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How do you foster a solid management-pilot relationship in today's industry?
With the current state of the passenger airline industry, it seems as though everyone is in need of a large change, effective immediatly, on all fronts of the business. Across the entire industry, workers, passengers, and management are all to some degree. Airlines are a front-line industry, and I believe everyone is losing touch of this concept. I haven't flown Jetblue nor Southwest in a while, but based on things I've read here, in the media, and from other passenger accounts, things are losing their zest and passion they once held so dearly to all.
One of the many keys to running any successful business venture, especially a front-line (what should be) customer service based industry such as the airlines, is a solid teamwork. Labor and management are rapidly losing, or have already lost this connection. From a pilots standpoint, if one had a clean slate in re-energizing this goal, this ideal, this necessity to the industry, how and what would you do? What are the keys to a good relationship between labor and management? Sure, good pay, quality benefits, and communication are all very general and help, but what is the missing piece that no one is hitting solidly? I've posted a variation of this thread all around the web, including flight attendent, airliners.net, union, individual airline, and travel forums. I look forward to everyone's responses. I'm writing a report for a resume to receive admission into MIT's Aerospace & Airline Management's studys program next spring, so any answer, suggestion, or comment is greatly appreciated. We all need to work together to make this industry great again, as we are rapidly losing ground all across the world. Let's be a team, heck, hopefully I'll start my own airline someday and we can put some of these great ideas to work.
I'm posting this on both the regional and major threads to get everyone's opinion, so please do not delete either.
If management is enlightened, they you will have a successful operation because in a service industry, the front line employees are key to providing a positive customer experience.
Most managers are not people persons, they are numbers people, and can only see a numerical cost to each action that they take. They do not see that by empowering their employees, by giving them the tools, the training and the support of management, those employees will make the right decision and will usually go beyond the norm to ensure that the customer has a positive experience even when things go awry.
How do airlines (and businesses) make money when they don't do these things? They have a product that is unique in the marketplace or the demand for that product is so strong that the customer will accept whatever it takes to obtain that product. but in the end the market forces will dictate that someone else will enter that market an if they offer a better experience then the first company will be driven out.
Airlines go in cycles because the demand goes in cycles - tied to the health of the economy. Airline travel is not a necessity in many cases and when travel is slack, due to a recession or other outside force, then those airlines that have poor service will be the ones hurt the most. And poor service is primarily a result of the employees attitude torward their company and their job.
Most managers are not people persons, they are numbers people, and can only see a numerical cost to each action that they take. They do not see that by empowering their employees, by giving them the tools, the training and the support of management, those employees will make the right decision and will usually go beyond the norm to ensure that the customer has a positive experience even when things go awry.
That's the difference between management and leadership. Managers do well for short term gains, but often miss the bigger picture. Leaders find ways to get the job done as effectively as possible. This country is in dire need of less bean counting managers looking for instant gratification and more leaders who look at the bigger purpose. I'm a firm believer that your people will work themselves to death for you if they believe that they are necessary and valuable to the sucess of the the venture. That's what Southwest has had. The odd part is that total pay is one of the smaller factors in creating that empowerment. Good employee relations with open and honest communication goes much farther to create that environment. When employees understand that cost structure that drives their pay and how they contribute to it, they will more quickly come to an understanding of whether their pay is fair or not.
That's the difference between management and leadership. Managers do well for short term gains, but often miss the bigger picture. Leaders find ways to get the job done as effectively as possible. This country is in dire need of less bean counting managers looking for instant gratification and more leaders who look at the bigger purpose. I'm a firm believer that your people will work themselves to death for you if they believe that they are necessary and valuable to the sucess of the the venture. That's what Southwest has had. The odd part is that total pay is one of the smaller factors in creating that empowerment. Good employee relations with open and honest communication goes much farther to create that environment. When employees understand that cost structure that drives their pay and how they contribute to it, they will more quickly come to an understanding of whether their pay is fair or not.
I agree with you . . . what we need is leadership! Anyone can be "put" in to a managerial role, but only some are "leaders!" One can buy a management degree, yet leadership cannot be bought, it is a part of that person, and is extremely valuable, and there is a lack of it. It is indeed what one says, but way more than that, it is what one DOES! How he conducts his life. Leadership is not a 9-5 thing, its instilled, and should be seen in all aspects of one's life, at home, at church, on the softball field, and of course, at work. You know which people "have" these characteristics, and you know who doesn't have em'. It, IMHO, basically boils down to caring! A person who could care less about anything, is not a leader. We need good leadership at all levels, union and management included. I am reminded of one of my favorite Biblical parables, one reaps what one sowes. so true . . .
This country is in dire need of less bean counting managers looking for instant gratification and more leaders who look at the bigger purpose.
Well said cbire;
Unfortunately, in the last 25 years American business has gone from having leaders with personality and a wide range of talents running organizations to accountants, financiers, and analyst running our largest and most important corporations. They do this by cutting costs, focusing on getting the best returns for their primary stock holders (read banks) and are awarded with large cash and stock bonuses. Running the corporation, providing value to their customers, and insuring the future of their company and employees is just not a concern.
Case in point.
About 10 months ago on a anaylst conference call, when Expressjet made public the details of there plans for the 69 aircraft being removed from our CPA with CAL, XJT CEO Jim Ream was asked by an analyst.
Parapharased: "Rather than go this route, why didn't you just return the aircraft to Continental, and begin the slow process of liquidation of the company over an extended period of time. The return on investment would have been xx and substantial for your share holders"
Fortunately for us, our management has more vision than that. Ream was diplomatic with him but pointed out the lives and needs of the employees. But this statement by the analyst provides some insight on the thinking of the bean counter tribe. Unfortunately, under today's conventional wisdom this analyst would be considered "to have the right stuff" to get a company in shape.
The problem with airline management is that they are out of touch. As a rule, airline managers are carpetbaggers who move from airline to airline, or even industry to industry. The do not care what the front line employees do or for their well being. They are nothing but "production units" to management.
What makes them even more despised is that they "visit" the front line employees and spew BS about how they care and are going to improve conditions. Mind you, the visit is pre-announced, so everything is clean and running efficiently that day. Of course, everything they say is lies, since the very next day a new crack down on overtime or sick calls is announced.
This is why we in this "service industry" are so disgruntled. They don't care about us, so we don't care about their customers. They get what they pay for.
It really has nothing to do with unions. Delta flight attendants are non union are among the most disgruntled. They are closely followed by the non union Delta mechanics.
The problem is management. They don't give serious attention to morale building in business school. They only teach you to be responsible to the shareholders.
Executive pay is one area that is currently plaguing this industry. Especially considering the reduction in pay and benefits and corresponding increase in work rules that has made many labor groups unhappy. Regardless of the reasons, a CEO that makes huge stock options and a large bonus after a company exits bankruptcy has the appearance of the company taking from it's employee and giving to the people who took the company down the wrong road.
Bottom line: Executives have the responsibility of leading a company in the right direction. Bankruptcy is always the wrong direction. You did not make the correct decision at some point. Pay should equal the results of those decisions. Poor choices should result in replacing those who made the decision, just as would be done to a pilot/FA/mechanic who made the wrong decision.
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Last edited by the King : 07-02-2007 at 08:18 AM.
Reason: Spelling and readability
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How do you foster a solid management-pilot relationship in today's industry?
to some degree. Airlines are a front-line industry, and I believe everyone is losing touch of this concept. I haven't flown Jetblue nor Southwest in a while, but based on things I've read here, in the media, and from other passenger accounts, things are losing their zest and passion they once held so dearly to all. 
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