Why not drop the "other responsibilities as directed" hammer and take a line found in most Southwest Airlines job descriptions: "and whatever you need to do to heighten the widespread operation". Herb Kelleher, CEO of Southwest Airlines was cited in Fortune February 1994 on a pilot's decision to return to a gate to pick up a rider who came late:
Rules are essential, but the bottom line is to do the right thing. You might find a particular airline that is offering a single low price for traveling to and from all of its destinations: Southwest Airlines has previously offered fares as low as $69 anywhere in the southwest and they do fly to Las Vegas from a wide variety of departure cities.
Companies such as Southwest Airlines, Google, and Genentech not only encourage comradery, but they initiate it from the top and stoke the embers to keep it glowing. Southwest Airlines ships out birthday cards to their most valued customers.
In fact, one of the reasons why many industry giants like Southwest Airlines are so productive is because they implement joint ventures. To create consistent earning, Southwest Airlines offsets the unstable fuel prices by buying crude oil derivative contracts to limit their risk to sharp changes in jet fuel costs.
Everyone from political leaders to CEOs to Southwest Airlines flight attendants use self-deprecating humor - humor that makes fun of themselves - to get people laughing at, and consequently with them. "According to Freiberg, Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines encouraged his employees to convey an ambience of fun in the workplace and on each airplane.
A few examples:Southwest Airlines' successful blue ocean growth strategy was not to compete with other airlines for the present market of flyers, but to create a new market of flyers from non-flying auto drivers. But in keeping with their no-layoffs pledge, Dallas-based Southwest Airlines didn"t downsize anyone. For instance, Southwest Airlines has limited their fuel expenses through 2009 in expectation of higher prices. While some partners may say that what works for Southwest Airlines likely wouldn"t work for them, Freiberg thinks most people aspire to that level.
If you think of Herb Kelleher, (the founder of Southwest Airlines), you might think he was a lunatic. Southwest Airlines is well-known for superior media challenges and EVERYONE benefits. Therefore, they hire only those people whose personalities exactly matches a carefully defined profile:* A dedication to customer service* Self-motivated and energetic personality* Team-oriented* Ability to work as well alone or with others* Sense of humor* Positive attitude*
Flexibility to work in a driving, fast-paced surroundings Statistically, it is easier to get into Harvard University than it is to get a job at Southwest Airlines. Southwest Airlines policy of sharing info enabled the company to weather the abrupt increase in fuel costs during the 1990-91 Gulf War.
Southwest Airlines had thought to create a luggage claim delivery time slogan. Southwest Airlines is committed to quality customer service and they don"t even calculate length of call. Southwest Airlines is an anomaly in an industry that has recorded losses throughout its being. Southwest Airlines, the new domestic American low-cost no-frill airline, most of the time does precisely what its competitors do.
Southwest Airlines' Wild Recipe for Business and Personal Success by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, new Southwest Airlines' employees get treated to a video taped rap song led by former CEO Herb Kelleher during their orientation course. This is the story of Southwest Airlines, who chose to move beyond the status quo by providing services and a sense of style that bucked established wisdom.
While fuel prices have soared and security risks have increased and other airlines have gone in and out of bankruptcy, Southwest has remained profitable. Southwest Airlines was created as a under cost, fun alternative to the big established carriers.
Southwest Airlines (famous in the United States for friendly front-line service) puts equal value on back-end support. These are many exceptions to this generalization, however wise companies like Starbucks, FedEx, Southwest Airlines and Marriott spend a lot of time and money relating their service design to their brand, offering their customers with strong visual metaphors and service packaging that conveys the brand positioning.
Google and Southwest Airlines, for example, each have a hiring procedure that goes to great lengths to decide if a new person will suit into the company, but they look for very various things. Southwest Airlines and JetBlue Airways lead the pack, but Mesa, Spirit, Alaska, Horizon, Midwest, and USA 3000 have all listed pilot jobs within the past year or are planning to do so in the coming months.
Yet, this is not original, who better has role modelled this type of thinking than Colleen Barrett, President and Chief Operating Officer of Southwest Airlines, based in Dallas, Texas, better-known as the Queen of Hearts creative, imaginative, lucrative, with a committed, loyal workforce which is perpetually challenged by Colleen to implement more originality all the time.
Think of these details as the "moments of truth" that have made Southwest Airlines so successful. If this isn't convincing enough that Northwest's blame of fuel costs is invalid, consider Southwest Airlines.
