In the current economy, companies know that it is anything but business as usual. With an ever-increasing gap between income and sales versus expenses, professionals are forced to evaluate what they and their organizations need to do to survive—and yes, thrive—in the coming year.
Such a quest motivated 275 professionals from the local business, college and alumni communities to participate in the Disney “Keys to Excellence” program, hosted by the College of Business Administration at Florida International University (FIU). A one-day event, it offered attendees the opportunity to learn best practices from Disney professionals.
The workshop focused on four key areas: leadership, management, customer service and loyalty. Disney Institute trainers shared tools and techniques to help professionals create proactive plans to deal with the sluggish economy. Discussions centered on how to strengthen customer loyalty and build team involvement while creating a service culture designed to keep the competitive edge sharp.
Feedback was overwhelmingly positive.
“Attending this program was the elixir our team needed,” said one audience member. “We were inspired to create a better environment within our own company.”
Another observed that “the speakers were very engaging and the visuals were great,” and a third noted that the workshop “will change the way you do business.”
Staff-only session motivates with lessons on management.
Prior to the full-day event, 30 college personnel attended a mini-session conducted by the same Disney Institute trainers.
According to Robert Garcia (EMBA ’97), director, Executive and Professional Education (EPE), the shorter session concentrated on management issues.
“We discussed the importance of integrating our corporate culture into the selection, training and care of our employees,” he said. “We left the session motivated to create a more collaborative environment for moving our team efforts forward.”
Henric Boiardt (MPA ’09, BA ’07), EPE program coordinator, and Rosangel Quintero, EPE marketing and program manager, along with Silvia Arrastia, event planner, and Gideon Schnog, technical support, planned and coordinated all facets of the Disney Institute event.
