PAGE SIX
THE PIEDMONITOR
JUNE, 1967
DELEGATION . . .
(Continued from Page One)
challenge ahead of us this year.
I know I can depend on you to
do your part.”
The contents of this article
and this boarding announcement
are certainly enough to make us
take inventory of ourselves and
ask:
What a challenge!! Just think
— we — here in this room are
entrusted by our company to
manage such an indebtedness
and challenging future!
From these thoughts and com
ments I would like to dwell on
three important factors I think
we have facing us today.
(1) GROWTH
(2) COMMUNICATION
(3) DELEGATION OF
AUTHORITY
First — Growth
Growth requires Change —
People resist change. We, as
management, must attempt to
conquer this resistance to
growth!
One of the first jobs we have
to do to continue growth is to
make necessary changes and im
provements. Here, cooperation is
a big task and we can only ex
pect to accomplish this through
suggesting or providing strong
common goals for our group or
company and providing psycho
logical or physical rewards for
members of our group.
Prepare and submit sugges
tions — after careful thought
and consideration has been given
to their overall value. Evaluate
the suggestions of others before
criticising!
Com municatlon
Our Need For It
What is communication and
its importance, as it applies to
Piedmont Airlines? Is it any
thing pertaining to Mr. Watson’s
department, the telephone calls,
our luncheon discussions or our
casual daily greetings?
No. It is the key word to
management effectiveness. Man
agement needs to communicate
policies, instructions, objectives
and goals in such a way that all
employees will understand and
accept them. No message has
any authority if it isn’t under
stood.
Failure of communication
among our employees — be
tween managers and/or depart
ments — only tends to weaken
the strength of our entire com
pany.
We — as managers — for in
stance, are expected to try and
communicate and straighten out
our problems ourselves in a
friendly “man to man” discus
sion — rather than running to
higher management, except as a
last resort.
I have always enjoyed our
telenews reports and would like
to see them expanded. Many
things happening on our system
can be defined as facts through
good communications eliminat
ing the gossip problem and eli
minating wrong information.
Appraisal Reports
Many recent remarks I have
heard in the past year or two
concerning our appraisal reports
are alarming. Employees are get
ting the feeling they are of no
value or importance. Many said
“Haven’t discussed.” Just sign
ed.
We are tampering with a very
important document — a person
nel file item! This is the most
wonderful guideline or tool the
manager has in being able to
sit down and communicate with
his employees.
Since all employees have dif
ferent personalities and come
from different environments we
need to get acquainted with
each one. This report can be
most helpful in analyzing their
stronger and weaker points.
VILL TME REPiL TOP M^N^GEMENT STMO w///
X
I suggest notations be made on
report such as: when familiari
zation trips are made during
reporting period, suggestions
made (regardless of whether ac
cepted), perhaps attach copy to
report.
Maybe the next manager
might like it — it will prove
initiative anyway.
Years ago, Mr. Turbiville, Mr.
Ross or some official was visit
ing with us nearly every month.
Today — they don’t have the
time. So your only way of ad
vising top management of who
we have in our company is your
reports. Don’t take them care
lessly.
Delegation of Authority
Perhaps a few years ago we,
as a station manager, a depart
ment head, a supervisor may
have had time to, more or less,
“hold everything in the palm of
our hand.”
As we grow we cannot do this.
If we fail to recognize this, then
our action or decision is only
detrimental to our success!
Delegate authority, even if
only in small waj^s. Remember,
our station or department is not
judged on how high the papers
are piled on our desk and what
we alone can take care of. We’re
judged on the overall perform
ance and “getting the job done.”
Are you worried today and
this week while attending this
meeting, about the performance
of all duties in your station????
If so, then you must have fail
ed in the delegation of authority
to your supervisors and assist
ants.
Bear in mind, those we have
left behind this week are those
whom we expect to step into
management positions as' we
grow. Are you giving them the
chance they need, so you will be
proud of them when selected?
We, too, must remember every
one cannot be a chief. Too, re
member the very basic psycho
logical need is the feeling of be
ing important. Employees do
best when they feel they are
playing a vital role — when they
are doing something worthwhile
and significant. We can accomp
lish this through the use of
“Delegation of Authority.”
In closing, let’s go back again
to just a few years ago when we
all rode on an airplane which
seated 24 passengers. Just right
outside your window was paint
ed Piedmont Airlines. If you
haven’t already done so, I sug
gest you take a ride on the Man
hattan or Empire State Pace
maker — it too, has Piedmont
Airlines painted just outside
your window. But think of the
different procedures, etc., so
necessary in handling both —
We can say: “The old Gray Mare
ain’t what she used to be!”
Good Business Manners
Pay Off With Passengers
by ED BEST
Superintendent of Stations
In trying to think of some
brilliant and new idea of how
our company can produce a bet
ter product, I can’t help but
come back to the old “tried and
true” ways that have proven
themselves so many times over
the past years. I mean the man
ner in which we treat our cus
tomer and the way we perform
our jobs. There is only one way
to do this and continue to pro
duce a better product.
Courtesy, cooperation and en
thusiasm are but a few of the
attributes necessary for this per
formance. I would like to touch
on just a few of these qualities
that you, as a manager, must
have or develop, if you will con
tinue to produce for the com
pany a better product.
Enthusiasm
First, enthusiasm, in my way
of thinking, is one of the most
important qualities a manager
must have, for enthusiasm is
contagious, not only with your
personnel but with the custom
ers as well. Many people say
that enthusiasm is something
everybody should have — like
virtue. Others say it is danger
ous, impelling Junior to kick
his new football through a win
dow and prompting baseball
fans to throw pop bottles at um
pires. What is the real enthusi
asm we can put to work in our
company? You can’t put your
hands on it. You can’t requisi
tion it and install it in your sta
tion. But when a group is im
bued with enthusiasm, quality
and quantity are up, and the
little, but important, things
necessary for speed and accura
cy are done without constant re
minders.
Making the Job Easier
When enthusiasm is lacking,
production slows down, house
keeping gets sloppy, rumors fly,
people request transfers, minor
gripes mushroom into major
grievances, petty jealousies flare
into open antagonisms and mo
rale is your station is down.
You, as a manager, should radi
ate enthusiasm with a cheerful
but businesslike attitude, an en
thusiastic voice, an eager man
ner in tackling tough jobs.
These are all catching. Develop
your enthusiasm and your per
sonnel will be just as enthusias
tic as you. Real enthusiasm is
made up of competence, knowl
edge, work, recognition, coopera
tion and pride in your company,
your station and yourself.
Next, cooperation is another' we present information in a
most important quality. Coopera-; form that can be readily grasp-
tion as defined is “working to- ^ ed and understood by the peo-
gether willingly and intelligent
ly to achieve a common pur
pose.” Cooperation calls for ac
tion, not talk. The man who co
operates is giving no more than
can be reasonably expected. The
man who refuses to cooperate
is giving less than is due. The
responsibility for promoting co
operation falls directly on you,
the manager. Don’t let a sense
of competitiveness between sta
tions be misconstrued and de
stroy cooperation.
Good Business Manners
Just how important are good
manners in the business world?
Says Emily Post, “No one —
unless he be a recluse who
comes in contact with no other
human being — can fail to reap
the advantage of a courteous
and likeable approach, or fail to
be handicapped by an improper,
offensive and resented one.” A
courteous, cooperative and un
prejudiced attitude in dealing
with others is the foundation of
good business manners.
If you are considerate of other
people when you ask for their
cooperation; if you maintain a
helpful attitude when others
come to you; if you know how
to take orders and to give them;
if you avoid irritating attitudes
and mannerisms, and if you
treat people as individuals, then
— and only then •— do you pos
sess good business manners.
Certainly, these are the quali
ties you will have to inspire in
your personnel if we are to pro
duce a better product. But first,
you, as managers, will have to
either already possess or develop
these qualities if you expect your
people to have them.
KNOWLEDGE . . .
CConi limed rroin I'a^e Four)
way for information and knowl
edge to reach the agent is
through our supervisory per
sonnel who must serve as the
vehicle for getting directly to
the rank and file employee.
It becomes increasingly clear
that anything we do individual
ly, or anything we do collective
ly, to combat the appalling mass
of misinformation and even
downright ignorance that exists
concerning the production of
our product and how it should
be marketed is not only promot
ing our own best interest in an
intelligent and perfectly ethical
way, but is making life easier
for those who work with us. The
actual hunger for basic knowl
edge is demonstrated every time
LOSING MORE . . ,
(Continued from Page Three)
five (5) out of the forty were
taken from our baggage area.
The remainder were stolen from
EA, DL, SO and the other air
lines serving ATL. This particu
lar theft ring was operating
throughout North and South
Carolina and Georgia.
Along this same line, we are
quite sure that some passengers
are claiming their bags and then
coming back to the ticket count
er and saying that they did not
receive their bag. One man we
know of has made at least eight
different claims with different
airlines, in the last two years,
and he has collected on some
of these claims, including Pied
mont.
Dail.y Messages
(3.) Please continue to send
out ALSTN messages DAILY of
all unclaimed bags you have at
your station, listing the type,
color, bag check, possible owner
and contents if not locked.
Check the listings you receive
from other stations against the
claims you have outstanding. If
no station claims any bag you
have, forward the bag to INT
after 48 hours.
(4.) Some of the reports we
have received in INT are incom
plete. Please instruct your peo
ple to complete these forms in
detail prior to sending them to
INTLZ. And don’t forget to in
clude the transfer information
if the bag is interline.
(5.) The Civil Aeronautics
Board, last October, issued an
order to all airlines to increase
the amount of liability from $250
to $500. This is for checked lug
gage. In addition, we are also re
sponsible for unchecked or carry-
on articles such as hats, coats,
briefcases, etc. So you see, we
are potentially liable up to $500
for every bag we handle. The
CAB is taking an active interest
in customer service. ■ ■
Good Service
In the interest of good cus
tomer service and the pressure
of the CAB, it is imperative that
every precaution be taken to in
sure the safe and prompt arrival
of the passenger and his bag.
You can give the passenger the
best flight in the world but if
he arrives at his destination
without his bag, he is going to
remember just one thing about
his trip •— that Piedmont lost
his bag.
From some of the reports we
have received in Winston, it
seems that the new procetiure
for handling of damage bag
claims at the station is working
pretty good. Besides eliminating
a lot of paper work and delay in
processing the claim, it gives the
station supervisor the authority
to make “on the spot” settle
ment. Some stations have men
tioned that this expenditure
from petty cash is causing a
considerable drain and running
them short for other expenses.
If this is the case at your sta
tion, drop Ed Best a note and
he says he will consider upping
your working fund.
In closing, a great deal will be
said at this meeting regarding
service to our customers. It isn’t
enough to ONLY deliver the pas
senger to his destination. In
addition, we must give him
prompt, courteous treatment
from the time he calls to make
his reservation, during his flight
and last, but not least, make sure
that when he gets to his desti
nation he has some clothes to
wear.
pie we are trying to reach.
Teach your personnel, know
your customers, learn your pro
duct, but above all, “communi
cate.” What we learn here or
what is said here during this
meeting won’t be worth a tin
ker’s dam unless we communi
cate this knowledge and intelli
gence to others.