Motivation, Stress, and Communication in Southwest Airlines - Personal Statement Example

  Motivation, Stress, and Communication in Southwest Airlines Introduction Southwest Airlines is a well known company all over the world for its unique organizational culture and excellent customer services. The organization has a lot to offer to both employees and customers. It is a very good place to work for employees, and at the same time customers also receive great services. Therefore for this paper I have chosen Southwest Airlines as a company in which I would like to work. In this paper, a brief job description will be presented for a position I would like to fill in the company. Factors like goal setting and workplace stress will be discussed with the context of the job position. Also the paper will discuss how I would address nonverbal and cultural barriers to communication. Job Description The job of customer service supervisor at Southwest Airlines interests me greatly and I would like to fill in this position. The job description of a customer service supervisor at Southwest Airlines includes handling customer related issues, ensuring quality experience for customers, and making sure that customers always are treated in a special way. Customer service supervisor is also in charge of making sure that a positive environment is created for both agents and customers (BBS History Travel, 2006). An important part of a customer service supervisor’s job is that he is responsible for both company agents and customers. He has to create a harmonious environment for both of them and this is why this job is challenging. Customer service supervisor has to keep in mind the interests of both customers and agents. In the airline industry, there are many unique problems and therefore it is not possible to provide a ‘what to do’ manual to the customer service supervisor. He has to take on the job decisions keeping in mind the company policy of Southwest Airlines. Goal Setting and Performance Setting specific and difficult goals can have a significant positive effect on performance of employees (Latham & Brown, 2000). Goal setting therefore can, without a doubt, improve performance of employees if used effectively. It is important to set difficult goals so that the employee puts all his efforts to achieve those goals. Setting easy goals will not bring the same positive effect on performance. Also goal setting works as it motivates people to a great degree. Human beings have an innate desire for competition and goal setting exploits this particular aspect of human nature, and therefore enhances performance. I personally would prefer a goal setting strategy in which goals are set after consulting with the employee. This type of goal setting will motivate me to work harder for the company because I will feel more responsible. It will also feel like I have chosen the goals and someone has not forced them upon me. I will only feel motivated if I think I am in full control of my job and I am setting goals for myself. I believe this is something that can play a great role in increasing motivation through goal setting. Another important aspect of goal setting is the time period for which the goal is set. For example some companies set goals annually while other set goals bi-yearly or even quarterly. I would like if goals are set for shorter periods so that I can personally reflect upon my own performance and make changes. When goals are set for shorter periods of time, employees get a chance to review their performance after shorter periods of time. This allows them to mend their ways and helps them come back on track. Annual goals might not motivate employees in the same way as quarterly goals can. For a customer service supervisor it is vital that goals are set keeping in mind his overall job description. When setting goals for a customer service supervisor it is important to charge him with duties that are under his job description. Goals should not be out of line of the job description of an employee. Another element of goal setting is clarity. I personally prefer clear goals that can be effectively measured. For example setting goals like, improving customer satisfaction is not specific or measurable. Goals should be specific so that an employee is aware of what is expected of him. Specific goal setting can motivate the performance of all employees, including me. Managing Stress in the Workplace Job stress is very common in the airline industry (Jamal & Preena, 1998). The position of customer service supervisor will also be no less stressful and one will face many stressful situations during the job. In the airline industry, employees are particularly burdened because customers are expecting excellent services at all times and are almost at all times are in a rush. Everyone wants to reach their desired destination quickly and any sort of hindrance is not appreciated by customers. This makes a job in the airline industry extremely stressful and cumbersome. I generally take stress very well as I am able to keep my head cool in tough situations. I try to solve the problem with an open mind and I believe that stress and tension hinder thinking. I try to tell myself at all times that I am in control of the situation and this is how I try to combat stress in my daily life. There are times when situations get out of my control and then I feel stressful. I try not to think too much about the problem when things are not in my control and I feel helpless. The job of customer service supervisor will be tough as he will constantly get queries from customers and agents, and most of them will be of a unique nature. This will involve on the spot decision making. This is one of the steps through which I will combat stressful situation on the job. I will try to make quick decisions so that problems can be resolved quickly and efficiently. Another important way to manage stress on the job would be to focus on the positive things more instead of the negative ones. Thinking about achieved goals and how I am improving the travel experience of customers will help me fight stress on the job. Positive thinking therefore is important in countering stress especially when it comes to the airline industry. Another way to manage stress is to feel in control all the time. Helplessness is a major factor that contributes to stress in any job. An employee has to feel at all times that he or she is under full control of their lives. Only then the joy of helping customers and solving their problems can overtake the stress involved in the job. Control therefore plays a role in combating stressful situations. Non verbal and Cultural barriers to Communication Southwest Airlines operate domestically only and given the multicultural society of United States, one is expected to deal with people from many different cultures. In such a situation, it will be essential to remove all non verbal and cultural barriers to communication and only then customer satisfaction will be achieved. I would personally ask all my agents and employees to understand the nature of cultural barriers of communication. It is important to know what you are dealing with in order to effectively work deal with it. An understanding of barriers to communication will allow employees to serve customers in a better manner. It is also important to keep an open mind and not be too judgmental and rigid, if one wants to remove cultural barrier to communication. This will allow me to understand the needs of different customers. Small steps like positive and energetic facial expressions can help overcome non verbal and cultural barriers. In some cultures communication is done implicitly and body language plays an important role therefore it is vital to work on facial expression in order to overcome barriers to communication on the job as customer service supervisor of the airline. Another way to address cultural and non verbal barriers to communication is by listening to people and giving them individual attention. It is important to understand what a person is trying to communicate in order to help him or her in an effective manner. By listening to customers and their problems a customer service supervisor can better solve the problems that the customers are facing and can enhance customer experience. This is how I would attempt to address barriers to communication. Non verbal and cultural barriers to communication can also be removed by avoiding cultural specific habits or routines. For example women from closed cultures might not appreciate shaking hands with men. These sorts of things are important to keep in mind in order to address barriers to communication. One has to learn not to view things thinking a particular culture as a reference point. All cultures are unique and one should always try to be culturally neutral. This can help in removing cultural barriers to communication. Learning about other cultures can also help in addressing cultural barriers to communication (Rentz, Flatley and Lentz, 2011). It is vital to understand other cultures in order to make sure that one is not in anyone offending a person from another culture. I would try to learn more about other cultures in order to remove cultural and non verbal barriers to communication. Conclusion The job of a customer service supervisor at Southwest Airlines is not easy as he is responsible for both customers and employees. The job is extremely stressful as it requires on the job unique solutions. Goal setting can improve performance of employees and I would like to have specific goals in front of me. This will enhance my motivation to work harder for the company. I will also try to handle stress by thinking about positive things and assuring myself that I am in full control. It is important to remove non verbal and cultural barriers to communication. I will try to make employees understand about cultural barriers, will learn about other cultures, and will make sure that one particular culture is not used as a reference point to deal with customers. References BBS History Travels. (2006). The Crew. Retrieved on August 07, 2012 from http://bbs.historytravel.com/tv/shows/airline/crew.jsp Jamal, M., & Preena, S. (1998). Job stress and well-being among airline employees in an Asian developing country. International Journal of Stress Management, 5, 121–127 Latham, G. & Brown, T. (2000). The Effects of Goal Setting and Self-Instruction Training on the Performance of Unionized Employees. Relations Industrielles/Industrial Relations, 55, 1 Rentz, K., Flately, M. & Lentz, P. (2011). Lesikar’s Business Communication: Connecting in a Digital World, 12th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Read More