CHAPTER 1

Setting the Stage for Success

The Four Circumstances of the Disney University

It took more than a good idea to bring the university into existence. This newbaby in the corporate family might have died in the delivery room had it notbeen for certain circumstances.

—Van France

MEMORANDUM

September 21, 1962

Disneyland will never be completed. We've certainly lived up to that promise.But what about the people who operate it? Are we growing with the show or justgetting older? The trouble with people is that we get hardening of the mentalarteries, cirrhosis of the enthusiasm, and arthritis of the imagination, alongwith chronic and sometimes acute allergies to supervision, subordinates, thewhole darned system. Is it possible that what we have gained through experience,we have lost through habit, and that what we have gained through organization,we have lost in enthusiasm?

—Van France, Introduction to his "Proposed Program for the University ofDisneyland, 1962–1963

Setting the Stage for The Disney University

In 1955, just before Disneyland's grand opening, Van France and his onlyemployee at the time, a new college graduate named Dick Nunis, originated thevery first Disneyland employee orientation program. It produced legions ofemployees who by the end of orientation had no doubt about their primary rolewith the guests who were soon to arrive: "We create happiness."

Right from its debut on July 17, 1955, Disneyland enjoyed unparalleled success.It raised the bar, setting new standards of excellence for creativity, familyentertainment, and customer service.

In the years since it opened, Disneyland evolved in a variety of ways, from thenumber and complexity of attractions to the expanding employee population. Vanalso evolved. He left Disneyland for two years to work for other companies. Whenhe returned in 1962, he was looking at Disneyland from a new perspective. Vansays, "My learning in the outside world helped me. I could now look atDisneyland with fresh insights." He discovered a Disneyland that was facingsome growing pains.

Deteriorating employee morale was especially troubling to Van. There were evencomplaints about the orientation program; some argued that the material wasdated and that those presenting it were out of touch with the realities of thepark operations.

During Van's two-year hiatus, Dick Nunis, Van's only employee during the monthsbefore and after the opening of Disneyland, became the director of operations atDisneyland. Dick, now Van's boss, needed his help.

Seven years into this run of success and millions of guests later, Van Francebegan thinking about expanding the Disneyland orientation program to somethingnew and different. The time was right for this new baby in the Disney corporatefamily to emerge.

The Disney University was about to be born.

Beyond a University in Name Only: The Four Circumstances

The Disney University is a name that carries clout and evokes images ofexcellence. Mention this highly regarded institution to any business leader, andthe question that often follows is: How do they develop the world's mostengaged, loyal, and customer-centric employees, year after year?

The simple explanation for the Disney University's success can be attributed tothe levels of support and clarity of purpose found in the Four Circumstances,the organizational values Van France identified as vital to the success of theDisney University.

Although the word university invariably appears in the title of corporate andorganizational training departments around the world, very few of those"universities" have matched the Disney University's level of success. Many don'tenjoy the levels of support and clarity of purpose found in the FourCircumstances. Without clarifying the kinds of values found in the FourCircumstances, training and development initiatives are bound to fail; even thebest-funded organizational universities are doomed to become universities inname only.

Van's Four Circumstances Are Values

The ensuing review of each circumstance reveals key words that represent valuesof The Walt Disney Company and create the perfect environment for the DisneyUniversity. But before discussing the values that constitute Van's FourCircumstances, it is important to first clarify something about them:

• These values are not unique.

• These values aren't new or unknown to most leaders.

• These values must pervade the organization. They are the essential DNA of thewhole company, not just Van's values or those of the Disney University.

These core values, which were originally set into motion by Walt Disney, form asturdy foundation from which evolved the programs Van and his team developed.The Disney University is an extension of the company.

Put simply, the Disney University isn't a car wash through which employees canbe sent in preparation for work. It is much, much more. A sentiment shared bymany executives who worked with Van is, "Training cannot be limited to 'Here'swhat you need to do, now go do it.' That's not good enough. Training needs toinstill a spirit, a feeling, an emotional connection. Training means creating anenvironment of thinking and feeling."

Van's Circumstance 1: Innovation

First, I had an aversion to the concept of a "training department." The functionhas little status in any organization. Years before, when I had actually manageda "training department," I grew tired of hearing, "Those who can, do; those whocan't, teach." Further, any high school graduate feels he or she has alreadybeen trained and resents being enrolled again. On the other hand, the idea of aUniversity was exciting. Historically, a university was ahead of the times,leading people into exciting adventures.

This circumstance reveals the traits associated with those who break new ground:the pioneers who are not afraid to take risks. Van's focus on being innovativecreated an ever-evolving learning culture. He challenged the status quo.

Many who worked with Van describe his style in the following ways:"Van kept people focused....