Walt Disney spent the last decade of his life “plussing” the experience people would have at Disneyland.
“Plussing” was a term that Walt coined in the 1940s that built on the idea of what it meant to “plus” something. If you were to “plus” something then you would add more value to it. “Plussing” would come to mean giving your customer more than they paid for, more than they expected, and more than you had to give them.
This idea and concept was a very much a part of Walt’s philosophy as Disneyland was created and opened. He would continually tell his cast members the following :
“The customer is king”
“Every cast member is responsible for the impression we make”
“Take five minutes a day to make a magical memory for one of our guests”
Walt would walk around Disneyland with a roll of five dollar bills in his pocket to tip any cast member who worked extra-hard to “plus” the experience for a guest.
“Disneyland will never be finished,” Walt said. “It’s something that I can keep developing, keep plussing, and adding to. It will be a living, breathing thing that will always keep changing. Not only can I add new things, but even the trees will keep growing. Disneyland will get more beautiful every year.”
Walt Disney understood what it meant to “plus” something. It was the “Plus Factor” that set Walt apart from so many others. It was once said, “If you understood the plus factor you had a glimpse into Walt’s heart.”
I wonder sometimes how well I do at “plussing” the life and experience of others? Do I make the lives of others better? Do I take the time to look for ways to help others create memories and moments that they will remember forever? And if not…why not?
Our lives should constantly be lived looking for ways to add value, to improve, and make better the lives of others. We all need to learn to embrace the plus factor.
Whose life will you make just a little bit better today?