Southwest Airlines Management

Reflection Paper 2

        “Common sense is not so common.” This familiar phrase is applicable to several facets of life and applies very well in the world of management/business practices. Generally, what we learn in books, classes, and through experience seems like common sense on how to manage a team and business properly. However, the plethora of things that need to “come together” and work properly makes management practices much easier to preach about than to actually do. As seen by Southwest Airlines, successfully managing a firm (from top to bottom) requires a great deal of coordination and motivation. Major practices that entail many smaller tasks, such as emotional intelligence and organizational culture, have been mastered by Southwest Airlines and are a superb example as to why implementing successful management practices is much easier said than done.

        It is no secret that in any service industry, it is imperative to have a high level of emotional intelligence at all positions. To ensure that all new hires comply with a companies existing values and priorities is very difficult. On top of that, it is even harder to maintain that sense of dedication. Southwest Airlines has put several programs in place that not only preach their values, but also continually teach their employees and executives about the company’s dedication to customer satisfaction. At the center of all these programs and teachings is the emphasis on emotional intelligence. Southwest Airlines, unlike many firms, tries to gauge a person’s emotional intelligence from the get-go; as opposed to hoping that an employee learns along the way. Attitude is key. Not only does attitude show how a person will approach unpleasant tasks, but it also shows how a person will treat customers in times of difficulty. Southwest makes their travellers their main priority. Above anything, their core values are related to making sure the customer is happy and that their experience is forever memorable. In essence, they want to touch the human spirit and the company makes sure that every person knows that. Many firms do not practice what they preach. Maintaining that dedication to company values (especially in the service industry where emotional intelligence is the main guiding force) is not something that happens by chance; regular improvements and lessons are necessary to keep reiterating those values and this is the key component that a lot of companies/executives fail to realize.

        On the other hand, organizational culture is something that many companies claim to have in place, but they fail to put practices into play that maintains it. Executives tend to overlook “smaller” employees and that usually leads to discouragement in the workplace and lack of motivation to be the best that an employee can be. If someone does not feel “part of the team” or important, human nature takes its toll and motivation disappears. If a company wants to have successful management practices, they must act like a family. Every person needs to feel important, all goals and values need to be clear, and every task needs to be given respect. At Southwest, there is a rare sense of sincerity in their culture. They truly believe that if any part of their team, which includes the customer, is unaware of the organizational culture or unhappy with the role they are in, then the entire process and experience is jeopardized. By giving every single working member in the company a heightened level of importance, their culture is maintained and reflected on the most important member – their customers. Southwest constantly tells people at all levels that they have the power to uphold the company’s values and bring the customer a satisfaction that cannot be found anywhere else. Additionally, every employee can ask questions and share concerns with no fear of backlash or animosity. If an employee has that sense of security in their workplace then they will undoubtedly be exponentially more motivated to conduct themselves in a way that is best for the company. Firms everywhere find it very difficult to use efficient practices that simultaneously allow their employees to grow, find happiness, and maintain organizational culture. Generally, firms tend to overcomplicate this. Since so many things are part of an organization’s culture, the simpler the values, the easier they are to maintain and improve. Southwest has held on to this simplicity for decades and it is the reason that every member of their team finds contentment while being continually motivated.