Why Is This Man Smiling

[PayParity]

Full article

NINE MONTHS later the whole world and the whole business changed. On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Bethune was conducting a board meeting. "We were going over the 2002 financial plans, which I promptly threw in the S***-can," recalls Bethune. "They were no longer relevant."

The best measure of what Continental accomplished after that day isn't necessarily what it did, but what it didn't do. It didn't follow the lead of every other legacy airline and cut out complimentary meals in coach. It kept serving food and strove to make it better. It didn't extract labor concessions, as did every other legacy carrier. Continental kept its pay scales intact.

"Our reaction was to be ourselves more than we ever were," says Bethune. "Didn't take away the movies, didn't take away the blankets and pillows, didn't take off the magazines. We talked about this a lot, and I said, 'Look, guys, if ever we were consistent and reliable, we have to be now. You have to be steady when the **cking sky is the shakiest. We've got to be clean, safe, and reliable, and let everybody know it. That's all we got. That's our edge in the business.'"

Edited by me: sorry missed that one

 

[wings396]

And to think that he could have been leading this ship over the years instead of CO. As usual the idiots we had at the time in CCY didn't see any value in retaining him. Uncle Ed jumped ship as soon as the losses began, and handed the wheel over to Seth. It's been all downhill ever since. :blink:

 

[X-U]

Unfortunately, things haven't worked out so well for him at Aloha.

 

[PayParity]

Unfortunately, things haven't worked out so well for him at Aloha.

He is chairman of the board there.

Former Continental Airlines CEO Gordon Bethune has been named chairman of the board of Aloha Airgroup Inc., parent company of Aloha Airlines Inc

Bethune is a licensed commercial pilot, type-rated on Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft as well as the DC-3. Bethune also is licensed as an airframe and power plant mechanic. He serves on the boards of directors of Honeywell International Corporation, Sprint Nextel, Prudential Financial and the Willis Group.

 

[luvthe9]

Unfortunately, things haven't worked out so well for him at Aloha.

Give the man some time, he's better than the clowns we inheirted from TEMPE.

 

[orioleman]

"When Bethune arrived at Continental from Boeing in 1994, the company had gone through two bankruptcies in the prior decade and was in danger of going into Chapter 11 again. Employees were so ashamed to be associated with Continental that consultants suggested changing the company's name. Bethune thought not. "We don't need to change our name, we need to change us," he recalls saying.

To Bethune, the only way the traveling public was going to think better of Continental was for it to start delivering better service. And the only way to make that happen was to reward employees for providing it. The idea was basic enough to have escaped the consultants who'd been swarming over the airline. "Your measures have to be the customers' measures, and what do the customers want?" asks Bethune. "They want to get to Atlanta safely, on time, and with their underwear. Well ... why don't we do that? Now, there's a really novel idea."

sound familiar. As a former Speedbird I can attest that this man is the real deal and would probably be the only REAL CEO this
company could ever have to survive.

Having worked for a FULL SERVICE CUSTOMER ORIENTED airline . it's really hard to watch your company just go in to the sewer so
the likes of Doug and Scott and the other execs on for the ride and reap there golden parachutes and run..

MR. Bethune. made a S*it load of money off the PI and US merger and was compensated well to leave. MY point is the MAN didn't have to go and save CO for a paycheck . HE did for the love of running a 1st class airline..

that is something this new generation of CEO's don't get.. D.P has NO and I repeat NO pride in his job or his airline. it shows every day. so why should his employees .....

so for the long post . . IT just hit a nerve.

 

[jetster]

Great post oriole, you are right on. As a former speedbirder I also wish Bethune would have been allowed to stay. We would have been a force to contend with. Employees were appreciated, respected, and rewarded back then. Remember the past and attempt to duplicate the good.

 

[BeenThereDoneThat]

Great post oriole . . .I also wish Bethune would have been allowed to stay. Employees were appreciated, respected, and rewarded back then.

Bethune's book "From Worst to First" is a great read. He was a leader and an able manager. Take care of the employees and they will take care of you. What a concept! DP should have read the book.
From my perspective US Airways is micromanaged to the nth degree. Everything has to be accomplished through a confrence call. What ever happend to, "handle it at the lowest level possible." If managers and supervisors aren't empowered to make decisions, they never will and BK will follow. Poor management is the product of poor leadership.

 

[SS255]

From my perspective US Airways is micromanaged to the nth degree. Everything has to be accomplished through a confrence call. What ever happend to, "handle it at the lowest level possible." If managers and supervisors aren't empowered to make decisions, they never will and BK will follow. Poor management is the product of poor leadership.

"Handle it at the lowest level possible" is not a good solution, either, because usually "the lowest level possible" has an average of six months' experience and is making $8/hr.

The key to running any business successfully is to hire great people under you, and give them the latitude to make decisions without having to go through four layers of approvals, only to have the person at the top of the food chain make a bad decision due to a complete and utter lack of understanding of the issue. At the same time, train them to recognize when a matter should be escalated. I call that "selective delegation."

 

[BeenThereDoneThat]

"Handle it at the lowest level possible" is not a good solution, either, because usually "the lowest level possible" has an average of six months' experience and is making $8/hr.

The key to running any business successfully is to hire great people under you, and give them the latitude to make decisions without having to go through four layers of approvals, only to have the person at the top of the food chain make a bad decision due to a complete and utter lack of understanding of the issue. At the same time, train them to recognize when a matter should be escalated. I call that "selective delegation."

You can hire great people for $8@ hr. We agree, just different words. We were discussing management and the lowest lever is the lead or supervisor, you call it selective delegation. Same, Same!