Cleared for takeoff
Totally different businesses, but could you run a software company using the same human resource principles followed by Southwest Airlines? Their practices include:
- hiring for attitudes rather than skills
- emphasizing teamwork rather than hierarchy
- designing positions so that employees can perform several jobs if required
- offering front-line employees latitude to address customer needs without recourse to a supervisor
- rewarding for appropriate behavior economically and emotionally
- encouraging off-the-job bonding among employees
I especially like the first two. Most software companies look for very specific skills, but since things change so rapidly, is that really important? The second one is a no-brainer and is indeed practiced by many leading software companies. Designing flexible positions is more important than you might think - how many development shops have only a few people that can troubleshoot a build? The fourth one is about empowering teams to do the right thing. Might get a little sloppy on projects that require a lot of architectural attention, but would fit right in with eXtreme Programming. Rewarding for good behavior is also a no-brainer and doesn't happen nearly as often as it should. Lastly, encouraging bonding really helps team morale and doesn't take a whole lot of resources or effort.