The Answer!
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 1998
Posts: 1,182
Likes: 51
From: ...second left, past the lights.
The Answer!
Yes trendsetters, the Answer IS HERE!
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.
Read his books, you'll be the wiser for it!
Happy landings
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.
Read his books, you'll be the wiser for it!
Happy landings
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 1,673
Likes: 2
From: Europe
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.
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.
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 4,401
Likes: 141
From: NSW
Great ontime happy airlines except:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/.../southwest-airlines.../2886285002/
Southwest Airlines declares operations 'emergency,' orders ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/.../southwest-airlines.../2886285002/
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,259
Likes: 1,169
From: Kichin
Great ontime happy airlines except:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/.../southwest-airlines.../2886285002/
Southwest Airlines declares operations 'emergency,' orders ...
https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/.../southwest-airlines.../2886285002/
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 499
Likes: 208
From: TIBA
Anyone still got a copy? The ancient text appears to have been erased from electronic memory......
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 907
Likes: 0
From: australia
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 !
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 1998
Posts: 1,182
Likes: 51
From: ...second left, past the lights.
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 569
Likes: 383
From: Australia
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.
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.
Joined: Sep 2012
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 678
Likes: 71
From: Adelaide
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
”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
