Once upon a time doing something "Mickey Mouse" was not a compliment. Photo: Disney

Walt Disney proclaimed, “It all started with a mouse.” The old Hollywood types, in their own way, agreed. But doing something “Mickey Mouse” to them meant an effort that was too small, frivolous, or unimportant to be taken seriously.

n our world today, Mickey Mouse practices are taken so seriously that Disney is often ranked as one of the most admired companies. It’s a typical ranking for the Mouse, and one we can learn from. But despite this ranking, there is fan dissatisfaction with current CEO Bob Chapek and an on-line petition to remove him with over 100,000 signatures.

So how does Disney, even in a time of CEO turmoil, continue to receive high rankings and what can we learn from them?

People do admire the Mouse. Business leaders want to emulate Disney’s tactics (as my own consulting and keynotes demonstrate); and many people desperately want to work for the Mouse: nd guests continue, despite higher prices, to patronize Disney properties.

Here are the reasons I believe Mickey Mouse practices are so well respected. See if you agree.

Forward Thinking – During my college Masters program, professors continually exposed us to the latest in corporate, management, and human relations thinking. In every case, Walt Disney World was already heavily engaged in what the professors said where the most forward-thinking initiatives. Disney was, and likely still is, ahead of the management thought curve. From Continuous improvement, to vision and mission statements, to core values, to inclusion, Disney has led the way.

Constant Plussing – As mentioned above and shared in Planning a Post Covid Future and Disney Asked What’s Wrong With It, Disney is always improving processes, infrastructure, and methodologies. It’s a habit that Walt installed in his company; one people may not notice that pays off in increased customer satisfaction and repeated visits.

Emotional Connections – When, at the Disney Institute, I was redesigning the Disney Approach to Loyalty program, we listed out all the ways that Disney touches people and discovered that it was almost impossible to have a day without interreacting with Disney (and this was before Disney purchased Marvel, Pixar, and Lucas Films). The Mouse is everywhere and almost everyone, worldwide, has an emotional connection to some Disney character, show, movie, or theme park.

Employee Support – Although the pay is lower than it should be, Disney supports its employees in ways the public never sees. When, in 2004, three hurricanes hit Central Florida and most cast members had lost power in their homes, Disney set up ice stations in the theme park parking lots. Cast members, not working or completing their shifts, could drive through these stations and bring home ice to keep their food from spoiling. In another example, Disney celebrated the original cast members at Disney’s longest running show. Former CEO Bob Iger explained the philosophy when he commented, “I wanted Disney to be admired and respected by the employees, cast members, as we call them fondly; because if we ultimately were going to be admired and respected by our shareholders and by our customers, it had to start at home.”

Workplace Pride – The reaction I, and most Disney cast members, get when people ask you what you do for a living and where you work is often astounding. Their eyes light up when you say, “Disney.” And when you work for the Mouse, you can almost guarantee that long lost relatives, distant friends, and people you have long since forgotten will reach out to you for a visit, free tickets, or hiring advice. It can be annoying, but family and friend visits are really special. Where else would people be so interested in seeing your work location? Also, when you work at Disney you dedicate yourself to making people happy. As As former CEO Michael Eisner once wrote us employees, “(paraphrasing) I am not pretending that what we do is as important as what police and firefighters do, but there is great value in bringing joy into peoples’ lives.”

So, how can doing something Mickey Mouse help you deliver success?

• Smart people are forward thinking and not locked into the dogmas of the past
• Smart people simultaneously maintain the cores competencies that make them and their organization special
• A ruthless focus on constant improvement pays off in a better experiences and increased loyalty.
• Establishing emotional connections with all people adds value to the bottom line.
• Pride in work translates into greater effort and higher satisfaction.

Do you agree?

A special note - our MIC Key Snap videos are now on Rumble. You can visit them at this link.