dispatches from the new world of work

Meanwhile, Across the Road ...

At Southwest Airlines' annual meeting in its hometown of Dallas a couple of weeks ago, founder Herb Kelleher retired after 37 years. The day of the meeting, a full-page ad appeared in USA Today thanking Herb for his devotion—paid for by the pilots union.

Across town, the same day, another Dallas-based airline, American, had its annual meeting. It was picketed by a clutch of its pilots union members.

Asked repeatedly about his success secrets at SWA, Kelleher has always had the same and sole reply: "You have to treat your employees like customers."

As many point out, it's a little more complicated than that. I'd hardly disagree. On the other hand, I know Mr K reasonably well, and I am convinced that he is dead serious, and that the spirit encompassed by his one-line answer is, indeed, the airline's most prominent point of differentiation. I remain to this day repeatedly surprised by the regularity with which my typically businessclass-flying friends praise Southwest, starting always with employee attitude.

Three, or 37, hearty cheers for Herb Kelleher—and for the pilots union as well.

(I am directing you to another Special Presentation previously posted: "Putting The Customer Second." You may recall that we had a hot and heavy discussion when I took this topic on.)

Tom Peters posted this on 06/09/08.

Comments

"You have to treat your employees like customers."

I believe it is indeed that simple. Internal customers have needs,requirements and expectations. Lord knows that these pages often preach the importance of building customers relationships yet many consider the "external consumer" the only customer they have. One of the best books I have read regarding the "secrets" of Southwest is "The Southwest Airlines Way, Using the Power of Relationships to Achieve High Performance". by Jody Hoffer Gittell. Every strategic challenge or competitive advantage SWA faces or enjoys is overcome or gained through relationships...shared goals, shared knowledge, mutual respect. People. Leadership, Trust. Credibility. Their competitors can duplicate low fares, point to point routing, one equipment type and many have tried. All of failed however because you can't "copy culture"...you earn that over time...It's relatively easy, you just have to be credible and consistent.

Go to the Blog Roll on the TP site and check out the "Nuts About Southwest" blog. You will get a sense of how the "customers" of both Herb and Colleen Barrett feel about their leadership. You will also get a feel for the unique culture this company has developed and maintained over the years.

Posted by Dave Wheeler at June 9, 2008 9:43 PM

I don't get it.

We have people at the top who mouth these aphorisms, but they certainly don't treat the "individual contributor" with that sort of attitude--any of them.

I've recently had the HR guy--supposedly a "big deal"--completely fail to make two appointments, and got snotty when I felt "sorry for the inconvenience" (literally that string) was not an apology.

I worked for a (supposedly) up and comming company here in The Valley, and in the time I worked there (jan 06 to Aug 07) they went from being a moderately pleasant place to work, to being a slave ship--at least my department. And this was supposed to be one of the "enlightened" places.

It's probably still a great place to work if you're an engineer or upper manglement, but if you're the person who actually does the work, well the whippings will continue...

From my view ya'll just blowin smoke with this.

American companies suck at customer service, with notable exceptions--companies like Garmin and...Uh...

Regards,
Petro.

Posted by Petro at June 10, 2008 11:54 AM

Dave you are so right my friend – it’s all about ‘loving’ your employees and SHOWING how you love them by your actions not your words.

Petro is also therefore spot on with his profound example of how managers and organisations lose credibility in a split second when their actions don’t match the words. Petro - I have seen much of that sort of crap - as I am sure Dave has from managers and leaders who just don’t ‘get it’ about front line employees and credibility.

Words are only important to front line employees when we mean them and show HOW we mean them.

As Dave says – it really is that simple.

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 10, 2008 5:39 PM

I think that it is pertinent to point out that the concepts of "Internal Customers" and putting employees first so they will put customers first were actually developed in a training programme and book for service organizations back in the early 1980s by Claus Moller (my father).

Coincidentally, the first several clients who implemented the "Putting People First" program across their entire organizations were airlines: first SAS and then British Airways and both went on to win the coveted "Airline of the Year" award. At the time, both of them had innovative leaders at the helm: Jan Carlzon and Colin Marshall respectively. Colin Marshall personally managed to attend far more than half of all of the programmes run for all of the employees to show that he was very serious about it and not just paying lip service.

If management don't lead the way and just sit in their glass towers far away from their customers, how can anybody in the company believe that they will ensure the well-being of staff and the focus on both internal and external customers?

Posted by Casper Moller at June 15, 2008 2:13 PM

'If management don't lead the way and just sit in their glass towers far away from their customers, how can anybody in the company believe that they will ensure the well-being of staff and the focus on both internal and external customers?'

That is just brilliant Casper - you capture my thoughts perfectly.

In my experience the most INNEFFECTIVE leaders in healthcare management are those who sit in their office and don’t see the point of meeting patients or front line workers. (Actually to be more accurate they would not recognise a patient or a front liner if one came into their office and slapped their face)

Instead they spend their time writing reports that no one else reads and only academics can even begin to understand.

Thanks for an inspiring comment.

Posted by Trevor Gay at June 17, 2008 8:02 AM

Casper-thank you for some excellent examples of true leadership. I had read a great deal of Jan Carlzon but had forgotten about Colin Marshall and British Airways. And thanks to your father as well...if there is one thing that I have learned is that when you credibly take care of the people who take care of the "external" customers...great things can happen!

Posted by Dave Wheeler at June 17, 2008 11:09 PM