I had a lovely couple of days in London with my Mum last month. Along with going to see a show and visiting the Memorial Poppies at the Tower of London, both of us had been wanting to go on the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London – The Making of Harry Potter, so we booked our ticket and got very excited on the run up to the tour.
The Studio Tour offers a unique opportunity to explore two soundstages and a backlot filled with original sets, animatronic creatures and breathtaking special effects in a Studio that was home to the filming of the films for more than 10 years.
The experience offers all the great customer service familiarity that makes your trip an enjoyable and memorable one, from being able to ride a broomstick (through green screen technology), just like a cast member, to the exclusive range of gifts, souvenirs and clothing in the gift shop, where you can buy a replica wand of your favourite character.
What struck me, it was obvious there was a vast amount of work that went into making these films the spectacular success that they were. How the terrific imagination of JK Rowling turned in the 4000 strong work force that made the films possible.
This made me think about business and how successful businesses need a solid team to be successful. Although the business is usually the brain child of the owner, without a team around them their success is hindered.
The Harry Potter films didn’t just hire the actors that we all know and love, they also needed Scriptwriters, Producers, Directors, Camera Operators, lighting and sound experts, Special effects designers and engineers, Prop makers and identifiers, make-up artists, costume designers and seamstresses, stuntmen, caterers, set designers and creators … the list could go on forever. Then once it was filmed it would need a whole new set of people to make the finished product and launch it to the world.
Can you imagine if JK Rowling had tried to do all this herself? Seems ridiculous doesn’t it?? But so many business owners try to do everything themselves and this just diminishes the quality of the product and the success of the business. Clever business owners surround themselves with people cleverer than themselves, they see the value in delegation and rise to the top of their sector with the help of these intelligent individuals.
I recognise my weaknesses and have core team members whose strengths compensate for these. I wonder, on your journey to greatness are you hindering your success by not delegating things that could easily be done by someone else?
Have a great month and Happy Christmas.
Tracy
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