We sit and rip on consultants (and I admit that I've traditionally not a fan of them myself), but well-trained consultants do provide an advantage we employees don't have: they help us see the forest for the trees. They get us looking at processes from a different perspective, rather than saying, "Well, it works okay, and this is the way we've always done it!"
I disagree. Ask the employee directly, and he will tell excactly what he needs. It's a managment job to seperate the wheat from the chaff and make descisions that will work based on their knowledge of this particular station.
That "it's not broke, so don't fix it" mentality will be the death of Southwest. Because if we wait until 2010 to realize that we could have done things better and more efficiently, we've already written our death sentence. It will be too late - the fuel hedges will have run out, and those other airlines will be hot on our tail.
Alot of things are "Broke". On who's terms is the company listening? It's the proactive nature that has endeared this company to me as different than brand "X". With that being said, changes are being made and ideas are being implemented by people who don't have to execute them. It's a "deal with it" attitude that will be the beginning of the end. Here's the tip that will make every thing work:
Make each person INDIVIDUALLY responsible for his screw ups document it and counsel or axe accordingly.
And remember: those decisions that are being made are NOT being made by the consultants. They're being made by your own Southwest co-workers who know the operation inside and out.
Name one city or region that works the same?
Each station is a like a different child, it has it's own invidual needs and wants. Each needs to be addressed in their own unique way. Cookie cutter won't work.
Ramper, I can't say this enough - seek to understand what's going on, rather than just listening to the gossip. Get involved, ask questions, make suggestions. And try to look at this from a more global perspective and understand what's at risk. Do you want to have a job here? Do you want to continue to get pay increases, have great health insurance, and all the other great things we enjoy that employees from other airlines have had taken away? Then we HAVE to get better.
Ahh. Understand the Big Picure. I see.
Don't confuse Gossip with the valid observations of others. Who's to say change is good for change's sake.
Aviation history is littered with what were once great airlines. Braniff, TWA, United - everyone thought they were invincible. Now we know better. In a matter of a few years, they failed miserably. The question is, are we going to avoid becoming one of them?
I have been laid off/Furloughed more that a few times. I have seen management disconnect before. So I can recognize the signs. I am starting to see some here, that worries me a great deal.
Complacency could be the end of us. Personally, I'm not in the mood to go the way of the dinosaurs.
I am very passionate about the survial of this company and will do what ever it takes to make it so. What I see though is troubling.
I quess there is one thing we can agree on only time will tell. If I am wrong I will be the first to admit it.
Lets just say I hope I am wrong.
