme and service standards. “We
have a very specific dress code, because we believe that
personal appearance is very important in communicating
professionalism,”says Robertson.
Now team members
learn about appearance standards and other issues in a
welcome video. The orientation program includes hands-on
training, interaction with current team members, hospital tours,
and a “service theme pledge book.” Taking this commitment step
one step further, now team members have pins identifying them
as having memorized the service theme and service standards.
© Disney
RESULTS
Duncan Regional Hospital has netted enormous benefit from
adapting Disney standards. There has been a jump in market
share from 58 percent to 64 percent — impressive by any hospital
standards. The hospital has made a strong leap in patient
satisfaction. According to independent Press, Ganey patient
satisfaction tools, Emergency Department scores alone have
skyrocketed to a recent 99th percentile, moving from a relatively
low 75th percentile rating.
Concludes Robertson, “We have been developing our
new Guest services culture for several years now, and we
must constantly remind ourselves that we need to grow
and change to reflect the evolving needs of our guests. We
realize that we’re a work in progress; we don’t ever want
to become complacent and comfortable with our successes.”
To learn more about how Disney Institute can assist your
organization on its own journey to excellence, call
(321) 939-4600 or visit www.disneyinstitute.com.
www.disneyinstitute.com
CS-031-2/LPDF/0310
case study:
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
While Other Hospitals Face Overcrowding, Layoffs, Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Boasts Happy Patients, Staff — Thanks to Lessons Learned from Disney Institute
For a health care organization, patient satisfaction scores are
critical. Not only do they tell hospital administrators whether patients
are receiving good care, they also can reveal dissatisfaction
among the ranks. When scores are low, it can be difficult for a
hospital to recruit and retain top-notch nurses and doctors. Low
scores can also make it difficult for a hospital to negotiate good
reimbursement rates from insurance companies, which directly
impacts the bottom line.
Unfortunately, improving patient satisfaction scores can be a long
and difficult process. But once a health care organization finds the
right formula, as Arkansas Children’s Hospital did, the results can
be astounding: Satisfaction scores above the 90th percentile, low
turnover, financial stability and growth, and ranking on national
lists of the best companies to work for in America.
NO MORE SHORT-TERM FIXES
A 316-bed, private, nonprofit healthcare facility located in the
capital of Little Rock, Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) in
2001 was saddled with mid-level patient satisfaction scores, a
continuous loss of good staff members, and difficulty recruiting
new critical staff, including nurses and respiratory therapists. The
hospital tried several short-term fixes – such as offering signing
and relocation bonuses – but the strategy did not work. Leaders
of the 93-year-old organization decided it was time for a new and
different approach.
“We started researching corporate training and benchmarking and
discovered Disney Institute,” said ACH Chief Operating Officer
Scott Gordon. “We were intrigued by Disney Institute’s unique
approach of using best practices from The Walt Disney Company
to help other organizations make positive changes in the way they
do business.’”
Gordon and other leaders from ACH arrived at the
Walt Disney World® Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., in May
2002 for a program called “Excellence in Healthcare
Leadership.” The program, created specifically for ACH,
© Disney
incorporated content from Disney’s Approach to People
Management and Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence,
two of five core programs offered by Disney Institute at the Walt
Disney World® Resort; the Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim, Calif.;
and in cities worldwide.
Hospital leaders studied how Disney trains its leaders and began
to understand how strong, effective leadership is the key to
business growth drivers such as high employee and customer
satisfaction. The group also learned how Disney recruits and
trains new cast members – Disney-speak for employees –
through a modified version of Disney’s employee orientation
program, called “Traditions.”
“It was eye-opening,” Gordon says. “From the very start, Disney
leaders tell cast members what’s expected of them and what the
job entails – both good and bad. You come away knowing the
job won’t be easy all the time, but you also feel a sense of pride
and commitment.”
The hospital’s leaders also learned that effective communication
from leadership is essential in fostering a positive working
environment on the front lines.
“It really starts with us,” Gordon says. “If we communicate
effectively, listen to our staff and show them how we ‘walk the
walk’ then they’ll want to do the same.”
“Even though the program was not specifically tailored for us, the
reaction was so positive that we scheduled a third program for
December,” recalled Berry.
PUTTING IT TO WORK
ACH leaders returned to Arkansas and got to work. First, they
developed a service theme to effectively capture and communicate
their purpose. After much deliberation, team members came back
to the words that had been painted on their hospital exterior
many years before, “Giving Care, Love and Hope.”
www.disneyinstitute.com
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case study:
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
From there, the team identified four service standards and nine
behavioral standards for bringing the service theme to life. The
team determined that all decisions at all levels in the organization
would be measured against the service theme and standards.
Next, ACH used Disney’s service recovery model to develop
its own strategy for when things didn’t go as planned. Finally,
ACH developed a new system for recruiting and retaining
employees. The recruiting process for some of the large,
high-turnover departments was centralized to make it more
efficient and effective. ACH also implemented its own version of
Disney’s “Traditions.”
“Every employee went through this program in less than six
months,” Gordon says. “We also had our vendors go through the
program so that they, too, could better understand our culture and
our mission.”
REAPING THE REWARDS
After nearly 10 years and a variety of follow-up sessions with
Disney Institute, including training for physicians and nurses in
late 2009, ACH boasts the following achievements:
n
n
n
© Disney
Named one of U.S. News & World Report’s best
pediatric hospitals
Employee opinion scores have steadily increased since 2001.
ACH is now ranked above the 90th percentile in both patient
and employee satisfaction, despite a double-digit increase in the
number of patients treated in high-stress departments such as the
emergency room. The hospital has been able to attract hundreds
of new physicians, boosting the number of patients seen in the
hospital and in outpatient facilities. Perhaps most importantly, the
hospital has seen a direct positive impact on its bottom line.
“We saved $5 million just by eliminating our floating nurse
program,” says Gordon. “That and other efficiencies helped us
make our budget, which meant no layoffs and the ability to add
staff in critical areas where they were needed.”
Gordon says that he and other leaders “could not, in our wildest
imagination, have predicted how powerful a change agent the
Disney Institute training would be for our organization.”
“We are now purposeful in treating our children, families, fellow
team members and entire community with care, love and hope,”
says Gordon. “Now that we have a Culture by Design, we find
that all of our efforts – fundraising, retention of team members,
patient satisfaction and work with our physician partners – are
more successful because we are more consistent and focused.”
Ranked on the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work
For® list for the second year in a row. (ACH is the only
Arkansas-based company and only one of three pediatric
hospitals listed).
Ranked in the 99th percentile for employee commitment
when compared to other national and pediatric children’s
hospitals (2009). Areas cited as showing the
greatest improvement:
– Great customer service
– Treating employees with respect
– ACH as great place to work
– Overall employee satisfaction and pride
– ACH cares about quality
– Employee training
– ACH as great place to work
– Recognition of employees from different backgrounds
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Training and Development Reflection Activity Worksheet
In Unit 2 you learned about the difference between training and development, how
the concepts are related and overlap, but remain conceptually distinct. Reflecting
upon what you have learned about Disney from the resources consulted respond to
the following questions, using as much space as necessary.
1. How has Disney successfully integrated “development” into their basic training
practices? How do Disney employees learn their place in the larger enterprise?
What are the fundamental tenets of being a Disney employee?
2. Based on the case studies you read, how has Disney translated their employee
development orientation into successful training practices for other
organizations? Give specific examples, be sure to cite the specific case study and
organization in each example.
1.
2.
3.