Southwest Airlines believes in giving their employees more information rather than less. Spreading information throughout the company equips front line employees to make better decisions.
The corporate newsletter “Luv Lines” has several sections to it. “The Learning Edge” features learning through stories and metaphors. “How Do We Rate” features the statistics that are important to airlines like the number of bags lost and how the planes are doing with being on time. “Industry News” helps everyone stay up to date on what other airlines are doing, and “Milestones” features accomplishments, of which employees can be proud. The airline has also put out quarterly videos called “As the Plane Turns.”
Face-to-face communication is important for Southwest Airlines. Rather than writing a memo, people are encouraged to talk to each other and just get it done. This type of communication helps Southwest to make decisions faster.
Another way that Southwest has increased the speed of communication is by limiting the layers of management. Too many managers can cause a distortion in the message that someone is trying to send. Like the “telephone game,” the message changes as it moves up the management chain. By keeping the layers of management small, the airline is able to minimize miscommunication because there is less congestion in the communication channels.
All information is compiled from “Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success” by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg.