Chief Learning Officer - September 2007 - (Page 26)

informed. It also guaranteed vouchers and payments for delays that are the airline’s responsibility. (In spite of the setback in February, JetBlue still ranked among the top providers regarding customer service in the most recent Consumer Reports survey.) “From an operational and executive perspective, there wasn’t a great deal of concern about the transition from David to Dave because Dave had already established himself as an excellent operations guy — the potential impact was more cultural,” said Mike Barger, JetBlue University vice president and chief learning officer (as well as Dave Barger’s brother). “David Neeleman has really been the inspiration and driving force for the creation of an exceptional corporate culture at JetBlue. He has always been visible and approachable, and he made a constant effort to get out and greet our crew members across the organization. So, it felt to many of our people as if a family member was going away, and they might not get a chance to see him as much anymore. Would everyone still get that same feeling of being a part of something very special from a workforce and culture perspective?” Consequently, making sure Dave Barger continues that tradition of CEO visibility and accessibility is one of the things on which Mike Barger has been focused. “Dave has been present at almost every one of the new crew member orientation sessions since coming onboard as CEO, speaking to the group in person,” Mike Barger said. “He’s made it clear to me that he will continue to do that. He very much believes in the importance of demonstrating that we’re all just people — we’re all just regular folks trying to perpetuate a very special kind of company. It’s a pleasure for everyone to be around a CEO who is so committed to every single new crew member.” In fact, Dave Barger kicks off the entire orientation day at JetBlue University. “These are people handpicked from a long list of applicants because we felt they had the right personality and background to join us,” Mike Barger said. “They end the day having heard presentations from and having had a nice lunch with seven or eight of the highest-ranking officers of the company.” Further, that senior-level commitment to new crew members can be seen in how the executives fill their calendars. “When we do our corporate milestone calendar every year, the very first thing that goes in there are new crew member orientation days — before board meetings, before earnings calls, before anything else is committed to on the calendar,” Mike Barger said. September 2007 I www.clomedia.com I Chief Learning Officer ©2006 LearnKey, Inc. LK0407 Source Code #4134-732 Creating an “In Crowd” of Ownership Learning forums and town halls are well-established means for a new CEO to communicate key changes and strategies to an entire company. One best practice uses these approaches in an especially innovative ©2006 LearnKey, Inc. LK0907 Source Code #4134-732 26 http://lomedia.com http://www.learnkey.com/clomag http://www.learnkey.com/clomag

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Chief Learning Officer - September 2007

Editor's Letter Contents Letters to the Editor Strategies Selling up, Selling Down Take Five Imperatives Guest Editorial Learning Solutions Embarking on a Learning Journey Clo Profile Environment CIGNA Service Operations: Making Strategic Change Happen, and Making It Stick Tactics Black & Decker: On-Demand Learning Creation and Consumption Productivity The Army You Have Human Capital Holiday Inn Express: Delivering Critical Training Globally Case Study: Tegan Jones Business Intelligence Case Study: Lisa Rummler Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources In Conclusion

Chief Learning Officer - September 2007

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