The Answer!

[Chocks Away]

Yes trendsetters, the Answer IS HERE! (https://worldairlinenews.com/2019/02/13/southwest-airlines-employees-earn-544-million-in-2018-profit-sharing/)
Profit share and taking some tips from the only Airline to have not made a Loss, except for it's initial 2 years!
I'll emphasise that again - Southwest have made profits every year since 1973!
Do you think there is something in that, which Australia's excuses for "management" can learn from, pick up and run with? I hope so.

Vale Herb Kelleher who recently passed away. (http://fortune.com/2019/01/04/southwest-founder-herb-kelleher-dies/)

Read his books, you'll be the wiser for it!

Happy landings:ok:

[mattyj]

Ummm 🤔 that’s the model they used to originally set up virgin blue

[Rated De]

Ummm �� that’s the model they used to originally set up virgin blue




Many airlines have borrowed elements of the Southwest model.
That they are unable to replicate it in its entirety is due one fundamental fact: Sincerity cannot be faked.
The late Mr Kelleher was the real deal.
The modern Corporate suite may attempt to replicate the model with varying degrees of success, but the corporate constructs rely on information asymmetry and thus power asymmetry. It is after all a hierarchy that can easily limit attempts to have a flatter structure, where leadership isn't some word the CEO mouths, whilst accepting yet another advertisers award, but rather everybody is empowered in their field to use. . 'Managers must manage" This is completely at odds with the foundations at Southwest. Mutual respect was and remains evident in everything they do. That is not to say there were not and will not be disagreements.

The reason why Southwest runs higher labour unit cost than Ryanair (higher cost labour) yet generates consistently better productivity isn't due to some clever HR/IR strategy of playing work groups off against each other, punitive work cultures, blame assigning and the like. Rather the company recognises that each play their part, each need the other and no party has all the knowledge. Imagine an inadequate CEO of an Australian airline saying that?

That companies have cherry picked the BS bingo phrases with 'just cultures,' engagement survey(s) and Hawaiian shirt Fridays, has not generated improved anything is because staff know better.Whilst watching the left hand, hearing the weasel words, management continue with the right hand building more eloquent IR strategies and undermining security to lower labour unit cost. The sincerity of the mission statement isn't the experience of the staff. They know better.
Aviation is a team sport, a dynamic team game. Try getting an inadequate little CEO to realise that his car accident on the way to work causes no delay and thus no consequence to an airline's operations and revenue, whilst the Captain of the outbound flight's fender bender brings the whole thing to a grinding halt is a hard thing to do.

[TBM-Legend]

Great ontime happy airlines except:

​​​​​​Southwest Airlines declares operations 'emergency,' orders ... (https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2019/02/15/southwest-airlines-aircraft-grounded-operations-emergency-mechanics-aircraft/2886285002/)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/.../southwest-airlines.../2886285002/ (https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2019/02/15/southwest-airlines-aircraft-grounded-operations-emergency-mechanics-aircraft/2886285002/)

[bafanguy]

Has there ever been an airline that didn't have labor discord at some point in its history ? I can't think of one. :confused:

[gtseraf]

Rated DE, very true! well said

[gordonfvckingramsay]

Great ontime happy airlines except:

​​​​​​Southwest Airlines declares operations 'emergency,' orders ... (https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2019/02/15/southwest-airlines-aircraft-grounded-operations-emergency-mechanics-aircraft/2886285002/)
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/.../southwest-airlines.../2886285002/ (https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/2019/02/15/southwest-airlines-aircraft-grounded-operations-emergency-mechanics-aircraft/2886285002/)

Is this not a case of Herb is gone and the new CEO is a chip off the old turd as far as CEO's go? Slick new IR tactics etc....

[CaptCloudbuster]

The sincerity of the mission statement isn't the experience of the staff.

Why is it every time I read that the QF SH negotiations are “progressing” at a glacial pace or that the Pilots representatives AIPA have had their concerns completely dismissed by both the Regulator and the Company regarding FRMS I am drawn to the promises made of a new Compact between the Company and Pilots. A harmonious new dawn, etched then signed by the Apostles forever in Sacred Parchment, preached in Next Step and memorialised via a Cricket Test :rolleyes:

Anyone still got a copy? The ancient text appears to have been erased from electronic memory......

[blow.n.gasket]

Anyone still got a copy? The ancient text appears to have been erased from electronic memory......







I wouldn’t bother Capt Cloud.
From memory , all the parchment depicted was a rather crude kindergarten inspired crayon map rendition of Gillian’s Island with some lame “mission statement “ attached.
Quite inciteful really , I suppose , when one looks back on Alan’s legacy to date !

[Chocks Away]

Delta's 1.3 BILLION Profit Share... (https://worldairlinenews.com/2019/02/17/delta-pays-its-employees-1-3-billion-in-profit-sharing/)

[AerialPerspective]

Many airlines have borrowed elements of the Southwest model.
That they are unable to replicate it in its entirety is due one fundamental fact: Sincerity cannot be faked.
The late Mr Kelleher was the real deal.
The modern Corporate suite may attempt to replicate the model with varying degrees of success, but the corporate constructs rely on information asymmetry and thus power asymmetry. It is after all a hierarchy that can easily limit attempts to have a flatter structure, where leadership isn't some word the CEO mouths, whilst accepting yet another advertisers award, but rather everybody is empowered in their field to use. . 'Managers must manage" This is completely at odds with the foundations at Southwest. Mutual respect was and remains evident in everything they do. That is not to say there were not and will not be disagreements.

The reason why Southwest runs higher labour unit cost than Ryanair (higher cost labour) yet generates consistently better productivity isn't due to some clever HR/IR strategy of playing work groups off against each other, punitive work cultures, blame assigning and the like. Rather the company recognises that each play their part, each need the other and no party has all the knowledge. Imagine an inadequate CEO of an Australian airline saying that?

That companies have cherry picked the BS bingo phrases with 'just cultures,' engagement survey(s) and Hawaiian shirt Fridays, has not generated improved anything is because staff know better.Whilst watching the left hand, hearing the weasel words, management continue with the right hand building more eloquent IR strategies and undermining security to lower labour unit cost. The sincerity of the mission statement isn't the experience of the staff. They know better.
Aviation is a team sport, a dynamic team game. Try getting an inadequate little CEO to realise that his car accident on the way to work causes no delay and thus no consequence to an airline's operations and revenue, whilst the Captain of the outbound flight's fender bender brings the whole thing to a grinding halt is a hard thing to do.

Have a read of what Don Watson has to say about 'Mission Statements'... can't remember exactly but I think his summation is something along the lines of 'piffle'. In an interview with Fran Kelly some years ago he rattled off a list of the most contributory companies or organisations in history, as in positive contributors to society... NONE of them, to use Watson' words, "bothered with that rubbish"... YET, look at the most egregiously greedy, incompetent and/or rapacious amoral examples of companies such as those that pollute the world, make millions off war and lie and obfuscate about scandals and yep, every damn one has a mission statement.

[Snakecharma]

Aerial, if a certain company, or any other for that matter needs a “mission statement” (and I agree with your point by the way) it should be as simple as this:

”we will look after our staff, and the rest will follow as a consequence”

And all managers should be encouraged to read it out loud to themselves every day :)