This is the third of a series of future posts about our new Southwest One Report ™—a single report on our triple bottomline of Performance, People, and Planet adhering to Global Reporting Initiative standards. I’ve been at Southwest Airlines to celebrate many “firsts” such as when we introduced DING! and when the Wright Amendment was finally reformed after 27 years. I can now add the first Southwest One Report to the list. It offers our Stakeholders a snapshot of our financial and nonfinancial performance and gives them an opportunity to learn more about three of the most important P’s at Southwest Airlines: Performance, People, and Planet. My favorite P is the People and all the opportunities for growth and development the University for People offers. Our People Department works hard to ensure we hire Employees who embody our core values, and we get the privilege of focusing on their personal and professional growth. Our goal is simple: we want all Employees to reach their fullest potential. At Southwest, we don’t have a career ladder; we have a career lattice. Each of us has the opportunity to move, grow, and stretch, and the University can help support Employees as they navigate their own career path. If you could take a stroll through the hallways of the University for People, you probably would find a group of new Employees huddled together hearing a story about SWA’s history from a LUV Guide, or you may see a Leadership roundtable session where Senior Leaders spend a full day talking about the state of the Company, current challenges, and future opportunities with Leaders in our Managers In Training program. You also may hear clapping from a training room after a round of speeches during a PowerSpeak workshop. The University for People is buzzing with excitement because we don’t just say we develop People, we do it. You never know who you will see roaming the halls of the University because all Employees are invited to take advantage of the unique learning opportunities our Company offers. I have the honor each day to work with an incredibly talented Team who makes Developing People their priority. We have a fantastic Team of Facilitators, Coordinators, and Class Designers, who promise to make it a memorable "flight" for our Employees! To learn more about the One Report and Southwest Airlines, click here.
... View more
02-17-2010
04:15 PM
230 Loves
I was visiting a class in our University for People recently and overheard a conversation by two Leaders who were in town for a workshop. One Leader stated “Being a Manager is a job description, becoming a Leader is a choice.” Wow, he nailed it. We were proud to learn today that Southwest placed #2 on Business Week’s list of 2009 Best Companies for Leadership. This is a great honor and I couldn’t be more proud of our Company. In 2009, a time when many companies were eliminating jobs, reducing training and development activities, we were steadfast in our commitment to grow our Employees. In addition to adding workshops and classes to our comprehensive University curriculum, we expanded our Talent Development efforts to embed “Talent Coaches” to support a rhythm of goal setting and performance feedback to grow our Leaders. Our Employment Team works hard to find the best talent and it is our responsibility to grow, nurture, and develop our Leaders to be the Best they can be. We know we have the BEST Leaders, now everyone else knows too.
... View more
Today was a great day ! Bonnie Endicott, who manages our MIT (Managers-in-Training) program, and I were debriefing the first week of 2009 MIT that wrapped up last week. We hosted 56 Leaders at Headquarters for a high-impact and intense, Leadership Development experience. The week was fantastic and the Leaders in both the Level I and II programs are top-notch! Our goal is to get this group of high-potential Leaders ready--ready for the challenges that lie ahead. The skills needed for a Leader to be successful today look so much different than they did even 10 years ago. And it is our job--our privilege--to help our Leaders develop the skills that will help them make a difference every day and ensure our Company continues to be profitable. What a tremendous responsibility and honor! We often joke that we have the best jobs in the Company ( OK, it's really not a joke). So, I was really not surprised to learn that we placed #7 of the top 20 in Chief Executive magazine's list of "Best Companies for Leaders" 2008. I spend time speaking to other companies who want to know the "secret" of our success. It's really quite simple: we believe in our Employees, we provide every opportunity possible to promote learning and development, and we genuinely want our Employees to succeed. Employees are the strength, heart, and spirit of our success . As Leaders, we are responsible for supporting and nurturing them as they develop, grow, and succeed! Congratulations to our Senior Leadership Team on this great honor, and thank you! You exemplify the Southwest Way and we are proud to follow the example you set.
... View more
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been at Southwest for ten years. Time flies. I moved to Dallas from the San Francisco Bay Area “temporarily” to gain some experience in Leadership Development. Since that time, I married my college sweetheart, bought two homes, and have three amazing children. Jeff Lamb, my Leader, knows this story. He knows it very well because he knows me. A common phrase we use to describe an effective Leader is “My Leader gets me.” Jeff doesn’t just know me because he should–he genuinely cares about my life. I work for a Leader who is passionate about developing People and leading with a Servant’s Heart. How lucky am I? We have five expectations of every Leader at Southwest: Live the Southwest Way (Warrior Spirit, Servant’s Heart, Fun-LUVing Attitude), Develop People, Build Great Teams, Think Strategically, and Get Excellent Results. We hire and promote based on these expectations. In our University for People, our curriculum is designed to provide learning for Leaders around each expectation. Our Senior Leaders participate in the development of our less experienced Leaders by visiting classes and facilitating lessons. Jeff continues to be one of our most requested speakers because of his experience and the relationships he builds with the Participants. In a nutshell, people leave class saying “Jeff gets me.” They’re right. And, many of you who have communicated with Jeff through this blog know that too. Here’s a short video of Jeff in action:
... View more