Every New Year’s Eve many of us like to make new year’s resolutions. This could involve eating better, exercising more, a return to faith, alignment of priorities in one’s family, work and community, and many other “resolutions” to improve ourselves. Roy E. Disney once said, “It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.” I like to take the start of a new year as an opportunity to reflect on the past year, reassess my core values, and prioritize things for the upcoming year. In my almost twenty-eight years of practicing law, I have learned that I function best – within my family, work, and community – if I sit down and ensure that I align all facets of my life. All levels of a company can benefit from a values reevaluation at least annually. I would like to share an experience with you from the past year that may help you with your values reassessment this year.

If you know me, then you know that I love all things Disney. I had a magical experience this past summer combining my love of Disney with leadership and development of values when I had the privilege of attending the Disney Institute: Disney’s Approach to Leadership Excellence.

Over its more than 100 years of existence, The Walt Disney Company has operated with a simple vision. According to Walt Disney, and his successors, the Disney Company’s vision is simple: Disney creates happiness. Disney implements its vision via what it calls its five keys:

• Safety
• Courtesy
• Show
• Efficiency
• Inclusion

Everything that Disney does is through the lens of one or more of these keys, with safety being the number one priority (meaning, if something is not safe, the show, for example, should be compromised to keep people safe). I learned at the Disney Institute that Disney does not only articulate its values, but it also operationalizes them with specific measurable behaviors. One visible and teachable way Disney does this is in its FLO (Disney’s Fourth Laundry Operation – I know, not a very Disney like name, but it fits). It was during a walk-through of the FLO that I saw how businesses can operationalize their vision and core values. In the FLO, a highly repetitive operation – cleaning and folding linens, basically – I saw how safety truly was the number one priority. They had clear pathways, defined roles, and even an occupational safety specialist on staff.  Tasks were implemented through clear instructions by photos and other means, so that all could easily understand and apply them. I even observed how Disney put the “show” in the FLO, via a graphic timeline showing the history of The Walt Disney Company, emphasizing cleanliness of all areas, and through other day-to-day routines, like FLO-wide lunch breaks and activities where employees socialized and celebrated each other. Although I don’t recall the exact number, the turnover rate in the FLO is less than five percent per year, which was shocking to me having collaborated with many clients with similar highly repetitive industrial operations. The low turnover was a testament to the Disney FLO’s strong implementation of its five keys.

As we all move into 2025, I challenge businesses and individuals alike to define their own vision and core values. I also challenge you, and myself, to work to ensure that we keep our values in alignment with our business’s values. My colleagues and I here at Ice Miller are here to assist you with not only building you a better workplace but to also help you keep your values in alignment.

Please contact Paul C. Sweeney or another member of Ice Miller's Workplace Solutions Group if you have any questions.

This publication is intended for general information purposes only and does not and is not intended to constitute legal advice. The reader should consult with legal counsel to determine how laws or decisions discussed herein apply to the reader's specific circumstances.