The First Word With NAFA CEO Phillip E. Russo, CAE: Sharing Your Success Stories

"I believe there is a lack of understanding in most companies of what a fleet manager/administrator really does to further the mission of the organization as a whole...Fleet is usually seen as an expense rather than the investment it should be."

Judging by the number of times I’ve heard the above sentiment – or some version of it – in the past few years, it’s likely that many fleet managers today can relate to it. I get the real sense that many of you believe that few people outside of the fleet department have a true sense of what fleet professionals do and the value they bring to an organization.

So what can you do about that?  

First, you -- as the leader of the organization’s fleet -- must understand the role fleet plays in helping the organization reach its goals and live out its mission. Inherent in that statement is that you know and understand your organization’s mission (read: the reason for being) and goals (read: things it wants to accomplish).  

Once you know and understand your organization’s mission and goals, start connecting the dots and show how fleet operations can and do help the organization get where it wants to be, literally and figuratively.  

Don’t know where to start with connecting the dots? Look at all the areas in which you are required to have the expertise and relate them to your organization’s mission and goals. Effective fleet managers have expertise in procurement, finance, taxes, vehicle technology, fuels, negotiating, maintenance, law, and so many other areas. A recent NAFA survey showed that more than 4 of 5 fleet managers said their day-to-day job involves:

• Developing and reviewing fleet policies and procedures
• Vehicle acquisition strategies
• Managing vendor relations
• Big data collection and analysis
• Fuel management
• Vehicle maintenance
• Lifecycle cost analysis

Supplement that information with NAFA’s internal intelligence and it’s clear that fleet managers control a significant budget. For instance, the "average" NAFA member controls a fleet of 1,200 vehicles with an average acquisition cost of $20,000. Translated, that means the average fleet manager controls $24-million in assets, before even beginning the conversation about the rest of the budget these fleet managers control.  

Surely your organization has goals that relate to the areas you control as fleet manager and the areas in which you have expertise.  It’s your job to connect the dots for your management and show them your value.

And it is incumbent upon you to continually demonstrate and explain your value to your boss and your boss’s boss. Our survey revealed that the vast majority of people to whom fleet managers report had no direct involvement in fleet, other than being responsible for fleet on paper. There appears to be a clear disconnect between what fleet managers do every day and what their bosses do every day. If your boss doesn’t know what you’re doing or understand your value, he or she is more likely to make uninformed – and possibly incorrect – decisions that could impact you.

So how do you let your boss and your boss’s boss know what you’re doing and explain your value as a fleet manager? Here are some tips:

• As noted above, know, understand, and show alignment to the organization’s mission and goals.
• Tell your success stories as they relate to the organization’s mission goals.
• Provide high-level data in which your boss(es) have shown interest, such fuel prices, cost per mile, or selector list recommendations. Inherent in this is knowing your audience and presenting information relevant to them.
• Provide data in simple formats, such as graphs, charts, or a dashboard.
• Anticipate questions and prepare answers ahead of time.
• Communicate. Communicate. Communicate some more. Don’t ever assume that if they’re not asking questions they’re okay with your performance. Tell them your story; don’t let them shape the story for you.

For more tips and tools for showing how your skills go "beyond fleet," visit NAFA’s Beyond Fleet website (www.beyondfleet.com) for some template letters, PowerPoint presentations, and other resources.

What are your success stories related to this? I’d love to hear how you’ve communicated your value to your boss. Please feel free to send your thoughts to me at prusso@nafa.org.