A630.3.3.RB - A Day in the Life of the Culture Committee by Southwest Airlines

The culture committee at Southwest Airlines appears to be effective in establishing cultural norms. The employees who are part of the committee look at it as "just doing their job" and supporting the company and its goals. This was just a small glimpse of what the culture committee does for the entire organization, and it seems to have a significant impact on the flight crews and those involved in this program.

I think that the purpose of the culture committee at Southwest is to improve employee morale, give employees an avenue to recognize and thank their co-workers, and to show appreciation for the backbone of the company, the flight crews. In many organizations it's not easy to recognize employees and peers for their work, especially in an open forum like this one. I think this appreciation that Southwest and the culture committee are giving to employees is extremely valuable and is one of the biggest reasons the company is so enjoyable to work for. 

Culture committees in general seem to have a mission of making the workplace enjoyable for all employees, which is why they employ such a wide range of activities and events to help them. In my current organization, we have a culture committee, more recognizable as a Fast, Fun, and Friendly event team. They help to organize events, activities, and social outings for employees. Most of the events take place at work while the employees are clocked in, so everyone is getting paid while having fun. I think one thing that could be added to the agenda of this team is to incorporate different recognition methods for employees throughout the year. There are some already in place, but it would be good to have an on-going event in which employees could be recognized and rewarded. It wouldn't have to be individual employees, but rather teams and departments where more recognition is being awarded. Culture committees seem like a necessity to me for organizations. The value that they add and the joy that they bring to employees is beyond the resources it would take to implement one.

I think I can start appreciating employees more and showing it in my daily routines after watching this video. All too often certain areas or departments of an organization go unnoticed and feel unappreciated. Southwest Airlines is a perfect example of what happens when employees are told and shown that they are the organization's number one asset.