I once took a job that required that I move to California, along with my husband and kids.

There were a lot of unknowns and a lot of perspectives. It was hard to make everyone happy.

I had dreams of career and family adventure.  My husband was all in but made sure we found a house built on rock (in case of earthquakes). My kids did not want to leave friends but hoped to see seals and whales. 

In my work with leadership teams driving a new strategy, I’ve found there are a lot of unknowns too. And a lot of perspectives.

It’s hard to make everyone happy. 

And when the stakes are high, it’s easy for people to get locked into their different points of view. 

I wish I’d known Walt Disney had figured this out. 

Walt Disney was famous for looking at an idea for a film from different angles. 

• He would start with his dream, imagining the story with all its possibilities in living color.
• Then he would dive into the practicalities of how to produce the film. 
• Then he would put himself in the front row seat,  and think through how the audience might critique the whole idea. 

The result? “The Wonderful World of Disney”. 

Walt’s approach inspired a methodology that can accelerate understanding for people with different perspectives.

The “Disney method” has been adopted to improve team collaboration. 

It gives elbow room for dreamers, realists, and critics alike. 

Here’s how it works: 

Your WHOLE team “puts on” each role like a character, and then discusses your strategy together “wearing” the perspective of: 

• The dreamer who looks at “Why?” What’s the problem that needs to be solved, and what are all the possibilities? Together, you imagine the full potential for creating impact.
• The realist who dives into the practical implications. The group together discusses what it will take to make the new strategy work, and captures the key assumptions you are making.
• The critic steps back and identifies the “critical success factors.” You together evaluate the risk of missed opportunities as much as the risk of loss. 

All points of view are considered.

People who normally lean toward one perspective or another get a good workout by stretching outside their comfort zones and seeing things from a new angle.

Fears or worries or objections that might otherwise have lingered in people’s minds get openly discussed.

Your team can move forward and co-create possibilities.

Next time you’re tempted to silence the dreamer, the realist, or the critic on your team, consider what you might be missing if their voices aren’t heard.

Who knows what “wonderful world” you may be able to create together?