Customer Reviews

NUTS!: Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I have read the reviews about how this book is "mushy." I think maybe because they can't believe that a company this good really exists. I am a brand-new employee to SWA, and this book is given to every new employee at the day-long welcome class. After participating in the class, reading this book, and experiencing the SWA culture first-hand, I can safely say that the book does NOT exaggerate! The feel-good style emphasized over and over in the book is a reality. People care about each other. Everyday (as shown in the book) everyone is made to feel valuable--and it makes you want to work harder, work smarter, and spread the LUV. Others may "say" that's what they are doing, but somehow it always comes back to "the rules." Herb Kelleher and crew are breaking the rules--and showing the others how to make a profit while caring about the dignity and welfare of the SWA family. Great and easily read book. Highly recommended.

This is a good book on management. The authors discusses how SouthWest Airlines manages problems under tight constraints and intense competition. The book emphasises how "out of box" thinking helps achieve the results faster. It shows how the rules can be re-defined and make impossible to happen. It gives a whole new perspective on how Airlines should operate. It sets new records to be surpassed by itself. Gives good insights in to the corporate recruiting and retention of the employees. On a personal level, it is a good book on how to manage in difficult times, how to manage with limited resources, how to be optimistic, how with courage, determination and constancy of purpose one can overcome heavy odds in personal life to fulfill one's dreams. Every 15 days I read a new book on management/self-help. But this is the only book I continuously refer to again and again. It has changed my attitude altogether. I feel every corporation wishing to transform the work culture from dull and boring to interesting work place should give this book to every employee.

If you've wondered how this small Texas airline outsmarted the larger giant airlines, read it all here. After reading this book, I was left with many ideas about how to incorporate more fun into my own work life, while increasing productivity. The corporate culture of Southwest is so ingrained into the employees! Fly with them, and notice how different their people are, and how they each seem to enjoy their job! I can't recommend this book highly enough.

This book does provide a nice overview of what is probably the greatest success story in the airline industry. The thing is, I wish the authors had dug a lot deeper. Other airlines have been jealous of Southwest's success and its relationship with its customers and employees for years. And no noe seems ot be able to get to the bottom line of what they do oprationally and financially that makes them a success. Maybe there is nothing more, it's all just a matter of oeprating efficiently and keeping employess and customers happy.

In fact, many start-up airlines now use Southwest as their template for operating. The authors do a good job of reviewing the history of the company (at least up to the point of publication) and discussing the operations of the airline, but they just don't seem to dig deep enough. Maybe what is needed is someone with a strong financial background to do a comparison of Southwest's methods directly with those of its competitors, because I would really like to see the difference from a financial analysis standpoint (then again, that might be an awfully boring book).

My only other negative criticism of the book is that it almost turns into a fluff piece, cheerleading a little too heavily for Southwest. But that is almost understandable. After all, Southwest has rarely made a misstep in all its years of operations.

Regardless, this is a very good look at a truly wonderful operation. Well worth reading if you have an interest in the airline industry.

Well being with Southwest for several years, I must say the notion of a entire book being devoted to a airline does seem a little too much. But after reading I have recommended it to alot of people in the business world. There is alot that can be learned from job satisfaction. I as well as my co-workers feel like a family each and every day we go out of our way to make OUR customers feel welcome as well as making sure we get them to where they need to go. Everything you will read about is true. These two authors researched our Culture really well. Herb is like a Dad to all of us, If you fly Southwest thanks we luv your business. ---JB

The authors of "NUTS! Southwest Airlines' Crazy Recipe for Business and Personal Success", Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, came up with a captivating and hilarious book that reveal the ingredients that have made Southwest Airlines such a consistent success story. This is an airline that has defied industry norms of either red ink on the bottom line or very low profit margins of 1-4 percent. The airline invented its own business model avoiding the usual management fads such as business process reengineering, total quality management, change management and balanced business scorecard, among others.

The authors vividly describe the epic struggles the airline founders had to go through during the early years in their attempt to be allowed to provide passengers with value for their money, to enable hardworking people who had never flown before to be able to fly, to allow passengers to enjoy flights in the company of a team of happy cabin and cockpit crews who are all keen to delight the customer.

Entrepreneurs in any industry struggling to establish their businesses under the weight of ridiculous laws and red tape and big businesses that seek to reap monopoly or oligopoly profits will take comfort from the realization that with persistence, perseverance, determination, self-confidence, hard work and the desire to provide exceptional services to customers using dedicated and motivated workforce, they will always win in the end.

The book shows that a business that is innovative, has an intense liking of its people, enjoy delighting its customers, have a clear strategy articulated by visionary leaders is bound to be very successful and prosperous. Herb Kelleher and his merry team demonstrated that an airline business can be very profitable whilst maintaining exceptional safety records and high quality of services.

The book is recommended reading to those who want to learn to win in business using highly motivated people who are all keen to exceed customer expectations.

I am not entirely sure what the other reviewers herein were looking for in this book. Certainly it is not supposed to be an action thriller or fluffy romance novel. What it IS, however, is a fascinating insight into a fascinating company. So often during this book, as you read quotes from Herb Kelleher, you will find yourself dropping it into your lap, slapping your forehead and saying (out loud at times) "this makes SENSE! Why doesn't anyone ELSE do it this way?!" I began to truly feel that I could now fly Southwest and be a part of the family because I know all the history, quirks and inside jokes. Of course, it also seems that if you were to ask any given ticket agent or flight attendant... they would be happy (and proud) to tell you anyway!

I do agree that, at times, it seems that the authors didn't read their final product cover to cover. There is a peculiar amount of resetting concepts that have already been mentioned previously... not unlike an author reintroducing us to the same old characters that he uses in every single volume of a series for purposes of people who didn't read the earlier books. This, of course, is rather silly to do from chapter to chapter in a book, however. Considering the overall concept of the book and the fact that the amusement that is provided from all the little annecdotes scattered throughout, I don't think it's something that detracts too much from its value.

If you are a boss, an employee or patronize the service industry in any way, this is a valuable read. I wish it were mandatory in many circles!

In Nuts! the Freibergs (husband and wife, co-authors) detail and explain the success of Southwest Airlines. They go far beyond simply analyzing the company and its key "LUV" ingredient for success.

Through consulting and their later work in preparation for this book, the Freibergs have intimate knowledge of Southwest's operations, and put it to good use in presenting the company to readers. Moreover, they overtly show their enthusiasm for Southwest: the book is packed with words of praise from the Fribergs, Southwest employees, customers, and outsiders including GE's Jack Welch. All of these testimonials help to make the case that employees really do love what they do.

The book is separated into four sections: the first details the history of Southwest. The second focuses on how Southwest does business; the third deals with the building blocks of the company's success. Finally, the book concludes -- and culminates -- with a section on how readers can incorporate Southwest techniques within their own business or work environment.

These "secrets" to success are simple: trust your people, treat them as people (not "resources" or "employees"), celebrate the good, and make information easily available to everyone. As simple as they may be, the authors argue that many companies overlook them in deference to policy and procedure. Nuts! advocates that the People come first, the customers second, and everything else starts at third.

Even the best books have their problems, and Nuts! is hurt by the excessive presentation of anecdotes and letters from customers in boxes, which you must stop to read. While they defiantly add something to the book, readability would have been improved by including them in-line with the text.

Overall, this book is clearly a must-read for managers and employees alike. It is an enjoyable fast read and most everyone will take something valuable away from it!

In the forward of this book Tom Peters says, "If you take time to read only one business book this year, I strongly encourage you to read NUTS!" We wholeheartedly agree! Between the covers of this entertaining book Kevin and Jackie Freiberg have captured the essence of the "Southwest Spirit" that has made Southwest Airlines one of the top companies in America. Although Southwest served over 90 million bags of peanuts in 1999, there is nothing "nuts" about the way they run their company. Southwest topped the list of Fortune magazine's Best Companies To Work For in 1998, and since then has been in one of the top four slots every year.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to see how the concepts of servant leadership are actually put into practice in a real company of over 30,000 employees. You will learn about a company that practices the golden rule as corporate policy-and has paid quarterly dividends for 97 consecutive quarters doing it! The "Southwest culture" described at length in the book gives this company its strategic advantage. This culture genuinely cares about the welfare of the Southwest employees-which are approximately 82% unionized. Southwest Airlines has turned a profit every year since 1973, yet it maintains the lowest fares in a highly competitive industry. It is one of the most admired airlines in the world, regularly ranks best in customer service, and has a consistently high safety record. Southwest was the first airline to establish a home page on the Internet, and was named by BusinessWeek as a "Web Smart 50" company.

Some of the book's statistics about the airline are now out of date due to incredible growth. More recent statistics are readily available at Southwest's web site . However, the principles discussed in this book that are used to guide this most admired airline are timeless.

Review by Dr. J. Howard Baker

This book has now been in print for 11 years but is still a valuable read. As most people spend more waking hours at work and the field to find highly qualified people becomes more competitive, a successful company will create an environment that is flat, allows the employees to grow, challenge and enjoy coming to work.

I did find the book a little long and verbose on praises. If you do find the beginning a little long and are lacking the time, do not miss out on the last 3 chapters. Although commonsense it lays out how it is within SWA

Leaders leading Leaders
1. Walk your talk
2. Focus on things you can control
3. Be prepared
4. Sharpen your political skills
5. Love people into action
6. Listen for more than you hear

Leadership from the inside out

1. Leadership inspires motivation
2. Make a commitment
3. Honor People's efforts
4. Believe in people

Go Nuts
1. Find a purpose you're crazy about
2. Make your life and work an adventure
3. Believe in people and they will believe in themselves
4. Don't take yourself too seriously
5. Dare to Dream
6. Be Yourself
7. Dare to be different
8. Pursue love before techniques
9. Choose service over self-interest

It will be interesting to see how the story plays out from 2007 with even greater pressure on oil prices, and with potential changes relating to Herbert D. Kelleher as Chairman of the Board at the age of 75; and, also Colleen C. Barrett as President, Secretary, Director at the age of 62.

In the end, you have to give credit to the company that keeps the employees as priority #1 and still manages to take its stock from about US$9 in 1998 to about US$ 15 in 2007. It seems the shareholders are not overly concerned. And as the book notes itself, there is no lone ranger at SWA. Leadership is fostered within the organization.