'Without a heart, it's just a machine.' Southwest Airlines recognises that actively engaging employees is fundamental to high performance. Here are three key things that Southwest CEO Gary Kelly does to ensure that Southwest employees feel valued, connected and motivated.

1. WITHOUT A HEART,
IT’S JUST A MACHINE
3 EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT
LESSONS FOR BUSINESS LEADERS FROM
SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

2. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES RECOGNISES THAT ACTIVELY
ENGAGING EMPLOYEES IS FUNDAMENTAL TO HIGH
PERFORMANCE…

3. …AND ITS CEO PERSONALLY COMMITS TIME AND ENERGY TO
ENSURING THAT THIS IS EFFECTIVE.

4. CEO GARY KELLY IS DESIGNATED EMPLOYEE CHAMPION.

5. ‘OUR PEOPLE ARE OUR SINGLE GREATEST STRENGTH AND
MOST ENDURING LONG-TERM COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE.’
GARY KELLY, CEO SOUTHWEST AIRLINES

6. SO WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A BUSINESS LEADER TO IMPROVE
EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT?

7. COMMUNICATE meaningfully

8. KELLY RECORDS A WEEKLY VIDEO MESSAGE TO STAFF.
THIS INCLUDES A ‘SHOUT OUT’ TO EMPLOYEES WHO’VE
GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.

9. PARTICIPATE wholeheartedly

10. KELLY PARTICIPATES FULLY IN COMPANY EVENTS.
TO MARK HALLOWEEN 2014, HE AND SEVERAL
SOUTHWEST EXECUTIVES DRESSED UP AS THE BEATLES.

11. RELATE personally

12. AT SOUTHWEST, EXCECUTIVES MAKE AN EFFORT TO
ENGAGE WITH THEIR STAFF ON A PERSONAL LEVEL – ‘WE
KNOW A LOT ABOUT EACH OTHER.’
FOR EXAMPLE, EMPLOYEES’ BIRTHDAYS ARE MARKED
ANNUALLY, WITH GESTURES THAT CHANGE EACH YEAR.

13. EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT AT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES ISN’T AN
END IN ITSELF.

14. IT’S THE PRIMARY MEANS BY WHICH THE COMPANY
ACTIVATES HIGH PERFORMANCE AMONG ITS EMPLOYEES.

15. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES WORKS HARD TO CONTINUOUSLY
ENGAGE EMPLOYEES IN NOVEL, MEANINGFUL WAYS.

16. BECAUSE ‘WITHOUT A HEART, IT’S JUST A MACHINE.’

17. FOR MORE HIGH
PERFORMANCE CASE
STUDIES, CLICK
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