How can you create a culture of recognition and appreciation for airline crew members?

There is an old saying in the airline pilot world. "Your reward for a job well done is no punishment". How will management know if something was done well if system is set up only highlight errors?

Simple gestures of thank you. An email to the crew for going the extra mile, a gift certificate for coffee, or points system that allows crew to purchase items at the end of the year. It doesn’t have to be a big financial burden, just simple recognition of a job well done (when going the extra mile).

I think peer recognition matters, and doing it every single week matters, and just getting into a quick huddle and recognising the contribution of everybody and, of course, highlighting that one person who went above and beyond to ensure customer delight! A nice little thank you badge would be great, and after you collect enough thank you badges, you can trade them in for vouchers/ discounts!

Give the right feedback in a positive manner, in order to improve. Accept as a manager you have failed to communicate, and take responsibility for it.

TIME OFF - these days are few and far between - and as a person who was a reserve crew member - you are at the mercy of scheduling quite a bit. If the benefit is free flights - you have to have time to use it!

Setting clear expectations and then assessing and appreciating performers is an absolute must. I feel that a lot of willingness to do well stems from the latent need to be recognized. Set clear, measurable goals at individual, crew and team levels! If achieved consistently, reward and reward big, but most importantly, make them your poster girls/ boys for others. Share their success far and wide through social and internal comms. This, I think, is the most valued recognition.

Cross-functional training is an absolute must, but exposing junior crew members to senior crew leaders' responsibilities is critical. This makes each person aspire to aim higher and prepares them better for it, thus limiting the chances of dissonance. Having a well-defined Learning and development journey, focussed on skills rather than just knowledge, is critical! Giving the bright young leaders the chance ahead of time can set lovely examples for others to follow and build organisational morale.

Listen more! Simple spot NPS and spot CSAT at every juncture can be very useful. Even a simple "how are you feeling today?" based on a selection of smileys can go a long way in making the crew feel like they are being heard. Not just capturing feedback but actioning on it and sharing progress and insights completes the loop.

Going social, involving family, and bonding are all a part of building a sense of family and organisational culture. Communication, too, doesn't have to be instructional. It can be made edgy and funny, in a sense more palatable. The use of comics, doodles and characters goes a long way in building associations. Encourage camaraderie, and friendships because, at the end of the day, people need more than just money to show up every day.

I have always noticed that managers who tend to hold town halls, listen to more and act on feedback are the ones who are often at the helm of highly motivated teams. These teams who are happy with how they are treated tend to excel more. Managers who demonstrate what their teams must do or have done so in the past get more buy-in. People don't expect favours, and they expect to be treated fairly and in a just manner.