What A Performance And Planning Manager At Global Airline Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Airline Industry
Alex, a Manager of Performance and Planning at a global airline, learned that the role demands a broad understanding of many departments—"a little bit of an expert in every book"—and strong relationships are crucial for influencing decisions, but must be coupled with "sound analysis and sound recommendations" to maintain credibility.
Communication, Problem-Solving, Teamwork, Data Analysis, Leadership
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. The role demands a broad understanding of various departments (operations, network, revenue management, marketing, sales), requiring continuous learning and a quick understanding of different areas of expertise.
2. Building and maintaining strong relationships across teams is crucial for success, as collaboration and influence are essential for achieving goals. However, these relationships must be combined with sound analysis and well-supported recommendations to maintain credibility.
3. Effective communication and collaboration skills are paramount. Being able to articulate ideas clearly, persuasively and engage people, both individually and in groups, are key for success in this role
Transcript
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone had told you before you started?
There are three things that come to mind. Number one, in this role, I have to be a bit of an expert in every area. I have to talk to the operations team, our Network, our Revenue Management team, our Marketing team, and our Sales team.
While I can't be a complete expert in everything, I have to know enough to engage effectively with each team. This means there's a steep learning curve. Initially, I struggled because I didn't always know all the specific details.
To overcome this, I had to step back and gain more information. Number two, relationships matter. In this specific role, I liaise with so many different teams that my personal brand and reputation are my currency.
I often try to convince people to go in a certain direction. I ensure I'm always engaging with people, being open, and sharing my information. I don't try to manipulate them into doing things, because my personal relationships help me get work done.
However, it's not just about relationships. You have to combine this with sound analysis and recommendations. You can't just be friendly with everyone and expect work to get done, as that only goes so far.
If you ask for a favor and then have no plan to implement it, or it backfires, your reputation is damaged, if not broken. You really have to combine having a good personal relationship with sound business analysis. You need to believe in what you're saying and think it's going to make a difference.