Category Archives: Creativity

Internal Communications at Southwest Airlines Keeps Everyone on the Same Page

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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.

Communication Keeps Southwest Airlines Flying High

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Southwest Airlines has built a culture based on communication. Chairman Herb Kelleher insists on absolutely honest communication with employees. When Southwest started in Texas, they faced impediments to starting up that were instigated by the competition, but they succeeded in getting the proper authorizations to run flights in Texas.

In order to keep prices low, the airline had to turn its planes around in ten minutes. The industry said it was impossible. Because Southwest employees did not know it couldn’t be done, they were able to turn planes around quicker than any other airline.

The standard turn around for Southwest is now 15 minutes because airports have become more congested. The effort to get a plane turned around in that time requires open communication and teamwork from all employees on the plane – even the pilots help unload the baggage. Southwest has cultivated a casual atmosphere that has allowed employees the opportunity to talk to their managers and those higher up in the company. It is this casual atmosphere, as demonstrated by their uniforms and the fact that everyone uses first names, combined with the empowerment of employees that allows the company to make decisions quickly.

Kelleher has a reputation for thinking and talking straight. His honesty and actions have allowed employees and unions to negotiate in good faith with one another. When the pilots agreed to have their pay frozen, Kelleher froze his own pay. It is actions like these that help employees know that the company is a team. It isn’t employees versus management. It is everyone working together to create a better, more profitable company.

All information is compiled from “Nuts! Southwest Airlines’ Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success” by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg.