Culture Done Differently

Back in high school chemistry class, if you mentioned “culture” to me, I had visions of white-coated scientists with pipettes injecting cells into a big blob on a culture dish. The similarity between the chemistry culture and the Culture of Southwest Airlines is that both need the right conditions to grow. For more than 38 years, the Southwest Culture has thrived, but it hasn’t been easy. Perhaps this longevity has been both our biggest accomplishment and our most significant challenge.

Here at Southwest, we think of our Culture in a positive light, but every company has a culture, whether that culture is supportive or stifling, active or passive, fun or discouraging. So just how do we keep our Culture supportive, active, and fun? One way we do culture differently is by making Southwest’s Culture everyone’s responsibility. In fact, we ask everyone to “own it.”

To help keep our Culture at the forefront, we have two groups: Local Culture Committees and the Corporate Culture Committee. Both groups put on low-cost Employee events throughout the year. This month, our Employees will be rolling up their sleeves to help out their area Ronald McDonald Houses at Thanksgiving.

Our Culture Committees are just the beginning of what separates us from the way other companies approach their culture. One of the most significant “Southwest differences” in our pursuit to preserve and promote our Culture is the way it is embedded in every aspect of our Company. How many firms or organizations do you know that make having a “Fun-LUVing Attitude” a key pillar of their leadership expectations? Those same expectations include “The Golden Rule” and possessing a “Servant’s Heart.” In fact, the annual Performance Appraisal for all of our Employees includes a section on Southwest Culture. From an Employee’s initial interview until the day he or she retires, the Southwest Culture is an ingrained part of daily life.

And finally, our Culture encourages celebration, and this is the month to celebrate. First, we celebrate our Veterans on Nov. 11. America would be a much different place without the courage of our Veterans. We then celebrate the blessings of the past year on Thanksgiving. I join with our Employees in wishing you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving.

Gary Kelly
Chairman, President, and CEO
Southwest Airlines

Operation: Kick Tail recognitionSometimes, our Employees are so impressed by a Customer, they would like to nominate him or her for their own Kick Tail-A-Gram. When Lowell and his mother first checked in at the airport, his boarding pass indicated that he needed a wheelchair, but he declined the offer for one. Lowell, who is 11 years old, survived a stroke in 2006, and his mother had promised him an airplane trip when he could walk again. Even though it took half an hour to reach the aircraft, Lowell did it all on his own. As the inbound flight deplaned, our First Officer came out to meet Lowell. She then took him onboard to spend a few minutes with the rest of the Crew before boarding. This simple act made Lowell’s day. Our Employee tells us that Lowell is one of those “special Passengers who inspire and fill our hearts with pride for having met him.”