Your people are your greatest strength
People BY JASON CONRAD
People Power
Your people are your greatest strength
Recently , I had the pleasure of working with Dave Ridley , who spent 27 years with Southwest Airlines as a senior executive in a variety of operational , commercial , and staffing roles . These included CMO , SVP of people and leadership development , SVP of business development , and VP of ground ( airport ) operations . Now a senior advisor to CEO Gary Kelly , Ridley is the embodiment of Southwest ’ s mission : dedication to the highest quality customer service , delivered with a sense of warmth , friendliness , individual pride , and company spirit .
Working with him at our annual customer conference and hearing him speak got me thinking about how all of us in the service industry , vendors and franchisees alike , could learn a thing or two from Dave . But as Dave would say , these aren ’ t lessons ; they ’ re just reminders of what we ’ ve already experienced , seen , or heard .
• Dare to be different . Sept . 11 , 2001 hit the airline industry hard . Fortunately for Southwest , the company had been very well managed for its first 30 years and did not have to lay off 20 percent of its staff like every other U . S . airline did . They also didn ’ t ground their fleet . Southwest was back in the skies within days , flying 100 percent of its planes , even when customers had not yet come back . They ran ads to “ Keep America Flying ,” and it worked . Their message ? Nothing can keep our country , or Southwest , from moving ahead . It was a message that moved customers , too .
Then came the economic tsunami of 2007 – 2008 , which felt like another punch in the gut for the airlines . As traffic fell and fuel prices spiked , airlines introduced the highly loathed bag fees and change fees . Dave and his team debated whether or not to follow . Against the advice of Wall Street , they were able to convince their CEO to go the other way , leaving $ 700 million in revenue on the table by not charging bag and change fees . To this day , bags still fly free and flight changes are still free .
The “ reminder ” here : Differentiate yourself and stand up for what you believe is the right thing to do . Being different and doing what ’ s best for your customers — even when it ’ s not the popular choice — is what drives real loyalty . That mentality has led Southwest through 43 consecutive years of profitability and zero involuntary layoffs or furloughs .
• Never forget that your people are your most powerful fuel . After a perfect meal at a restaurant , if someone is rude to you at the counter you can walk away and never want to do business with them again . Yet , even if a restaurant is understaffed or
Companies don ’ t usually fail because they lack strategy or execution ; they fail because they ’ re lousy with their people .
your order is wrong and the staff are caring , thoughtful , and go the extra mile , you ’ ll come back . People remember the way you make them feel , and that feeling starts from the inside out . If your people feel valued , respected , and inspired , that will be reflected in how they treat your customers . Companies don ’ t usually fail because they lack strategy or execution ; they fail because they ’ re lousy with their people .
• Seek people who want to join your cause . To have a happy company , you have to start with happy people . Dave ’ s been asked countless times what kind of training Southwest has that makes its people so friendly , hospitable , and gracious . But there is no training . If you want to have happy employees , hire happy people . You can ’ t force-feed happiness . Southwest looks for “ patriots ”— people who want to join their cause : to connect you to the important moments in your life with friendly , reliable , low-fare air travel . Working there is about more than a paycheck . So ask yourself , What is your company ’ s cause ? What are your core values ? Southwest looks for three things in its team members : Warrior Spirit , Servant ’ s Heart , and Fun-Loving Attitude . How many companies do you know have the word “ fun ” in their core values ? Finding values unique to your business is critical to getting the right people on board the first time around .
• Remember the rule of three . Hiring is the most important job you can have as a leader . Dave suggests following the rule of three to ensure you hire the best-fit people :
1 ) Always interview at least three people for a position . Even when you have your star player , interview two more . You may be surprised at what you find , even if the other two don ’ t change your mind .
2 ) Always have three other people interview your candidate . You just might be wrong !
3 ) Always interview a candidate yourself three different times . Try to make one of these meetings outside the office . Why ? To cite author Dave Barry , “ If someone is nice to you but rude to the waiter , they are not a nice person .”
• Get rid of the bad apples . If you want an environment where people love coming to work , you must get rid of the slackers . Letting the wrong people hang around is unfair to the right people , who must compensate for the inadequate . To make your people a priority , show them you have the courage to build a team that ’ s centered around your values . It ’ s not easy , but it ’ s the right thing to do .
• Don ’ t tolerate “ BS .” Leadership at Southwest is about “ you ,” not “ me .” Dave says the singular reason for Southwest ’ s culture and success is , “ No BS .” Not the kind of BS you ’ re thinking of , though , rather “ No Big Shots .” Big Shots can command people ’ s hands for the short term , but they can ’ t reach their hearts . Without a heart , it ’ s just a machine .
It ’ s not hard to see why Southwest consistently ranks in the top 10 of Fortune ’ s World ’ s Most Admired Companies . Southwest understands that customers and team members have options . Time and again , the airline proves that its people are its greatest strength , its most enduring long-term competitive advantage , its most powerful fuel .
Jason Conrad is vice president of marketing for PeopleMatter . Call him at 877-300-6222 or email to info @ peoplematter . com .
MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE III , 2016 73