In the words of Kayla Barber-Perrotta, The Disney Way Customer-Service Champion/Management Analyst:
“Prior to sending our employees through “Disney Way” training, morale was low amongst Royal Oak employees. Many had experienced the cut-backs and increasing workload brought about by the recession, and were frustrated by a lack of time, resources, and general hope. Since the “Disney Way” training, we have seen a dramatic turn in how our employees interact with the public and how we interact with each other.
With a number of different buildings and sectioned –off offices, it was easy to work in silos. Now, we see more interaction and cooperation between employees from different departments. We have five different interdepartmental teams that bring together employees from all levels of the organization to recommend actions on high level issues, and have seen an effort across departments to provide easier access to information. An entire employee intranet was created to better inform employees about events, opportunities, and city happenings. It definitely feels more like we are all playing for the same team than when I started with the city. Employees now choose to spend time together outside of work at various social events, and people are just happier in their daily interactions.
A huge testament to the shift in our culture came with the establishment of our commission’s goals and objectives this year. They have made it a goal for the City of Royal Oak to, “Attract, retain and develop effective and efficient staff.” This is the first staff focused goal adopted by the commission and recognizes the value of an invested staff in executing the vision and services of the city.”
