Challenges For A Performance And Planning Manager At A Global Airline
Alex, a Manager of Performance and Planning at a global airline, identifies ambiguity in projects and team assignments as a key challenge, creating "hesitation that you can't really have in business." The highly competitive airline industry, with its "small margins" and price-sensitive customers, presents another hurdle, requiring a focus on differentiating service to build price inelasticity and attract customers.
Ambiguity and Problem-Solving, Competitive Industry Analysis, Project Management and Prioritization, Performance and Planning, Leadership and Teamwork
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Alex Olafsson
Manager, Performance and Planning
Global Airline Company
Kalamazoo College 2011
UCLA Anderson MBA
Economics
Aerospace, Aviation & Defense
Business Strategy
Scholarship Recipient, Pell Grant Recipient, Took Out Loans, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Ambiguity in projects and team responsibilities: Alex highlights the ambiguity in deciding projects and team ownership as a significant challenge, especially for new employees who might prefer clearer roadmaps. This speaks to the need for adaptability and proactive decision-making in this type of role.
2. Competitive airline industry: The highly competitive nature of the airline industry, with tight margins and price-sensitive customers, presents another key challenge. This emphasizes the importance of understanding market dynamics and finding ways to differentiate a company's offerings.
3. Balancing cost and customer experience: Alex mentions the need to improve customer experience to create price inelasticity, which is a constant balancing act in the industry. This highlights the importance of strategic thinking that combines operational efficiency with customer satisfaction in the airline industry.
Transcript
What are some of the biggest challenges in your current role?
In my role, things are a bit open-ended. We get to decide where we think we should focus, and one of the biggest challenges is the ambiguity.
There's ambiguity about what issues to address and what projects to take on. There's also ambiguity about whether we should handle something as a team, or if another team could do it just as well. It can be hard to decide who should do what.
This ambiguity can sometimes create hesitation, but you can't really afford that in business. You have to be willing to keep moving forward.
That said, operating in the gray can also make things interesting. This can be especially challenging for newer employees who might be looking for more of a roadmap.
I've come from roles with more defined structures. Now, I'm in a more ambiguous situation, but it’s not like the entire airline industry is ambiguous.
I think the second challenge is that airlines are in a very competitive space. Historically, we have small margins, and we have price-sensitive customers.
We're seeing a shift where customers expect a good experience, similar to what they get from any major carrier. What we try to do is provide a better experience and differentiate ourselves to create price inelasticity.
This means customers are more willing to pay for our product and service because we offer something better, not just because they have more money.
I think those are some of the challenging aspects, both in my specific role and throughout the airline industry.