The Disney Way, Revised Edition, 2nd Edition

Chapter 8Practice, Practice, Practice

The growth and development of the Walt Disney Company is directly related to the growth and development of its human resources—our cast.⁵²

Walt Disney

Actors, musicians, athletes, and others who perform in public must train and practice. Otherwise, they risk embarrassing themselves and incurring the displeasure of spectators. Of great importance, too, is the teacher or coach who tells the musician that he or she is hitting the wrong notes or advises the athlete about batting stance, running form, and so on. Without such helpful criticism and the benefit of the more experienced mentor’s knowledge, a performer’s career is likely to be short-lived.

So it is in business. To perform at their best, a company’s ...