Marchal Hudson, Assistant Director for Unified Technology Support, was invited to join the Gen:i Ball State Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute’s annual Disney Experience in March 2022. This event was led by Dr. Rob Matthews, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute, and Charity Coffman, the Institute’s Associate Program Director. Marchal’s membership in the Chi Innovate cohort afforded her this experimental and valuable learning opportunity.

The Gen:i program is designed with leadership at the forefront, bringing together highly motivated individuals to increase their skills in innovation, leadership, and build entrepreneurial creativity. The Entrepreneurial Leadership Institute oversees both programs (Chi Innovate and Gen:i), both allow for self-discovery, mission development, and leadership development. Chi Innovate participants are ultimately trained to serve in mentor and/or advisor capacities. The Gen:i Disney Experience was filled with knowledge from a unique vantage point – behind the scenes of Disney. This was a positive enhancement to professional development, particularly in the area of leadership and customer service.

Highlights of this learning and development journey were the “Keys to the Kingdom Tour” where you discover “Disney’s 5 Keys” – Safety, Courtesy, Efficiency, Show, and Diversity & Inclusion, each explained in detail. Tours were given outlining the history, leadership, cast member employment experience, and other little-known facts. Other significant take-aways during this venture were learning sessions on the culture of positivity, employee engagement, leader qualities, and the value of soft skills and training. Marchal came away with several memorable quotations, such as “the value in creating a positive work culture lies in a vision anchored in value and service” and “communicate till they’re tired of hearing it.”

The experience also reiterated that in customer service industries, it is essential to educate your team on the value of client/guest experiences. Positive interactions have lasting impact and when it is intentional, it can influence the goals and objectives set forth by your company. There were many correlations between Disney guest experiences and any customer service business, even in higher education.

Marchal says of the experience,

“What struck me the most was that employee value is foundational to the success in any service industry. Lots of knowledge gained was applicable to the work I do, especially managing forward-facing services, staff, and the accompanying processes and procedures.”