Steve Murtoff joins F.A.S.T. as Director!

Hi F.A.S.T. Team,

In case you missed this e-mail ... here's an e-mail from Steve Murtoff sent on Wednesday, September 11, 2013.

- Beverly

FAST Members,

Mike mentioned in his memo yesterday to all of you that I was “excited” to support FAST. Well, that might be an understatement. Truth is, I haven’t been this excited in quite some time. From my days working at the Phoenix Base, I have always believed that change MUST start from the ground up. Leaders must be imaginative and decisive. But those decisions must be the product of thoughtful analysis, which includes the insights of the individuals who carry out the mission each day – YOU. While I can’t take credit for the idea of the FAST, I can sincerely say that I’m honored to be a part of such a program. I believe WE can make this not only legendary, but trend setting for the industry as well. I hope that you share my enthusiasm. If you don’t yet, I hope you can leave yourself open to believe. Believe in yourself, and what we can do together as a Team.

These past few weeks, I’ve been doing some studying of FAST “current state”. I understand that some of you are currently working on projects such as “Employee Survey”, and “Galley Refresh”. I also understand that some of you are not. I believe we have opportunities within the framework and structure of the program. Rather than assigning you to a specific project Team with a begin/end date in mind, I’d prefer to assign everyone to a broader mission. From there, you’ll be asked to take part in a variety of projects, assignments, research/validation groups, and/or being an ambassador for change and implementation. Sound fun? I hope so.

Onboard Experience – This includes the experience for both our external and internal Customers. Researching and providing recommendations on everything from the product we carry, to where we place it in our galleys. The current Galley Refresh would most certainly be an example of an initiative this Team will support. Other examples could be providing feedback directly to Marketing regarding onboard products, continuous improvement on the -800 and so forth.

Safety and Regulatory – This Team will support and assist with various safety initiatives. They will help us study any potential gaps in procedure/common practice, perform necessary research, and provide recommendations to our Inflight Safety Team. In addition, they may be asked to assist in enhancing our Flight Attendant Manual and partnering with our Regulatory Team on the drafting of regulated procedures.

Employee Development – This Team will focus on the ultimate experience – working for Southwest Airlines. We MUST be cutting edge with everything we do, including how we Lead and support our People. The current Employee Survey Team will be wrapped up under this Team. I’ve already read their recommendations, led by Beverly Behrens. Wow. A great start! This Team will carry on with not just the work of enhancing our Employee Survey, but continually thinking outside the box. What does our Base of the Future look like? How must we evolve to get there?

So, what happens now? I’d like to hear from each of you. I’d like to build these Teams. Please let me know by Friday September 20th where your passion lies, which of the three Teams you feel you can contribute the most value. Email me at steven.murtoff@wnco.com your ranking of the 3. Please keep in mind that there is no seniority list amongst the FAST ;). I’ll do my best to honor everyone’s choices, however each Team will need a varying number of People so I can offer no promises. I can promise to do everything I can to make your experience fulfilling, regardless of where you are placed.

Looking forward,

Steve