What Salesforce Admins Have in Common with Disney World & SeaWorld

Wizard at Disney’s Magic Kingdom

Last week, I was in Orlando, Florida touring Walt Disney World and SeaWorld parks with my kinds. The column for last week list some examples of how Salesforce Automation Wizardry can go wrong.I re-building the park using a brain-version of Schema Builder as I walked around the parks, I also couldn’t help but create metaphors of being a Salesforce Admin with Disney and SeaWorld.

Absurd you say! Perhaps it was the insanity brought forth from walking/carrying two sick two year old children in heat and humidity, or perhaps this list of metaphors is pure genius.

The Whole is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

Think about Disney’s Magic Kingdom, SeaWorld, or any large amusement park. There are multiple different types of rides, shops, restaurants and food carts. There may be special shows or parades. Each item individually can be fun, but it’s all of the pieces put together that give us the full experience.

The same thing can be said for Salesforce Admins. We’re often the trainers, business analysts, consultant, data analyst, and advocates. We may even be a community manager for our chatter users. Each piece is important, but it’s how we combine them all to deliver our the full experience to our users that matters most.

Sometimes We Have To Wait

Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Seaworld are notorious for their long lines at rides. I heard countless jokes about the 50 minute line being the most popular ride (okay I was telling the jokes).  Sometimes as Admins, we have to wait too. We may have to wait for that new feature that’s in pilot or to be able to start on some exciting project. Sometimes, we also have ask people to wait in order due to company priority. Waiting is never fun, but it’s something we often have to do.

Not Every Project Can be a Splash Mountain

This is the first time I went to the park with my own children. Previous visits I attended as a teenager or an adult. My list of priorities were rides like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, and the Haunted Mansion. Bringing a couple of two year olds meant my priorities were completely different. I never thought I would wait in line – excitedly – for the TeaCups or the Little Mermaid.

Not every project we’re going to work on is going to have that big fun flair of Splash Mountain. Many times, we’re spinning on small projects like the Teacups. That’s a good thing. These small projects can also be fun, but they can also help us appreciate the rollercoaster when we’re on it.

It pays to look beneath the show

My kids love fish. I have no idea why. I knew they would have a blast at SeaWorld. When we went to see the dolphins I was very disappointed that the exhibit was so crowded. The only way my kids could see were from a distance or if I help them up. It was nearly impossible to let me kids see the dolphins swimming and jumping out of the water for long periods of time. As I was walking away, we notice an area to let us view underneath the exhibit. This was fantastic! We were able to park the stroller for a good 15 minutes as the kids pointed and squealed with delight as the dolphins swam inches from them.

It pays to look beneath. As an Admin, this may mean grabbing an unmanaged package and explorer how it’s setup including the code! It includes going to user groups meetings and attending webinars to learn more about how the platform itself works. Sometimes, learning how the magic works let’s us reach out and almost touch the power of the platform.

I’ve been told I need no excuse to share this. So without additional comment, here’s your Wizard riding an Orca.

Wizard at SeaWorld