In our last Snap, we discussed Disney’s four-word Priorities filter where any cast member in any situation can take action, in real time, without a manager’s involvement. As we shared, the four words of this filter, in prioritized order, are:

• Safety – Protecting everyone from needless danger and injury
• Courtesy – Being welcoming, respectful and kind to everyone
• Show – Creating an immersive environment, free from distractions, that communicates happiness
• Efficiency – Completing tasks with minimal waste, expense and effort

It wasn’t always that way. When I joined the Mouse House in 1985, the filter was different:

• Safety
• Show
• Courtesy
• Capacity

Capacity worked for ride attractions. If you had a ride that could handle 1,900 guests an hour, you would try as best you could to meet that number with the understanding that Safety, Show and Courtesy were more important. But the word “Capacity” did not apply once you moved beyond rides and into hotels, transportation and other entities. In order for the Priorities to be more globally applied, Capacity was changed to Efficiency.

Courtesy was less important than Show in the old filter. It was, therefore, permissible to be discourteous if you had to to protect the show. That order worked as long as courtesy was an innate trait. But in the 1990s, when guest data showed that courteous was slipping at the Disney parks, Courtesy and Show were switched. Then even the character performer playing Jafar in this snap had to focus on courtesy before show.

I draw two points from this information.

1. Sometimes what has worked before does not work now (if, for instance, the hiring and customer populations’ attitudes and behaviors change).
2. You can both maintain the basic framework of your expectations and update them enough to stay current.

The alternative is doing what you’ve always done. Walt himself was dedicated to improving his offerings. But what made him unique was his ability to adjust to the future while staying true to the past. Do you do that too?

As an aside - The decisions Disney is making about reopening its theme parks are clearly following the Priorities filter. Safety decisions have come first. Courtesy remains in place but within tightly controlled Safety guidelines. Show considerations have been reduced to support disease prevention. Efficiency is being tossed aside to maintain Safety.