June 2020 - 27

MANAGEMENT
is that the bears were so excited to get into the show that
their claws scratched up the wood floors. Another example
is in front of Tony's Town Square Restaurant, themed after
the hit " Lady & The Tramp " animated movie. In front of the
steps leading up to the restaurant, guests may notice a heart
drawn in the cement with both Lady and Tramp's paw prints
in the middle.
Cast Members'
(Disneyspeak for
employees) common
purpose is to
" create happiness. "
Details in the Garden Center
How does this attention to detail translate to your garden
center? Do you decide to plus the in-store experience so
that you create a lasting memory for your customers that
a big-box store cannot? Is there something subtle, yet
impactful, that your garden center can do to stand out in a
crowded marketplace?
Another Disney best practice is providing highly intentional
training for their Cast Members (Disneyspeak for employees)
that clues them into their common purpose for working at
Disney - and that purpose is to " create happiness. "
Recently, I went in search of a large planter along with
some greenery to go in it. My green thumb is non-existent, so
I went to a local garden center, where I assumed I would get
better advice compared to a big-box retailer. I was right. The
employee who assisted me treated me like I was the most
important person on property that day and asked several
questions about where I would put the greenery and how
often it would be in the sunlight.
She treated me as if she were the owner of the store and I
was her most important customer. However, she was not the
owner (I asked her). But it was clear that she wanted me to be
happy with both my purchase and my experience at the store. I
cannot help but think that is a function of her training.
Russell Clayton, Ph.D., is an award-winning instructor of
business at the University of South Florida. In addition, he is the
co-founder of Work-Life Insights, a firm focused on continuing
education and professional development. Connect with him at
www.worklifeinsights.com.
Editor's note: As this issue was going to press, Russell Clayton
was originally scheduled to present " Lead Like the Mouse: Using
Disney Best Practices to Impact Your Organization " at Cultivate'20
in July. With the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, please
check www.cultivateevent.org for the latest scheduling info on the
virtual event.
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Where do you
If you want your business to
perform better, grow stronger,
and be positioned for whatever
the future brings, there's no
better place to belong than
AmericanHort.
For more than 220 years, we've been
the green industry's leading association,
answering your questions, representing
you in government, and connecting you
with other horticultural professionals at
our annual trade show, Cultivate.
Join us today, and see how
we're better together.
AmericanHort.org/Join
go to grow?
http://www.AmericanHort.org/Join http://www.worklifeinsights.com http://www.cultivateevent.org http://www.LGRMAG.COM
June 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of June 2020
