what I learned from Disney World: Leadership edition - pt 2

Continuing the series I started yesterday, here is part two of 7 things I learned from Disney World: Leadership edition. (Part two "Personal Edition" can be found here)

Day 2: Magic Kingdom - Pt 2

Everyone is informed.

It'd been a while since I'd been on Disney property before this trip. My wife and I had visited before we had kids (and were pulling in income from her job and mine), so I sort of remembered certain things around the park. But the disconnect over 9+ years created me wondering where certain things were in the park that I wanted to show the kids.

Like while we were eating, I had a question about the nighttime fireworks and electrical parade. I asked the gal behind the fast food counter, "Where can I find out information on tonight's schedule?" I imagined she could direct me to some information booth where I could ask or some Disney manager in a slightly different coat color. Instead she replied, "I can help you. What would you like to know?" I was rather surprised at her detailed knowledge, for instead of having to talk with someone else later I was able to get my answer then.

I figured this was a fluke. Maybe she was just some Disney die-hard who knew stuff other people didn't.

Only it kept happening. Several times throughout our visit, I'd get an answer to a question I figured was beyond that person's "pay grade." I'd wonder where an attraction was - like the famous Dumbo ride -and the nearest person with a nametag could tell me in great detail where it was or where it had gone (and what had replaced it). We even showed up to Disney wearing our own Mickey shirts (versus buying an expensive one at the park), and we had a photographer tell our boys about the significance of the number "28" on their shirts - the ones the park didn't even sell. Or there was the ornament shop gal (who writes special words on plastic globes with amazing caligraphy) who was able to give us an amazing insider's scoop on where to sit for the nighttime parade. Then there was the janitor who was able to look at a digital picture I showed him and help me know exactly where in the park it was located.

This can't be easy to accomplish with the thousands and thousands of people Disney employs. What is expected is more than the repetitive task that their job requires, but they are literally expected to be a "host" to the entire guest population that day... as if they were the only host. It's as if the concept of "it's not my area" or "I don't know, so have fun figuring it out" are intentionally trimmed out of the mental vocabulary of every "cast member."


I started wondering how often the people I serve as a pastor depend on me to have all the answers. There is much happening around our church, for instance, that has someone else's hand on the steering wheel instead of my own. When I'm asked about it, though, I'm expected to know the details of it as if it was my idea. Maybe you can relate in whatever area of life you serve in - be it your household or the cubicle world you take part in.

We all know this is not fair, and I think we give each other an unconscious nod that "nobody knows everything." But have you ever noticed the difference when you do know the answer to a question? There is a sense of empowerment and resolution... much like when I greet someone by his/her name versus the generic, "Hey, buddy, how ya' doin?" Really, I'm lying that I know who they are... and a wooden puppet bamed Pinnochio already taught us that lying only leads to a splintered identity.

Again, we can't know everything... but when it seems like we do there is an increased respect for the organization and credibility is gained when a legitimate question mark occurs in the future.

Out of the 100+ times I asked a Disney employee a question, only twice did they not know the answer. But they knew who to direct me to and made sure I found that person. And even if they didn't, they got it right 98% of the time. That's a great percentage, and I think being known as someone who is informed means your organization stands out. We're not talking about anything more here than simply being willing to immerse yourself in the relationships and environment you serve in... which is hard, ugly work when it's much easier to sum someone up quickly into a tidy little category that seldom lasts.

Because there's a difference between saying "I don't know" when you're dealing with something great and grand and mysterious by nature - something like God who truly deserves an occasional "I don't know" - versus saying "I don't know" because you were too lazy to invest yourself in "knowing."

Three quick tips that have worked for me over the years:

- Carry a calendar with you that fits in your pocket. When you meet someone new, write down their name on the day you met them and a detail to remember. Review it at the end of each day for three days and when you head back into an environment you might see them.

- Whatever your specific role is at work, find someone outside your direct circle and learn what they do. A five-minute hallway or watercooler conversation can help you learn something valuable that furthers the whole organization forward in a pinch when you have an answer to a question and "so and so" isn't around. You are "so and so."

- Learn the names of your neighbors... all of them. Make a map if you have to, because some day there will be a chance to connect and you'll be ahead of the curve. Or if an emergency goes down, you will know who to contact. The conversations you have beforehand will create the healing that happens in a crisis.



- Part 3 tomorrow.

what I learned from Disney World: Leadership edition - pt 1

Today on my personal blog, I shared some fun takeaways my family experienced during a recent trip to Disney World. You can read that slice here.

While it was a vacation, it was hard to turn off the "leadership" switch. I didn't do this on purpose, but I found myself as a consumer taking mental notes in my head as my family went around the parks and hung out at our hotel. I couldn't shake them, so I found a disney napkin to write them down and dump them out of my brain for the moment. Now that some time has passed, and apparently I still have the napkin, here are 7 things I learned from Disney World: Leadership edition.

Day 1: Magic Kingdom - Pt 1

Intentional distractions.

As soon as my family entered the Magic Kingdom, I was looking forward to getting my boys down that amazing street where the castle lies at the end of it. This is what many people look forward to in a Disney experience, which is why there are photographers parked around it, ready to take your picture for free (which later translates into some more cha-ching for Disney)

So we head into the park, smelling that amazing popcorn smell and seeing the old America-style downtown atmosphere.

But first... we remembered that Guest Services hands out free buttons to first-time visitors. We heard that employees and characters go out of their way to say hi to kids who have this, so of course we grabbed it. Then we headed off to the castle.

But first... our eyes caught a store and we remember that we had to pick up some autograph books. We'd learned that as our boys would meet different characters, they could get signatures from each to remember the moment later. So we ran into the bookstore right by the gate, then headed off to the castle.

But first... we thought we might need to go to the bathroom. Ironically enough, there was a set of them right by the front gate. So we all went in (me with my two boys and my wife on her own) and spent 5-10 minutes longer, still near the front gate. Then we headed off to the castle.

But first... we saw where Pinnochio would be signing autographs and taking pictures with kids. So we stopped, wondering if we should wait around, but then realized the wooden boy was nowhere to be found. Then we then headed off to the castle.

But first... we walked by a store with ad windows that advertised they sold Mickey ears. "Everyone needs Mickey ears," we reasoned, and figured this was as good a time as any to check the price. So we went in, decided to wait on the ears, snapped some pictures in funny hats, then headed off to the castle.

But first...

You get the picture?

This is when it hit me... Disney management are geniuses at staggering your journey around the park with intentional distractions. Everything "ordinary" is made "extraordinary" so you will slow down, look at it, take pictures, and thereby delay yourself from where you were going.

Why do they do this? Why would they slow you down from getting to the place you want to get to?

Because they want you to take your time.

Why take your time? Because they don't want everyone clogging up the same rides/places at the same time. If this were to happen, Disney wouldn't be the happiest place on earth... and they know it.

I saw this more the next day when we walked in and right away Chip & Dale and Pluto were taking photos with kids right at the entrance. By this point I realized what Disney was up to, so I planned to use my insights in our favor. I asked my wife to stand with the kids in line while I ran over and got a "fast pass" for a ride we wanted to go on. It all sounded like a great plan, especially since we were trying to maximize each day (since we didn't spring for the "park hoppers" - this meant we only got so many shots at each park).

And yet... on my way over to get that fast pass, I realized I was seeing a lot of "extraordinary ordinary" things without my family. Bushes in the shape of Mickey and Minnie, entrances to Fantasy Land and Tomorrow Land, other characters meeting with kids.

And I realized that I needed to turn around.

While I knew what Disney was trying to do to me - intentionally distract and stagger my journey - I felt the conviction that it would be better to walk slow with my family and enjoy the sites than "efficiently" run around separated from one another.

Or in the terms of this blog, a Type-B decision versus a Type-A one.

Is there anything in your realm of leadership that would make the people you serve more inclined to enjoy their overall experience?

-	Maybe it's adding music to an awkwardly silent atmosphere, or perhaps it's turning off the TV/radio/internet to create some quietness.
-	It could be that the color scheme of your office or home space has an "edge" to it, whether it's the colors you chose or the bare walls that make things seem sterile.
-	Perhaps you need to start layering out the journey people walk to get to the "main thing," from purposeful artwork that makes them stop to social points of interaction (water coolers, hot beverage stops, slightly larger corners where there is comfort in stopping).
-	Or you just might need to spread out your leadership team into zone areas, ensuring that whichever direction someone walks in they are greeted with joy - whether you're a business attempting to reach customers or a family wanting to ensure everyone is greeted with a smile and a hug when they walk in the door.

For the record, we did make it to the castle after all.

And for the record, we did let the photographers take their pictures.

And for the record, it was absolutely awesome.

- Part 2 tomorrow.

a friday quote: believing or depending

Many people today are in some form of crisis, whether it's one that seems new or another that all too familiar. Leaders are often exposed to this more than others, whether it's the crisises of the people they serve or their own. I'm reminded of this quote and the difference between believing and depending on God.

[After] nearly three weeks in Zimbabwe in Southern Africa, I was astonished at the dichotomy between extreme poverty on one hand, and extreme praise and passion for Christ on the other.

I asked one of the pastors from the town of Bulawayo where I had preached, “How can a people so poor and with so little to be thankful for, come a full hour early to the tent meeting simply to praise God with such zeal and gladness?” Praise and worship in the States sometimes barely appears as a “blip” on the radar of a 60-minute Sunday morning church service.

I will never forget his response. “Steve, in America you believe in God. In Africa, we depend on God.”

His words sank into my chest... believing but not depending. In crisis, Christ is magnified. He becomes the God who can do “exceeding abundantly above all that we could ever ask or think.”

I call Him the God of the ridiculous. However, we do not need the God of the ridiculous to do the same things we’ve always done before. I believe that somewhere in the crisis, Christ is calling us in all of our decisions to decide to depend on him even if it means doing the ridiculous.

- Steve Fitzhugh, national spokesman for Fellowship of Christian Athletes

the difference

Someone was asking me recently about my "ministry strategy."

My ministry strategy is to please the heart of the Lord.

I know that this comes across as a churchy-answer, making me sound like "one of those" who allegedly don't appreciate or understand goal setting.

Don't quickly label such a response - reconsider how that conclusion it stands up.

To refresh, I'm essentially a Type-B who was saved in a Type-A led church. And so I've learned to use the lessons of the Type-A folks, but a few years ago I discovered that there is a value to letting the Type-B side guide things.

In this matter, it's the difference between asking God to bless your goals and join you in what you're doing, versus asking God what He is blessing and how you can join Him in that.

Consider your prayers - are they more, "Be with me in ______" or "God, how can I be with Your agenda today?"

Do you see the difference? Because I wonder how each of us are or aren't fleshing that out in the everyday conversations we have with the One we call "Lord."

a friday quote: the present of presence

“Presence is the strongest form of leadership. Even today, when a nation is at war or some other crisis, its citizens feel assured when they see their leader on television. When leaders are absent, the population becomes anxious. Business leaders know that they need to get out of the office occasionally and be among their employees. They refer to it as ‘management by walking around.’ I would call it the blessing of presence.

In the same way, the presence of God brings peace in the midst of a crisis. We’re blessed when we sense his presence, regardless of the circumstances. What else could account for songs of praise in a refugee camp?”

–The Ultimate Blessing, by Jo Anne Lyon

a friday quote: doing the work of the Lord

This quote is from the commemoration of Mellitus, First Bishop of London, 624.

The Church has always found it easier to fulfill her priestly than her prophetic role. The temptation to institutionalism is always with us, and who will profess himself guiltless? We reduce Christianity to the service of an institution, the Church, for this enables us to be active in what is fondly called “the work of the Lord,” while at the same time failing to grapple with the fundamental problem for all Christians, that of winning our generation for Christ.

In our little circle of like-minded people we condemn outsiders because they do not come in. Perhaps we even make half-hearted attempts to get them to come in. And then we snuggle down again in the warmth of our fellowship, comforted that we have done all that might reasonably be expected of men in our situation. Fortified with this consolation we concentrate on keeping the institution, the Church, running as it should.

just in case you were ticked off today

About a month ago, Facebook changed its format (again). The response wasn't pretty - people formed groups on Facebook that protested Facebook (which is a bit ironic). There was incredible whining - threats of boycotting and going back over to MySpace... which again, was ironic, since most people who were came to Facebook did so since they were frustrated with MySpace. Since Facebook flustered some folks this winter with a change in their privacy policy, the company decided they might need to throw everyone enough bones to squash the overall frustration. So they did - a few changes were made, and most everyone quieted down. Keep in mind, most of the new changes remain... but are perhaps just better hidden.

Then there were the events of last week. Over one million, empty, red envelopes poured into the White House mail room from concerned pro-life American citizens. Coordinators expect that number to double, as the envelopes are intended to symbolize the innocent blood shed through abortion. Simply called The Red Envelope Project, it's the idea of a Massachusetts man, Christ Otto, who wanted a visual expression of his moral outrage over President Obama's position on abortion. March 31 was picked to mail the envelopes so they would be delivered near the beginning of Holy Week.

It's kind of fascinating to see the way people who are frustrated handle their frustrations. Some follow great steps - like someone who emailed me last week about an issue they cared about. Others, though, play games that exhaust everyone involved:

• Some become activists - they organize every friend and former classmate from second grade to protest; they call all the newspapers and use every opinion page; they show up to town meetings and point their fingers at whomever is behind the desk; they make web sites or blog on existing ones; they talk a lot about the way things "are supposed to be," because they are die-hard proponents of that concept (whatever it is) - which can sometimes be productive, and other times be very unproductive.
  
  I've done this. Have you?
  
  
  
• Some become demolitionists - they decide to talk about people versus talk with people; they gossip out of perception versus fact; they wait with imaginary catcher's mitts to hear the next words out of someone's mouth so there is something new to examine, cross-examine, triple-examine, write snarky one-liners in response, make snarky pictures in response, and produce snarky YouTube videos in response; they bring other people around them down in how they think about a person/group/issue, sometimes without even realizing it.
  
  I've done this. Have you?
  
  
  
• Some become invisible - they avoid addressing the frustration at all costs - they use caller ID to screen every conversation that has a hint of challenge in it; they never return messages; they only go places the person they are in tension with is guaranteed not to be; at best, they may write letters and emails or TXT messages to appear engaged in productive conversation but will never talk on the phone or in person no matter how hard the other person tries.
  
  I've done this. Have you?
  
  
  
• Some become diggers - they take the stuff that frustrates them and bury it down deep somewhere in soil that is actually quite thin - it's not gone, but just out of sight; until they use that same shovel to dig it back up - just a little bit - when the opportunity comes up to say something about someone... and they maximize the opportunity to say "just enough" about that person to sway another person to their perspective (I think this is why such things are called "digs" toward another person).
  
  I've done this. Have you?
  

I wonder how much time we have wasted - yes, WASTED - playing games when we could have instead spent that time reconciling with the people in our lives, coming together around Jesus Christ, and then pursuing the things that matter most.

Can you identify?

Admittedly, I am a naive optimist when it comes to working things out with people in my life whom I have tension with. The Scripture calls us to pursue one another, and so I "foolishly" do, often wearing my heart on my sleeve - right or wrong. I know this sort of refusal to wear the usual fig leaves makes me appear naked, but I won't/can't give up on the relationship. Because of what Jesus has done in my life and because of my love for them, I refuse to play the usual games we hide behind.

And yet...

and yet...

and yet...

consider these words of Jesus:

Then Jesus told them this parable: "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? (Luke 15:3-4)

Notice that He speaks about a willingness to leave the sheep that know better behind for the sake of pursuing the lost ones who don't.

No, go back and read that again. Do you see it?

That breaks my heart. I don't want to leave anybody behind, and I don't think it's the shepherd's preference either.

But the story is about priorities. Where will we spend the bulk of the energy - on a search and rescue for the lost sheep or on keeping the 99 feeling happy?

By the way, "lost" sheep can be spiritually lost, relationally lost, or lost in many other ways.

But when it's a "found" sheep? The shepherd expects it to stay in community... to know better.

Let me tell you a little secret about yourself that you have forgotten.

You are originally heroic by nature.

You are probably trying to do the right thing.

But sometimes you don't....

sometimes you fail...

sometimes you play games.


So how do we stop doing this with the people in our lives?

With each other?

I think the answer to that question begins with some confession most of us aren't willing to make.