Can Morale Ever improve at Majors -- without salaries getting to previous levels

[shon7]

With the reductions in pay and destruction of pensions -- is it possible that the majors will EVER have a positive workforce with high morale?

How does one motivate the employees to still serve customers and give their best in such times?

 

[CatfishVT9]

I haven't been in this business long, but what I see at Delta is an amazing turnaround. I've jumped them a few times from ATL-TPA to get home an hour or so earlier (about 8-10 times in the past 6 months) and have been impressed with everyone I've dealt with. All the Aircrew, gate agents and FAs have treated me like one of their own and the way they treat their passengers is a quantum leap over what it used to be. I used to fly them alot when I was in the Navy on business trips (1998-2000) and and my opinion is that their attitude is BETTER now than during those "glory days".


I hope they make it. Nice folks there.

Catfish

 

[AA717driver]

IMO what has to happen is for the sacrifices to make a difference. The worst thing that can happen is to get concessions and see management piss them away (cough, United, cough). Once that happens, you'll never get the employees on board again.

Rah, rah don't pay the bills.TC

 

[enigma]

With the reductions in pay and destruction of pensions -- is it possible that the majors will EVER have a positive workforce with high morale?

Absolutely possible, and it will happen. Not everywhere, but the survivors will accomplish this task.

How does one motivate the employees to still serve customers and give their best in such times?

Treat them with some respect.

Don't lie to your employees.

Do not, I repeat do NOT, allow success to be defined by the performance of individual departements. Either the entire operation is successful, or it's not. When mid level managers find themselves under a microscope, and the only criteria that they are judged by allows them to blame any other area of the whole organization, they will blame every other area of the organization. Starting with other employees, then their own. Upper management needs to be extremely careful to avoid "playing one division against the other".

For example, I know of an airline where the station managers were judged solely by their ability to run the station with the least possible expendature. The station managers then cut rampers, etc, in an effort to make their station bottom line appear to improve. The remaining station personel grew disgruntled from the overwork. The workload did not allow for any time to catch up after the inevitable delays, so the station always runs behind. The station personel come under a strong microscope and are asked why they can't do their jobs. In turn, they start looking for others to blame. The next thing you know, every employee spend more time ensuring that the blame flows elsewhere than they do on their job. It's a snowball and it just gets bigger as it rolls downhill. If a flight attendent steps out of the airplane to take a potty break during a quick turn, they immediately become the reason for the delay. etc, etc, etc, This could all be prevented if management decided to lead the people toward a common goal.

well, the wife says I have other things to do, and she's correct

later,
enigma