Often overlooked, though a critical component to fleet
management, is People Management. The reality is that the majority
of a fleet manager's time often is spent dealing with personnel and
interdepartmental issues. How you deal with these issues influences
employee morale, user department relationships, and management's
opinion of your effectiveness as Fleet Manager.
Successful "people management" equates to successful fleet
management! This translates into increased and improved operational
efficiencies and improved customer service....essentially leading
to increased profit, the main goal for every fleet manager and
company.
Below are six characteristics of said people management,
employed by and common among the best of fleet managers around the
nation:
1. Become a Role Model: Successful people
management means you yourself, serve as an example of excellence.
"Do as I Do"-By maintaining a high standard of personal
performance, you encourage a similar high standard from all
associates. An effective fleet manager ensures all employees
perform to the best of their abilities and are given opportunities
to improve their skill sets, and can do the job right the first
time. In addition, a role model also means standing behind promises
and following through on commitments to staff, user departments,
and management.
2. Fairness. One way to exemplify fairness to
your workforce is to ensure all rules are applied equally. It is
important to be impartial when enforcing fleet policy and company
rules. 'Not Just a Critic"-Fairness also means acknowledging when
someone does a good job. Never take credit for other people's work,
but also by providing constructive criticism when needed.
Maintaining a "feel good" environment is sometimes
counter-productive. Strive to develop a management style that is
fair, firm, and consistent.
3. Encourage Self-Growth. Develop programs that
incentivize associates to advance their skill sets by striving for
excellence and taking advantage of training opportunities. Let your
associates know you are receptive to new ideas to improve fleet
operations. Encourage creativity and innovation!
4. Problem Resolution. When issues emerge with
your fleet operation, your focus should be finding solutions, not
assigning blame. If it is necessary to criticize, do so in
private. The best way to resolve problems is to prevent them from
happening in the first place. You may think everyone understands
the goals of the department; however, it is important not to take
this for granted. It is crucial to continually re-communicate the
goals of the department. These goals need to be well defined and
clearly stated.
5. Cultivate Customer Service. A best-in-class
fleet operation has excellent interdepartmental relationships. It
is important to remember that without user departments there would
be no need for fleet operations. "Word of Mouth"-the cheapest
advertising for your company you'll ever find! An effective fleet
manager listens to user departments. It is important to regularly
survey customers to determine their needs, wants, and expectations
of fleet operations. If you are not meeting these needs and
expectations, then you've failed as a fleet operation. It is
important for fleet operations to be cost-efficient and to temper
unwarranted user department demands, but an unhappy customer
represents a deficiency in your department's performance.
Remember----People management is harder than fleet
management!