Communicate!

Ready — Tokyo Disneyland opened on April 15, 1983. Prior to the opening, a special invitation-only preview event was held for the media to showcase the attractions. All did not go as planned. The Haunted Mansion was closed. The reason? It was cleaned by the park’s diligent cleaning crew . . . a bit too clean, as it turned out.

Set — Disney’s Haunted Mansion is designed to give a spooky experience with cobwebs and dust left as part of the eerie atmosphere. However, due to a breakdown in communication, cobwebs were removed, dust wiped away, and the spooky environment was transformed into a tidy space. The park had to spend an additional three weeks restoring the Haunted Mansion to its original “unclean” state. Everyone thought they understood what clean meant, but the gap in communication was a costly mistake. Three aspects of effective communication come to mind.

• Clarity is Key

  Without clear guidelines and detailed instructions, well-meaning people can disrupt an organization’s goals. In the case of Tokyo Disneyland, the cleaning crew’s intentions were good, but their lack of clarity on the specific needs of the Haunted Mansion created a significant setback.

• Role-Specific Information

  Leaders must ensure that each team member understands the unique requirements of their role. In this case, had the cleaning crew been informed of the Haunted Mansion’s specific needs, they would have known that some areas were meant to stay “dirty” as part of the attraction.

• Feedback Loops

  Encouraging feedback from all levels of the organization can help prevent missteps. If there had been a system for the cleaning crew to double-check their instructions, the mistake might have been avoided.

Grow! — The Tokyo Disneyland cleaning mishap is a reminder that good communication is essential for smooth operations. Leaders must prioritize clear, concise, and consistent communication to ensure that all teams work in harmony toward the organization’s goals.