Explain the bigger
picture
It’s
important to
make middle
managers
understand
that they fit
into a bigger
picture and
that what
they do is
not in isolation from the
rest of the company, says
ABTA’s Monique Swart. She
adds that senior managers
will need to take more
time to explain to this
up-and-coming generation
why the travel policy is
important, why they need to
comply and why there are
processes in place.
Help them keep
track of budget
As Radius
Travel’s
Johan
Perrson
points
out,
middle
managers
are
typically
in charge of their own
budgets but they often
fail to keep track of their
budget. “Every manager
has a travel budget – I have one – and right
across the year, I typically
find out where I am and
how much I have left to
spend. However, a lot
of middle managers will
only find out that they are
over the budget once it’s
too late. Keeping track of
the budget is absolutely
vital.”
Listen to your
traveller
Monique warns that
ignoring these travellers
is not a good idea and
can make issues worse.
“If they don’t agree with
something and think
there is a better way
to do it which you are
disregarding, you will
never get them to buy
into your way of doing
things. If you listen to
their ideas and can then
apply some of them or let
them know why that idea
can’t be applied within
the travel programme, at
least they will feel they
have been heard and I
think will then be more
compliant.
Clarify policy from
the start
When new
employees
who will be
travelling for
business
start at your
company, it
is important
to ensure
that the
induction
process covers the travel
policy and the penalties for
non compliance, advises
Wings’ Kim Parker.
Johan agrees that it
should be made clear from
the induction stage what
the traveller’s responsibility
is as well as what the
company’s responsibility
is towards the traveller.
“Make it clear what the
expectations are with
regard to travel from day
one. If you have to be
blunt, be blunt. We do not
advocate that travellers
take trips for the sake of it.
That’s a general rule.
company’s responsibility
is towards the traveller.
“Make it clear what the
expectations are with
regard to travel from day
one. If you have to be
blunt, be blunt. We do not
advocate that travellers
take trips for the sake of it.
That’s a general rule.
company’s responsibility
is towards the traveller.
“Make it clear what the
expectations are with
regard to travel from day
one. If you have to be
blunt, be blunt. We do not
advocate that travellers
take trips for the sake of it.
That’s a general rule.
