Keesup Choe, chief executive, PredictX

It is no secret that the role of the travel manager has changed dramatically in the past year.

Fourteen months ago I wrote about how the travel management role was moving further away from procurement and closer to HR at a time when companies were slowly becoming more interested in traveller wellbeing.

Here we are in 2020 and a global pandemic that has resulted in border closures and mass trip cancellations ¨C while also putting many employees at risk ¨C has meant that HR and travel are indeed now more linked than ever.

In fact, it isn¡¯t just HR taking more of an interest in travel. C-suite executives turned to travel teams as they created and negotiated the company¡¯s response to the pandemic and a strategy going forward.

Travel¡¯s increasing profile
Back in April, an ITM survey of 162 travel managers found 80 per cent agreed the pandemic had presented the opportunity for greater C-suite buy-in to drive travel policy compliance.

Buyers reported to BTN Europe that they had more regular interactions with the CEO and that the company had a greater understanding of the travel category and its importance in the company.

This is great news and a real opportunity for travel managers to shape their company¡¯s strategy but it comes with a catch.

With companies taking more interest in travel over the next few years, travel managers are going to need to ensure that stakeholders remain engaged and onboard with new initiatives.

Buyers will now be tasked with helping to lead company-wide steering committees in the right direction. Projects that previously only had a few executives signing off on decisions will now have many more people to please and many more voices at the table.

Effective stakeholder management is now more important than ever. But how do we get it right?

Many of the clients we work with encounter challenges when it comes to stakeholder engagement. These range from communicating policy to getting stakeholder buy-in for new initiatives, as well as getting stakeholders to be more engaged with travel programme reporting and KPIs.

They are therefore adding more components to their data management process to address this. And from what I¡¯ve learned, there are six easy steps to better stakeholder engagement.

Step 1: Know who your stakeholders are
This sounds simple enough yet, in large enterprises, it can get complicated.

Who is needed to make sure your programme goals and strategy are a success? Also, keep in mind that restructuring within companies is constantly taking place.

Step 2: Map your stakeholders
Stakeholders can be mapped into four different groups based on their interest and influence in your initiative¡¯s success. These are as follows:

? Low interest, low influence ¨C those you need to keep informed
? High interest, low influence ¨C those you need to involve and consult with
? Low interest, high influence ¨C powerful stakeholders you need to engage
? High interest, high influence ¨C partners you need to collaborate with

Step 3: Create a communication strategy
The more we work on keeping stakeholder¡¯s engaged in our process, the more likely new initiatives will be supported. Each stakeholder group will need a separate communication strategy depending on their group¡¯s unique needs.

For example, low interest, high influence stakeholders will need something more engaging and easy to digest as they are least likely to be interested yet their support is valuable.

Step 4: Let data be your guide
In today¡¯s information-heavy world, businesses cannot make effective decisions without looking at the data first. Traveller demand, compliance metrics, travel spend and even travel ROI are all worthwhile metrics when we look at what the programme should look like going forward.

Accurate and up to date data on complex, changing travel and government regulations is even more crucial. Those armed with accurate, timely and relevant data build more trust amongst stakeholders, making them more likely to get support.

Step 5: Tell your data story
Have you heard of the term ¡°dashboard blindness¡±? It is when we get lost in a sea of facts, figures, charts and graphs with little or no context on what these stats mean for us and why we should care. Stakeholders do not engage with data presented this way.

In a category with complex data like travel, it can also be easy for stakeholders to misinterpret the data and draw their own conclusions.

That is why, as clich¨¦d as it sounds, data needs a story. Stakeholders need to be more than just informed, they need to be influenced.

For example, stating that advance purchase compliance is at 76 per cent in 2019 does not give stakeholders much direction. After all, 76 per cent seems like the majority are compliant.

Instead, add how 76 per cent compliance is down 3 per cent from last year. As a result of fewer trips being booked in advance, the company missed out on a potential quarter of a million in savings. This makes this particular data point much more meaningful.

Step 6: Ensure story leads to understanding, engagement and action
The whole point of this exercise is so that stakeholders support us and action our data.

Your data story therefore needs to be actionable. If we look at our earlier example on advance purchase, include which company departments are booking late and why. Make sure the managers in these departments are informed.

As we navigate times of uncertainty, the ability to analyse and communicate data effectively remains to be one of the most essential business skills.

As more eyes turn towards travel departments to help lead companies forward, let data be your guide for making effective business decisions fit for the future.