The Value of Having Core Values

The airline passenger was upset with the flight crew. So she wrote a letter to the CEO to inform him she did not approve of how the crew was making jokes while doing the pre-flight safety checks. In her letter to the CEO, she made clear that security announcements ought to be taken serious because of how important they were.   As it turns out, the passenger that wrote the letter was a frequent flyer of the airline. Surely a customer the airline wants to keep. Right? So how did the CEO respond? “We’ll miss you” and added, “Rest assured that this company, like all good airlines, take safety very, very seriously.” Most CEOs would have probably sent an apology letter saying things like it was not their intention to offend her; he’d look into to the matter; they value her opinion and appreciate her business. But not Southwest airline’s CEO. What Can We Learn From The CEO’s Response? There are many lessons in the Southwest story we can glean and apply to our practices. However, among the most valuable lesson for me, is the importance of having a set of defined core values. Why Are Core Values Important? Core values are used to establish a company’s guiding principles. They serve the distinct purpose of determining behavior and action. Without core values, employees do not know what is right from wrong. Therefore, they have no choice but to make decisions based on their values. Which, of course, may or may not align with the companyR...
Source: Pediatric Inc - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Leadership Patient Experience Patient Interactions Airlines Announcements Communications core values customer experience customers Flyer Frequent Flyer Southwest Airlines Source Type: blogs