Work By Going Nuts!
Reading through the passages of Nuts! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success, I am intrigued more and more with the company's business philosophy. I have to stop and really examine how I can use some of these recipes for success in my day-to-day activities. Working in Washington, DC was different, great experiences, but different. Work was very competitive and there was very little time to enjoy your work on a personal level. I learned to adapt to the Washingtonian way. It was fun living in a fast-pace, politically savvy, moving and shaking town, but I always felt as an employee there were no opportunities to grow professionally. It seemed to be strictly about technique, not about personal career growth. I sometimes felt the bottom line was more important than the employee. This was the "culture." The culture and way things were done really hit home, when one year I sent holiday cards to everyone in my Rolodex. One day when I returned from lunch, I had a voice mail from someone I had sent a card to. I immediately called back and in the same breath that 'thank you' was said, I also was asked 'so what do you want?' The person on the other end was amazed when I said nothing, I just wanted to remember you during the holiday season. Immediately, this person responded, well that certainly isn't the normal way that people in this town do business. I said well, I don't do business like others do. I made the conscience decision that I definitely did not want to do business the normal way others did in DC.
Getting back to the philosophy of Nuts! the Herb Kelleher and the Southwest corporate philosophy: is to always put employees first. It's the corporate culture. The way of doing business. The insight into this culture the Freibergs have is prolific: The tragedy of our time is that we've gotten it backwards. We've learned to love techniques and to use people. This is one of the reasons why people feel alienated, empty and dehumanized at work. I can pinpoint having these very feelings throughout my career in the organizations where I worked. I will say that feelings were not exclusive to organizations in Washington, DC. Another point I will make is that my feelings also included the feeling of no support from my boss or upper management within the organization. Luckily, now, in my career I have the opportunity to experience a different culture.
The Freibergs hope that the take-aways from their book are techniques that you can implement in your organization and ones that can be translated into a new vision for you and your organization:
Find a Purpose You're Crazy About: People want to make a difference. Work has meaning and purpose.
Make Your Life and Work an Adventure: The culture at Southwest Airlines is not unattainable. Employees turn routine into festivity. They get more out of life because they expect more out of life. You and your organization can too.
Believe in People and They will Believe in Themselves: Southwest has demonstrated this: When you believe in people, they will rise to greatness.
Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously: When we are wrapped up in protecting our egos and holding onto life too tightly, its easy to become rigid. Create an environment of fun. Laugh.
Dare to Dream: Dreams awaken our entrepreneurial spirit.
Be Yourself: Authenticity. Express individuality. (To me this is very important).
Dare to be Different: Financial and spiritual payoffs can be immense.
Pursue Love Before Techniques: Resist the temptation to let these things usurp love.
Choose Service Over Self-Interest: See yourself as servants to the people. Give of yourself.
Make Spirit Your Competitive Advantage: Nourish the human spirit.
The Choice is Yours, the Time is Now: The people of Southwest Airlines show us that we can laugh and celebrate. The choice is yours. The Southwest Airlines story can be entertainment value for you or you can choose to let it energize your life.
The Freibergs have once again re-energized me and my work, will you let them re-energize you?
Getting back to the philosophy of Nuts! the Herb Kelleher and the Southwest corporate philosophy: is to always put employees first. It's the corporate culture. The way of doing business. The insight into this culture the Freibergs have is prolific: The tragedy of our time is that we've gotten it backwards. We've learned to love techniques and to use people. This is one of the reasons why people feel alienated, empty and dehumanized at work. I can pinpoint having these very feelings throughout my career in the organizations where I worked. I will say that feelings were not exclusive to organizations in Washington, DC. Another point I will make is that my feelings also included the feeling of no support from my boss or upper management within the organization. Luckily, now, in my career I have the opportunity to experience a different culture.
The Freibergs hope that the take-aways from their book are techniques that you can implement in your organization and ones that can be translated into a new vision for you and your organization:
Find a Purpose You're Crazy About: People want to make a difference. Work has meaning and purpose.
Make Your Life and Work an Adventure: The culture at Southwest Airlines is not unattainable. Employees turn routine into festivity. They get more out of life because they expect more out of life. You and your organization can too.
Believe in People and They will Believe in Themselves: Southwest has demonstrated this: When you believe in people, they will rise to greatness.
Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously: When we are wrapped up in protecting our egos and holding onto life too tightly, its easy to become rigid. Create an environment of fun. Laugh.
Dare to Dream: Dreams awaken our entrepreneurial spirit.
Be Yourself: Authenticity. Express individuality. (To me this is very important).
Dare to be Different: Financial and spiritual payoffs can be immense.
Pursue Love Before Techniques: Resist the temptation to let these things usurp love.
Choose Service Over Self-Interest: See yourself as servants to the people. Give of yourself.
Make Spirit Your Competitive Advantage: Nourish the human spirit.
The Choice is Yours, the Time is Now: The people of Southwest Airlines show us that we can laugh and celebrate. The choice is yours. The Southwest Airlines story can be entertainment value for you or you can choose to let it energize your life.
The Freibergs have once again re-energized me and my work, will you let them re-energize you?
Comments