The benefits I deliver

"Alison what do you do? I love reading your blogs and get a lot from them but I'm not sure what you earn your money doing."

I've been asked this question a few times recently and realised that a blog response might be the best option. At least for those I can't talk directly about it to.

In essence I'm a procurement professional with a strong, and uncanny, intuitive sense of where the problem lies, with a passion for:

• personal responsibility
• seeing the bigger picture
• values
• beliefs
• communication
• engagement
• team working
• change
• wellbeing

All supported by a mind that loves excel spreadsheets (well someone has to!) and knowing the right questions to ask. More on my experience and skills can be found here and on LinkedIn.

These passions fuel the desire, and inform the way in which I use different tools to get others unstuck. That is I'm at my happiest when people (or teams or projects for that matter) are:

• stuck
• facing a challenge
• are in dispute with others 
• don't know what to do

Once clients are back on track I know my job is done and it's time to leave. To me 'inspiring change inside and out' explains my mission.


"What does that mean you do every day?"

Over the last eight years it's been a mix of: procurement consultancy; procurement elearning script development; category strategy development and implementation; category management and supplier relationship management training; leadership, management, communication, influencing and change management training; project management; meeting facilitation; team development; competency assessment and development; and coaching.

Prior to working for myself I was communication and personal development manager on the leadership team of HBOS Group Procurement at the time of the merger between Halifax and Bank of Scotland.

I'm currently in the process of arranging a couple of workshops:

• Getting relationships right 
• Overcoming business challenges naturally

Both workshops are also available to be run in-house.

I'm also offering intensive 24hr coaching retreats and trialing Skype coaching where a quick intervention is required. (I'm currently looking for a small number of individuals to test out the 30 minutes service free - in exchange for feedback and, when successful, a testimonial)


"What benefits do your clients get from your involvement?"

Many of my clients are procurement consultancies and I therefore deliver the list above to their clients. I wrote a blog on the business benefits from the work I do. I realise however that a series of blogs providing insight into what I do, how I do it and the benefits that arise as a result might be useful.

Here's some blogs I've already written that emphasise the areas I work with clients on:

• Effective communication
• Stakeholder engagement
• Understanding what's holding people back
• Keeping on track
• Team motivation
• Personal wellbeing
• Understanding differences
• Getting more perspective
• Not doing the same things and expecting different results
• Understanding how beliefs are holding you back
• Business values
• How we judge others
• Taking personal responsibility 

Other blogs to follow, that will be more like case studies, will include:

• Strategy development
• Personal development
• Developing confidence
• Getting back on track
• Building organisational capability
• Delivering exceptional performance
• Using nature to landscape your life - personally and organisationally

I'll add links to these as I write them.

I hope this blog has given you a better flavour into what I do. If you still have any questions please do leave a comment below.

If it's given you any ideas on how I may help you personally, your organisation or someone you know do please get in touch.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Kindest Regards
Alison

Alison Smith
Inspiring change inside and out
alison@thepurchasingcoach.co.uk +44 (0)7770 538159