Southwest Airlines KILLS 53 Year Old Signature Open Seating Policy
David A. Caren
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Lesson On Adaptability From Southwest Airlines
If you had a SIGNATURE thing that DRAMATICALLY set you apart in your industry for 53 Years, would YOU change it?
We like to stand out. We like to be different. We like to be unique in some way. BUT when that gets in the way of the overall mission, it might be time to take a new position.
MY QUESTION: How Do You Handle Change?
Things change. It's the single constant of the Universe. Even Einstein knows that. (Ok, maybe that's PURE speculation on my part.)
Change Triggers Fear
We all experience change in our lives. How we DEAL with change is up to us. The outside world, that we have no control over. The INSIDE world, is where the magic happens.
Out in the wild, when change happens we have to make sure we're safe. So we have to reassess every possible threat or danger, get a lay of the land, and learn to navigate from one safe position to another without getting eaten by another wild animal.
If you find yourself HOLDING so tightly to established patterns, habits, routines, etc and every little change cripples you... look INSIDE to see why. Change can push our buttons and trigger us emotionally. Change can trigger fear, insecurity, self doubt, and a whole range of other experiences.
Work On The Fears. Release The Triggers.
If you work on the underlying CAUSE of the trigger, you can reclaim the mental and emotional resources you're wasting on trying to hold on from fear, and learn to be more adaptable, faster, and move forward more efficiently.
Profits Over Passion?
On the surface, one might take this move as one to maximize profits with the byproduct often being minimizing the customer.
My take, the MISSION seems to continue at the forefront. Making profit is what a business does.
It's also how a business is able to sustain and grow into it's mission more fully.
One thing that stands out to me is the Company Promise: "Southwest will provide a stable work environment with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth. Employees will be provided the same concern, respect, and caring attitude within the organization that they are expected to share externally with every Southwest Customer."
Which to me says, treat your employees well, and provide a mission they can stand behind, and your work force will lift everything up.
I believe businesses should see the golden asset of their employees, and treat them well, give them a mission they align with, and that will pay forward to the interactions with the customers.
Mission Over Position
Southwest Airlines ' original mission statement, when it began flying in 1971, was to "democratize the sky through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel".
The airline's current mission statement is "to connect people to what is important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel".
Southwest's vision statement is "to be the world's most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline".
So, the POSITION may have changed, because they see a more EFFICIENT way to maximize their assets and resources.
The MISSION is still front and center.
Wrap Up
So, when change happens, and it will. Take a look at how quickly and efficiently you can assess and realign to your mission. If you find yourself more reactive than responsive, work on that. If you find yourself drained or frozen in your tracks, work on that. Whatever is underneath that holds the key to being more efficient and adaptable to change next time.
Start where you're at, with what you've got to do what you can. You can always get better!
Here's to adaptability!
~ David
I'd love to know your take! Let me know in the comments.
Further Reading
From Southwest Airlines:
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From The New York Times:
From LinkedIn:
From USA Today:
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Working with industrial property owners across the US to reduce property tax exposure by providing value reduction strategies, negotiations, litigation support, incentives, and compliance.
8 个月As a long-time SWA customer, the way I see it Herb Kelleher is rolling over in his grave. SWA has Business Select if you want an edge. The next thing coming is charging for bags and everything else like the others do. SWA serves a useful purpose, getting me from one destination to another..
Exporting Indian Products I Sports Equipments I Inflight Accessories I Apparels & Textiles i Spices & Groceries I Agri Products I Leather Products I Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) I Pharma I Medical Equipments
8 个月This move by Southwest Airlines is a fascinating case study in balancing tradition with innovation. It underscores the importance of staying attuned to evolving customer preferences and market dynamics. Businesses that proactively pivot can often uncover new opportunities for growth and customer satisfaction. How are other industries rethinking long-standing practices to stay competitive? #StrategicPivot #CustomerCentricity #BusinessEvolution
Wellness Advocate, Entrepreneur & Business Consultant & Adaptive Intelligence, Independent Associate PPLSI
8 个月As a former Union President, Union Workers need to demand higher wages and a better vacation schedule and higher 401k 50 cent match. As a 53 year customer of Southwest I would not mind if the whole Union Strike to get a living wage package. Have you all negotiated a contract yet?
Writer, editor and artist
8 个月Adaptability on every level of life is so important to living well. My guess is the changing business and environment in aviation is behind this decision. So many things have changed since 1971! I think there is far too much reverence for the “old way” of doing things. One can learn from the past and even use the data to generate fresh ideas, but getting stuck in the routine or nostalgia usually does not bring about the best results. The human body, grows, changes and ages, and changes its cellular makeup roughly every 7 years. This is normal and essentially how the entire universe operates. What keeps us stuck sometimes? Why? I think you answered that here.