Happy Birthday to Colleen C. Barrett, founder of the Institute for Cultural Excellence & Customer Service

balloons
Southwest online rgb rev

Happy Birthday to Colleen C. Barrett, founder of the Institute for Cultural Excellence & Customer Service

Southwest online rgb rev

The Colleen C. Barrett Institute for Cultural Excellence & Customer Service

Southwest online rgb rev
8 10 TL

Nurturing Culture: As An Employee

As a People-first Company, Southwest has always believed that nurturing a strong Culture is about nurturing our People. Before I started in Las Vegas in 1996 as a Customer Service Agent, I worked at a lot of companies that didn’t share that philosophy. It was almost like wearing a mask at work—you had to hold back a part of yourself to satisfy expectations and succeed at the job. From the jump, though, I could tell Southwest was different.

Throughout my career, especially in the beginning, I had Leaders and Cohearts who always checked on me, making sure I felt empowered to do my job the right way. Even more impactful, they made sure I knew that my individuality was what made me a great fit at Southwest. Like Tennina mentioned last month, a cookie-cutter approach to managing won’t motivate our People. Motivation comes when Hospitality—the drive to make our Cohearts and Customers feel welcomed, cared for, and appreciated—is kept top of mind.

How can we nurture this type of environment? I try to do three things daily:

  • Ask my Cohearts how they are outside of work—Recognize who they are as a person, not just what they bring to their position.
  • Be present and intentional in conversations—Whether you’re helping a Customer or welcoming a new Coheart, people can tell when you’re really listening.
  • Stay humble and learn from peers and Leaders—Chances are, they might know a lot more than you.

Being intentional matters. When I have a bad day, the first person I want to turn to, besides my wife, is a fellow Employee. After 28 years of building relationships at Southwest, I’ve realized that these connections, my Cohearts, are the ones who know how to encourage me best—to stay positive, remind me of the bigger picture, and maybe even crack a joke at my expense (because you’ve gotta learn to laugh at yourself sometimes, right?). When we advocate for one another, we can then depend on one another to help reframe a bad attitude and take us back to the importance of Hospitality in the workplace. Again, it goes back to intentionality. A genuine, caring conversation and a warm smile can turn anyone’s day around, just as it has mine, many times.

I’ll always be proud to work for a Company that fosters a Culture of authenticity and concern for its People. Because when we feel like we can be our true selves at work, it becomes easy to remember that our Customers are just like us—they need an advocate, too.

Picture of Steve Goldberg

Steve Goldberg

Senior Vice President – Operations and Hospitality

View Thought Leaders Recommended Resources

Do you have questions for our Southwest Leaders about what it means to Lead Well? For a limited time, you will have the opportunity to submit your questions for a Southwest Thought Leader to answer in our next Virtual Fireside Chat.

Submit your questions in the box below, and be sure to keep an eye out for an email announcing the opening of registration for the Virtual Fireside Chat!

newsletter hero sept 24
Helen Jury

Learning Well: The Value of Prioritizing Personal Growth

When I began my career, I had one requirement: every day needed to look a little different. I craved exposure to new experiences and new projects (which is a polite way of saying I had no idea what I wanted to do and needed a job that would allow me to figure it out). What I realized, however, is my desire was not for constant change but constant learning. Southwest has been that perfect place for me.

Read More
august newsletter hero 8 30 24
Brendan Conlon

Learning Well: Growing Through Difficult Moments

My 38 years at Southwest have been a journey filled with immense gratitude. I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of strong leadership and the profound impact it has on an organization and its people, especially when facing adversity. Through the years, I’ve experienced my share of challenges, and one lesson I learned early on from Colleen Barrett (namesake of the CCB Institute) was that the defining factor in navigating storms is the quality of leadership at the helm.

Read More
nov22 newsletter
Mike Sims

Learning Well: Effectively Growing Diverse Teams

In today’s workplace, effectively growing and managing diverse Teams is paramount to success. Southwest Airlines President Emeritus, the late Colleen Barrett, mastered this principle, and I am blessed to be able to apply her lessons firsthand from seeing years of her “walking the talk.”

Read More
Scroll to Top