Issom Willis, 24 years of Extraordinary Customer Service for SWA

Since I first began flying SWA in and out of Lovefield, I’ve noticed the Extraordinary enthusiasm and ‘can do‘spirit of skycaps at SWA.  One who immediately won my heart over and over is Issom Willis who proudly welcomes Customers at Lovefield baggage curbside check in.  But what he does is just the way Southwest teaches all their Employees to serve Customers. Warrior Spirit, Leading with a Servant’s Heart and Fun-Luving Attitude defines the spirit of SWA.

Many years ago I was traveling with a large brown cardboard box of books that had been rained on while waiting to be loaded into the belly of the plane. As it comes off the conveyor belt, my box had come apart at all the seams with books spilling out everywhere.

Issom sprang into action. Out of nowhere he appeared with a large roll of strapping tape and helped gather up all 48 books. Carefully he re-taped my box and helped tuck each book back into place saving me several hundred dollars in precious inventory.

When I offered him a tip, he refused, assuring me that he was only doing his job. “We hope you will come back every chance you get and fly Southwest. And I’ll be here eager to assist you!”

That was many years ago. I can’t tell you how frequently Issom goes the extra mile. I can tell you that he’s won a special place in my heart and Customer loyalty to SWA that won’t quit!

Southwest Airlines Goes All Out for Halloween: Tom and Renee Earned a Standing Ovation

Three tired travelers raced to gate 43 at Houston Hobby Airport, hoping to fly home on standby. Two Southwest Airline Gate Agents, Renee and Tom, decked out in festive T-Shirts quickly and efficiently found three open seats and "cackled" gleefully, knowing they had just won our hearts with great Customer Service!

Thanks to skycap, Ozzie, and flying Business Select (great deal! Only costing a few dollars more) we were able to zip through security, catch an earlier flight and arrive home an hour and a half early! Now that’s Spooky Spectacular Service!

Every Halloween SWA goes all out with gate agents decorating gates and wearing really creative costumes on Halloween. Check out the haunted forest and Halloween space aliens at two gates at Hobby. They really know how to keep you laughing and entertained while flying safely on SWA. Great job by a great team!

The Calling of a Servant’s Heart

For most police officers or fire fighters their badge number is something they will always remember and cherish.  Organizations assign numerous employee or payroll numbers, but none hold the significance of a badge number.  In most cases it is a connotation of seniority; or a reminder for the new officer the lack thereof.  Regardless, the badge number represents far more than a mere personal identifier.

Officer Rutherford

Officer Wes Rutherford, one of two Personnel Officers of the Carrollton Police Department, plays many roles in recruiting, interviewing, and hiring new officers. He performs the technical aspect of assigning badge numbers to new officers.  Numbers are sequentially assigned upon hire.  During 2010 the Department crossed the threshold into the 900 series of badge numbers.  Wes demonstrated foresight when he realized that badge number 911 would have the potential to be much more symbolic beyond the new officer to whom it would be assigned.  As he imagined what it would be like to wear Badge 911, Wes realized that it was an opportunity to uniquely honor the fallen police, fire, and other first responders of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City.

Wes immediately presented his case to the Chief of Police to not issue Badge 911.  Instead, the badge would be retired – never to be worn by a Carrollton Police Officer – in memory of those who gave their lives in service to others on that unforgettable day.  Chief Rex Redden recognized this was an excellent opportunity to, “honor the first responders who lost their lives during the response to 9-11 and to serve as a reminder to future officers that this job requires sacrifices, possibly even the ultimate one in the service of our community.”

Badge 911

Wes quietly ordered a beautiful display box and plaque built for the badge.  There was no pomp and circumstance to retire the badge.  Wes simply carried the display box into the Carrollton Police Department and personnel began to see it.  Not only were officers amazed at the beauty of both the display and the gesture, but undoubtedly it helped them to think about the badge they wear.  It is a reminder they have chosen to be one of the most visible servants of the community.  They also realize that while it is unlikely, they may be called someday to run towards certain death while others are running away.  Just like retired Badge 911 that is proudly displayed in the Carrollton Police Department lobby, each officer’s badge number stands a symbol of a servant’s heart that has guided them to their calling.  

What is your servant’s heart telling you?

Please feel free to stop by the Carrollton Police Department, located at 2025 E. Jackson Road, Carrollton, Texas to see Badge 911 proudly displayed.  While you are there, thank Officer Rutherford for reminding the officers of the Carrollton Police Department of exactly what it means to put on that badge each and every day. 

- Lt. Matt Kosec

Energy Memories and the State Fair of Texas

One of my favorite learning activities we do in our You Don't Have to Go Home from Work Exhausted! workshop is to recall favorite moments in your life and use these as reference points to create new energy. Sometimes, Ann will lead participants in an imaging exercise recalling favorite ways we played as children; other times we will talk about fun things you can do in 2-5 minutes, on weekday evenings, while commuting, or making a mini-vacation out of every weekend. And what is really fun is to combine these two concepts and do something now as an energy break that was fun for you as a kid.

During October, one of my favorite memories from childhood was getting a day off from school, riding the bus, and going to the State Fair of Texas. My mom grew up in the neighborhood around Fair Park. My Dad's favorite moment was traveling to the State Fair from Gatesville, Texas during the Centennial and tasting a hamburger for the first time (at 9:00 AM in the morning!). While in elementary school, I entered some oil paintings in the Arts and Crafts Competition and won a giant blue ribbon. And, then...of course...there is the decadent food...Fletcher's Corny Dogs, Funnel Cakes, Jack's French Fries, Turkey Legs, and anything and everything that can be fried. This year’s specialties include fried s’mores, fried Fritos pie, and fried margaritas...just to name a few.

This will be the first year that we head out to the fair without my mom.  In previous years, we would make a short visit of a few hours to relive a few memories. We would find a great place to sit and do some people watching, taste a few decadent treats, see the new car prototypes, look at the proud winners of the jelly and preserve competition, and watch kiddos try to win a stuffed animal on the Midway. This was one of our favorite family times of the year... reliving a few memories for two generations of childhood fun.

Reliving favorite memories works.  Although there may be a brief moment of sadness this year, the great times we had together will bring joy and energy to our lives.  One of the wonderful advantages of having moved downtown is that we can easily take the train to the fairgrounds.  While we will likely pass up the fried beer this year, it is very likely that we will split a funnel cake in someone’s honor!

- Duane Trammell

Our Last Conversation With Someone

When we learn that someone close to us has just lost a parent, one can struggle to know what to do or say. There are all the obvious things, “I’m so sorry. How can I help? Please go be with your family. We will cover for you at work.” And of course, going to be with the friend during the family evening and at the funeral is an appreciated way to support.
Recently, I was visiting a new client, Bridgeway Capital Management, Inc. in Houston, and at dinner the COO suddenly glanced down at his iPhone and shared the news that a Partner had just lost her mother.

The next day was Partner Day and a special Partner meeting.  It was obvious that many things were being done quietly to support the Partner and her family but then a very inspiring thing happened. Mike Mulcahy, the COO, talked about the sudden loss and how important it is that we take time to stay current with our loved ones. He invited each of us to go to our office over lunch and call our parents or another person special to us to tell them how much we appreciate and love them or whatever we would want them to know if this were our last  conversation.
    
People scattered to their offices over lunch and as the meeting reconvened, John Montgomery, chairman and founder, asked for stories. Who did we call? Would we like to share? How many reached a parent? Left a message?
   
The stories shared were very moving as several told about reaching an elderly parent or grandparent to say how much they appreciated years of sacrifice and support.  One person mentioned how easy it is to stay busy and even connected yet we may not say the things we would want to have said if this were our last conversation in this lifetime.
    
I was blown away that a financial management firm had such inspiring values, putting families first.
   
It’s one thing to say we believe in putting families first.  It is another to see a company whose behavior is truly aligned with these values.
“Love is the only emotion known to enhance intelligence.”
Humberto Maturano – Chilean biologist & philosopher

“Test for servant leadership…Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served,     become healthier, wiser, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servant?      And what is the effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or, at least, will they not     be further deprived?”

Welcoming Feedback as a Gift: The Joys of Fresh Bear Poop and a Throne Room a Hike Away!

A friend and Client, Steve Smith, Plant Manager at CPNPP, said, “If you don’t welcome feedback as a gift, maybe that’s because you don’t get very much feedback. And maybe that’s because you choose to think of it as criticism and take it personally.”

I thought this was very perceptive of him to see it as a system, one piece influencing the other.  He went on to say, “We can’t grow as fast or as effectively without honest feedback.  So, even when it may be hard to hear, it’s really a gift.  Someone cares enough to help us know where and how we can do better or improve. 

Recently my husband, Larry and I went on vacation escaping from the 100+ degree days in Dallas to the cool mountain air of Colorado.  My son and I had rented a remote cabin at 11,000 feet just outside Telluride.  It was in a scenic area away from tourist in a high alpine meadow.  We thought we had the perfect answer for an extended family of eight, several of whom loved to backpack and cap in the remote wilderness and a few who preferred the comforts of a warm bed and kitchen rather than a bedroll, campfire, and tent. 

The cabin was a beautiful log cabin with pot belly stoves and great views.  But there was no electricity, only solar lights and an outhouse you had to hike to.  This meant that in the middle of the night if you got a biological urge, you had to either find a flashlight and wonder out where fresh bear poop had been spotted and hope to not bump into something hungry.  Or you could use a “Honey bucket” and empty it the next by logs --- for four hours of stirring a huge tub of mossy green spring water!  Well there was a great view and lots of wild flowers….and large mountain mosquitoes!

The first night it was dark as pitch at 8:30pm and I heard the familiar voice of my beloved provide some feedback which I didn’t receive as a gift.  “Ann, is this your idea of a bad joke?”  I confess that at that moment I was so focused on my intent, which was to find a creative solution to please each family member, that I heard his feedback not as a gift but as unfair criticism.  Then I began to reflect on the skills we teach in conflict resolution.  The first is Active Listening, which sounds like this.  “So, the accommodations here fall way short of your expectations and you are horrified about being stranded in such a primitive situation for five days.  Am I hearing you right?” 

I could sense him letting go of some of his anger as he realized that I understood how frustrated he was with me and the whole situation.  Next I worked to establish mutual goals.  “We both want quality time with our children and grandchildren, we want to relax and be in a situation where everyone has something to enjoy and we want to be good sports even in a less than perfect situation.  Would you agree?”  It took sleeping on it to get this far.  But by the next morning he had shifted from: “I’m out of here on Monday“, to considering staying the whole five days. 

The gift of his feedback was to help me realize that my assumptions of thinking I could judge what would please each person were seriously flawed.  And even though I thought I had shared all the information from on line, in truth I probably described it over dinner when he was not fully tuned in.  So maybe we both owned some of the problem yet I needed to stay focused on what I could take away as a valuable lessons learned.  And that is that I am challenged to welcome all feedback as a gift.  I still easily fall into my victim mode, choosing to feel unappreciated and hurt.  Attitude is a choice and I am the one who loses the most when I fall back into old, negative habits.  This awareness is a profound gift.  And only the courage to recognize my patterns and make better choices will transform my future.

A TRUE STORY OF PROBLEMS BECOMING OPPORTUNITIES: Stones into Schools

Several Saturdays ago, my husband, Larry, and I went to hear Greg Mortenson, the mountaineer who wrote Three Cups of Team and Stones in Schools.  Greg told his story of losing his way in the mountains and being rescued by his Sherpa and a remote village in the Himalayas.  And then promising to find a way to build a school for the girls of this remote village.

Over the past 16 years, Greg has learned of the healing power of female literacy.  "When you teach a boy, you educate an individual.  When you teach a girl, you educate a community."  Not only do girls go home and teach their mothers, they also go on to become teachers, doctors, attorneys, and engineers.

We learn that the population explosion is linked to female literacy.  As women are educated, infant mortality decreased significantly.  And as women can be confident that their children will live past age 5, they choose to have fewer children (from 7 or 8 to 2.3 per woman).

Not only can we address the complex problems of women dying in child birth, infant mortality and controlling world population.  Another fascinating link is to jihad and suicide bombers.  In the Muslim culture a son must get the blessing of his mother before doing jihad.  Rarely will and educated mother give her permission because she knows the Koran forbids murder and suicide.  It seems that the Taliban depends on illiteracy to control the minds of the people.  And as schools are being built in the most remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Taliban is finding it more and more difficult to recruit followers.

This is an engaging story of servant leadership, working through trust, teamwork, and local leaders.  The village donates the land and the labor to build each school.  Central Asia Institute (CAI), the non-profit founded by Greg Mortenson, then funds the resources.

It is very encouraging to learn that Three Cups of Team, Mortenson's first book, is now required reading for all US military heading for Iraq or Afghanistan.  Learning and respecting the culture, earning trust, and working with local people has become the new strategy to establish a sustainable peace in this region.  "Drink one cup of team and we are strangers, two and we are friends, three and we are family."

Again and again, as the stories are told, each problem becomes a surprising opportunity.  Greg tells how a child in the elementary school where his mother was the principal, offered all in hi piggy bank to help the children in Afghanistan.  And from that, now 400+ schools now participate.  Pennies for Peace is a program to introduce children to the opportunity to become a philanthropist on behalf of others.

I strongly recommend these book as a fascinating way to learn about the history and complex cultures of this region as well as a very practical true story as t why servant leadership is such an effective form of leadership.  These books will inspire you, delight you, and fill your heart with hope that together we can replace war with lasting peace.