I heard a pilot say something the other night that says a lot about the culture he works in. For futurists I think you may be able to predict the future of the airline as well from this comment.
Our flight was late and it was taking an extra long time to bring the gate checked bags up. The passengers were grumbling on the sub-freezing jet-way when the pilot says “Oh they are sure running slow with your bags, well I did my part I got you here.”
This is like the football quarterback who didn’t start and complained to the media that he wasn’t appreciated, (poor baby). Perhaps his coach was trying to develop the entire team.
The pilots attitude is an example of why newer air carriers like Southwest and others are eating the lunch of the legacy carriers. They foster a culture of, “we’re in this together regardless of our role.” My friend Joe Tye calls this a culture of ownership vs. accountability.
When something goes wrong or you see an opportunity to serve your customer, do you point it out to someone? Do you conduct all sorts of analysis to determine what went wrong; or do you take care of the customer? Your answer will determine the fate of your organization.
