Walt Disney method

The competitive companies must innovate and on the basis of the innovation process, we find creativity, the ability to see things differently, the ability to devise original relationships, the ability to combine different things by creating something new.

The Walt Disney method, now widely used in neuro linguistic coaching paths, is then a very interesting approach to the generation of innovative ideas.

The Walt Disney method was born in 2005 from the work of the neuro linguistic programming trainer Robert Dilts. This is certainly not a methodology that allows anyone to transform the great visions of the famous designer and film producer into extraordinary results, but it is still a strategy that anyone can use to be creative. Robert Dilts’ idea is simply to formalize a creativity strategy, so that anyone can replicate it with himself.

The Walt Disney method is based on interpreting three consecutive and distinct roles, in three distinct phases, in the production cycle of an idea: the role of the dreamer, that of the creator and that of the critic. Each phase corresponds to a specific characteristic, from the generation of the idea to the implementation of a plan to implement it in order finally to remodel or abandon the idea.

Phase 1: The dreamer
The dreamer phase is the creative phase to excellence. In Order to put it into practice, it is appropriate to immerse yourself in a place that puts you completely at ease, that inspires serenity, to make your creativity explode. At this stage, simply let yourself go. It’s about imagining what would happen if you had access to infinite resources. You should not put a stop to futuristic goals and visions and surprising or extravagant ideas.

Phase 2: The Realist
The realist phase is the phase in which you wake up from sleep and find out how to turn it into reality. The project is divided into tasks, in work packages, in a Gantt which outlines step by step all the actions that must be implemented to transform the product of phase 1 into a concrete result.

Phase 3: The critic
In the critic phase, the reasons why the project may not work are analyzed. The critic examines the idea with the aim of identifying its gaps. Once identified, the two options are considered:

• The first to consider is making all the necessary corrections to make the idea functional. The critic analyzes risks, opportunities and improvements to arrive at a more general assessment of the idea.
• The second, to be taken into consideration when there is no possibility of correction, consists in eliminating the idea.

The Walt Disney method brings with it the advantage of leading to the generation of visionary but realistic ideas as they are validated through three different perspectives. On the other hand, in the case of very complex ideas, phases 2 and 3 can lead to the elimination of the idea in a creative process that becomes intrinsically long and expensive.

The Walt Disney method can be used for the generation of ideas by individuals or by entire organizations, both in macro design and in micro design, therefore, it is possible to use it both for a project in its complexity, and for the processing of a single component.

But be careful not to get trapped in one of the three phases: a team that is exclusively critical or a collaborator who is an incurable dreamer do not take you far…

Bibliography:

• Strategies of Genius, Robert Dilts