Procurement is full of perceived difference and separation

Procurement is full of perceived difference and separation.

• Procurement vs suppliers
• Procurement vs finance
• Procurement vs engineering
• Procurement vs operations
• Procurement vs marketing
• Procurement vs fm
• Procurement vs hr
• Procurement vs the mavericks
• Procurement the bad cop vs the good cop
• Us vs them

The post that inspired this list was one on inclusion and diversity from Helen Amery (I’d highly recommend reading it). Helen’s post started a thought process for me that was further fuelled by noticing other posts where there was a distinction being made between “us” and the “other”. It’s that distinction I often pick up in the language of procurement - a language with an “other” we have to battle with in order to win the day. These posts are inviting us to consider there is no separation we are all part of a whole and any outcome is only achieved by doing it together as an “us”. Notice what you notice today about your separation with others, and perhaps even try for yourself a little more “us”ness.

The mindsets of separation and unity will be explored on the forthcoming 5 day Procurement challenge starting on the 9th September. Join me and discover the obstacles hindering your progress.

Have you ever had a bad day?

Have you ever had a bad day & wanted to blame someone for your day? I remember many years ago slamming down the phone & swearing very loudly & a colleague asking “Have you stopped doing Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP)?”
They asked because since I’d started my journey of how my mind works I’d started to stand in others shoes, & take responsibility for my reactions. I realised how I saw the world was only one view. In the words of a stakeholder I’d become “easier to deal with”. I’d become more conscious of the impact my thinking was having on any situation & how I was feeling. On bad days when we don’t understand how others think, & everything gets on top of us it’s easy; to not want to take the time to understand our own contribution to the situation; to have a day off from personal responsibility; to blame someone else; & to slam the phone down & swear. Ultimately though, our mind is with us 24/7 365, & a conscious awareness of the impact it’s having on the outcomes we’re getting is actually the quickest way to finding a solution or resolve a frustration. It’s such a pity that’s also true on a bad day because slamming phones can certainly make us feel better - momentarily. How can you take back responsibility for the outcome you’re getting?

The 5 day Procurement Mindset Challenge starting on the 9th September will allow us to become more conscious about the mindset we're choosing in any moment, and to explore the alternate choices we have. See link to join up.

I can feel the frustration

• I can feel the frustration.
• I can feel me digging in my heels.
• I can me whispering “over my dead body”.
• I can sense the dogged resistance to them getting their own way.
• I will not give up.
• They will not win.

I wonder if this ever how procurement stakeholders feel about us?

I wonder if this is ever how suppliers feel about us?

The content & details of the non work situation driving this behaviour in me is immaterial – even if I would love to gossip, moan & justify why I’m right & they’re wrong.

That’s going to get me nowhere.

If I step back, I can certainly see the behaviours that got us here:

• Changes imposed on another party with no consultation.
• An objection procedure that relies on emails/letters & no human contact.
• Facts & data ignored if it supports a different outcome or amended outcome.
• Ignoring other people's opinions because we've labeled them as NIMBYs 
• Key facts & data misrepresented or omitted at the final presentation.
• Only one party in attendance when approving the decision.

And

• Emails written when angry.
• Emails that stray from the facts & data.
• Emails that push the other party to defending their position.
• Not pushing hard enough for a face to face meeting.
• Not talking to another human being.

Which of the above behaviours may you need to step back from today?

There is another way, and among other things it involves: 

• Consultation 
• Communication 
• Compassion.

Join me for the 5 day Procurement Mindset Challenge on 9th September where alternate mindsets to the ones that led to the mutual frustration and impasse above will be explored.

5 day Procurement Mindset challenge

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

In the procurement mindset 5 day challenge starting on 9^th September we’ll be looking at ways of making a supportive mindset a habit.

Not in my back yard!

Are you listening to the “Not In My Back Yard” Procurement stakeholders in your life, or judging them as moaning Minnies defending their own self interest against a greater good?

NIMBYs are a pain, right?

As I reflect on my continued disagreement with the local council it certainly feels like I'm being judged as a NIMBY.

As I woke early, still feeling very frustrated, I realised how I'm feeling might just be how our stakeholders feel when resisting one of our brilliant strategies.

It's a feeling that's arisen from behaviours that certainly turn up in the many stories of procurement gone wrong (I have a Pinterest board full of the horror stories if you're interested).

Behaviours that include:

X relying on written communication
X avoiding face-to-face communication
X decisions approved behind closed doors
X not providing full details of the reasons and benefits for the strategy
X not providing the facts and data to support the reasons and benefits
X not addressing stakeholder facts, data, and concerns

I wonder how much of the behaviour we've experienced from the council is because we've been judged as NIMBYs. As if we and our concerns are invalid and are, therefore, dismissed because we're negatively impacted.

How do you handle NIMBYs in your life?

The Word Collector

The reason I geek out about patterns in language is because our language is such a wonderful route to solving a problem, and I love solving problems so we can make progress rather than be in that frustrating no man's land of confusion and indecision.

I particularly love helping Procurement professionals find the solutions that are eluding them, to get back on the track they want to be on, rather than up a creek, in a rut, out on a limb, in deep water or going round in circles.

Caroline Myss talks about words having power, and for me that power comes in many guises:

• Power to impact our mindset (and therefore outcomes)
• Power to impact our behaviours (ditto)
• Power to hide the solution within the very words we’re using 

Which is why when coaching, training or consulting procurement teams I can often be heard saying “I notice you said the word xxx” and then we’re off to see how exploring their language may help them turn round and head for their intended destination and away from that dead end.

Next time you’re not getting the outcome you expect, look to the words you’re using - they may just be the difference that makes the difference.