Bonnie
Endicott
Director, People - Talent Management
Southwest Airlines
Lorelei
Windeler
Talent Development Manager
Southwest Airlines
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11:10am-11:40am Innovations in Performance Management: Our Journey into a New Environment

General Session
Utilizing a collaborative performance management process to support employee productivity in today’s environment Performance Management at Southwest Airlines is evolving from a traditional end of year performance appraisal model to a continuous feedback model. We set out to close the gap between the evolving expectations of employees for continuous feedback and an annual performance appraisal process which did not support the rapid pace of business change. This became even more evident as the COVID-19 pandemic set in and corporate-based teams began working remotely. 
 
This new environment highlights that open communication and consistent feedback are paramount. The role of the leader as a supporting coach has become more important as the continuous feedback model evolves and conversations are less about reviewing past performance and more about future-oriented development. This model empowers the Employee through development, fosters a coaching culture, and enables collaboration on individual priorities to support business objectives. The new performance management model at Southwest Airlines incorporates quarterly Check-in conversations which provide a balanced look at recent performance with a view towards upcoming priorities. Employees can connect their strengths and past success to future work and development, while also allowing opportunity to hear feedback and make proactive adjustments.
 
 In this session, you will: 
- Recognize the importance of leaders intentionally providing feedback and touch points with their employees 
- Learn a model of performance management that empowers and engages employees to set priorities and own their performance 
- Understand the benefits of a continuous feedback model for both the employee and the business