Final milestone

Running head: SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES 5

Southwest Airlines

Deanna Buchanan

Southern New Hampshire University

Southwest Airlines has recorded progressive success for decades. The success can be attributed to several factors, with leadership being the major element. For success in any organization, key leaders must demonstrate competence in communication with other stakeholders. Southwest Airlines' key leaders have been at the forefront to embrace new and better methods of communication. The key leaders include senior executive management and operational managers. The senior executive leaders are;

· Gary Kelly- chief executive officer 

· Tom Nealon- president 

· Michael Van de Ven- Chief Operating Officer 

· Robert Jordan- VP of Corporate services 

· Tammy Romo- VP and chief financial officer 

· Mark Shaw- VP and chief legal and regulatory officer 

· Andrew Watterson- VP and chief commercial officer 

· Greg Wells- VP daily operations 

Southwest Airlines senior executives communicate with the Chief Communication Officer (CCO). Linda Rutherford currently holds the position. The CCO communicates with the vice president of daily operations, communicating with the senior executive leadership. Linda Rutherford receives daily information from all departments daily. Therefore, all the management levels and employees are in constant communication enabled by a streamlined system (Southwest Airlines, 2020). Southwest Airlines prioritizes taking care of its employees through continuous interactions and motivation. Therefore, the organization has invested heavily in streamlining communication with both employees and customers. Specifically, the internet, website, and social media platforms are used to give regular updates. Each employee and manager is updated on daily operations or any incident likely to interrupt normal operations. Excellent communication within key leaders is displayed after major incidents. The leadership ensures that they communicate effectively on social media platforms to control the story. Communication is carried out on multiple platforms to increase public outreach. As such, Southwest Airlines can strengthen its brand through communication strategized by its key leaders. 

Southwest Airlines is an example of an open system. Every operation is outlined to ensure the successful flow of resources and products. Core to the company is the provision of effective services. Therefore, the airline trains all employees to use available resources to create better experiences for employees. Through constant training, employees are taught how to use available resources to increase customer satisfaction. Employees have the necessary inputs to serve customers, resulting in services that give customers total satisfaction. 

For decades, the organization has based its operations on a culture of maximum customer satisfaction through teamwork. The team-oriented culture is based on proper communication, together with good interpersonal relationships. Their mission and vision are aligned to improving the quality of their services. The company cross-trains all employees to enable coordination in all sectors. Their vision is "to be the world's most loved, most efficient, and most profitable airline (Soutwest Airlines, 2020)." The airlines' mission is to "Connect People to what's important in their lives through friendly, reliable, and low-cost air travel (Soutwest Airlines, 2020)." Its goals are to provide excellent services to their customers while ensuring that employees enjoy a stable work environment. As such, the team-oriented culture focuses on implementing organizational vision, mission, and goals.

Communication at southwest airlines targets management, employees, customers, and the public. All events are first communicated internally to management and employees. The communication is then extended to customers and the public. By interacting with both internal and external elements, southwest airlines keep the stakeholders updated and reinforce its brand's recognition and application. 

References Southwest Airlines. (2020, May 4). Senior Executive Leaders. Retrieved from Southwest Airlines: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwi50MHjkb7tAhXw1uAKHZ71DIEQFjACegQIAhAC&url=http%3A%2F%2Finvestors.southwest.com%2Fcorporate-governance%2Fsenior-executive-leaders&usg=AOvVaw2NrC85muNdYwy86FNkG0VM Soutwest Airlines . (2020, August 12). Purpose, Vision, and The Southwest Way. Retrieved from Soutwest Airlines : http://investors.southwest.com/our-company/purpose-vision-and-the-southwest-way