Are you unconsciously incompetent?

Are you, or are your stakeholders or suppliers unconsciously incompetent ?

Please watch this YouTube video - it's GREAT. See BBC Breakfast's Mike Bushell having a go at synchronised swimming :-)

I'm sure the seemingly effortlessness of the synchronised swimmers, gymnasts or cyclists at the Olympics might have lulled some of us into a false sense of security - that we too could do that! Or is that just me?

Such a GREAT reminder that when learning anything we start unconsciously incompetent. It's only when we try it that we realise what we don't know, and become consciously incompetent.  As we practice we may even manage conscious competence, and over time that conscious awareness slips into our unconscious.  

It's a process we follow when learning any skill - even procurement.  

The task many procurement professionals have when dealing with stakeholders therefore is remembering many of them don't know what they don't know, and just like Mike think they too can have a go themselves. 

Procurement's task therefore is to help others understand that the skills required to do procurement well take time to develop, and have been achieved through lots and lots of practice. Like any of the medals won this last few days Procurement's medals will only be achieved by the professionals who spend time in the pool daily, rather than those who haven't set foot in it since childhood! 

How will you help your stakeholders understand Procurement is more like the 100 meters than the egg and spoon race?

Alison Smith

The Purchasing Coach

Inspiring change - inside and out

PS The same can of course be said when we try to tell our suppliers how to do their job!

PPS For more Olympic themed blogs see yesterday's about wining gold together with suppliers or seeing them as the opposition to be beaten.

Winning together, or are your suppliers the losers?

The Olympics, whilst being about doing your best, is also about winning. Whether that winning is by being faster, stronger, higher, longer, or by being more precise, creative or strategic. I suspect that won't cover every event, but you get my point.

Winning is something that often crops up in procurement workshops - particularly when discussing negotiations. 

Winning is great if, just like the Olympics, you're opposition is on another team. That is, all participants have the same but mutually exclusive aim - doing their best, and if at all possible coming first, and beating the opposition. No holes barred, and no negative impact as a result of doing so. No relationships to maintain, nor alliances to covert. 

Winning isn't appropriate if it's against those in the same team - the aim then is about working together to achieve a common goal, against a common opposition. Each participant collaborating to achieve the agreed objective. Each bringing their own expertise to bare on achieving that outcome. Sharing the work load, and sharing the benefits.

I'd contend that tactical negotiation is more like the former, and strategic negotiation is like the later. 

Problems arise when we treat suppliers we'd like a relationship with as if they're the opposition in the 100 meters hurdles or the heptathlon, rather than one of our fellow runners in the relay, or part of the same synchronised swimming team. 

What will you choose?

Alison Smith

The Purchasing Coach

Inspiring change inside and out

Blogs with insight from the London 2012 Olympics include:

• Let actions provide the inspiration
• Do your suppliers have passion 
• Success is more than gold
• Are your suppliers like Olympic athletes
• We get what we focus on
• Anything is possible
• Acceptance not comparison  

Acceptance not Comparison

As soon as the Paralympics opening ceremony started so did the comparisons with the Olympics - on social media anyway - better or worse, liked or disliked, more or less:

sound

sights

words

storyline

special effects

fireworks

goosebumps

tears

talents

presenters

adverts (or not)

I got caught up with it myself on whether I wanted the adverts in the opening ceremony - but then realised that may be - just maybe - I was being drawn into the illusion we all have about the validity of the comparisons we make. Isn't there a mirror here for what the athletes, and those they physically represent, face every day.

and so began my journey of enlightenment (the Paralympics opening ceremony theme) - not making comparisons but just accepting the difference of where people (and opening ceremonies) are at - what ever their history - and being inspired by their story, determination, success, failures and achievements to go tell my story and make a difference in the world. Just, and I mean just, like the Olympic Athletes and their opening ceremony the other week.

So that's where I'm at on what the #Paralympics has taught me so far - what about you - and more importantly what action will that inspire?

Alison Smith

The Purchasing Coach

Sowing the seeds for effective purchasing

Lends me your eyes picture source: hannasroom.com via Alison on Pinterest

Keeping the Spirit Alive

The Olympics finished 2 weeks ago with the whole nation seemingly positive, inspired and at peace with themselves and the rest of the world. Every gold was celebrated, every hurdle overcome applauded and every mistake forgiven. When athletes not achieving gold apologised for letting us down in unison we all shouted from our sofa's "You didn't". If they'd measured our happiness score over those 2 weeks we certainly would have been top of that leader board.

Have you noticed a difference since? Perhaps you've achieved more, worked out more or focused better. Or perhaps you've eaten more healthily, been less critical or looked for the positive. On the other hand perhaps business as usual resumed very quickly with well being going out the window, distractions mounting and back to back meetings taking place with no time to think let alone make changes or stay positive.

We were talking about the impact of "business of usual" last week at a session on implementing a new e-enabled procurement toolkit. We can do everything on the training day to ensure they understand the benefits of the using the new tools, we can get them comfortable with using them, we can even enable them to use them on real examples to embed the learning and to understand the positive difference they can deliver. The challenge is how to ensure using the new tools becomes business as usual once they get back to the office rather than falling back on what they were doing before?

If we are to apply learning from those who have successfully made changes to their lives since watching the London 2012 Olympics I'd suggest the following needs to take place:

1. Desire to change
2. Inspired to change (others can provide this for you)
3. Motivated to change (you can only do this for yourself)
4. Action plan in place (so you know what you're going to be doing)
5. First step in plan to take place within 24 hours (before you have time for other priorities to get in the way)
6. Commitment made to others
7. Being held accountable by others to those commitments
8. Measuring the benefits (to provide more of 3 above so you continue taking action)

If you failed to make the desired changes 2 weeks ago, with the Paralympics upon us, why not get into the spirit over the coming weeks and tap into the inspiration needed in step 2 to provide the motivation to take the necessary action.

Alison Smith
The Purchasing Coach
Sowing the seeds for effective change in your purchasing athletes and team

Source: london2012.com via Alison on Pinterest

Let actions provide the inspiration

There's been many from the UK saying that they're enjoying the London 2012 Olympics more than they expected. I'm sure there are many contributory factors: the great opening ceremony, the Queen, James Bond and the corgis, it all taking place on our timezone, availability of live broadcasting for every sport, use of social media, success of #TeamGB etc.

The lack lustre expectation and enthusiasm ahead of the games was that after 7 years of hearing all about it we were bored of it. We just wanted it to be over. We wouldn't then have to read yet another article, watch yet another programme or read about this that or the other hiccup, be warned again about travelling into London, or enter into yet another debate about whether we liked the London 2012 logo, or have to understand what the mascots Wenlock and Mandeville were all about. Simply put we'd had enough of London 2012 before it began.

Yet once we allowed the actions to speak for themselves we got it, we got behind London 2012, we got behind #TeamGB, we got behind all the Olympic athletes and now we're hooked. If we don't have tickets we're on the internet or phone trying to get some. Or we're sitting in front of our TV clapping and shouting - ok screaming - encouragement loudly (or is that just me?). Or we're blogging, tweeting, updating and sharing our congratulations and commiserations to the athletes involved and frankly to who ever will listen.

My take away from all this is not to spend too much time telling people about what I do, and potentially boring them, but just get out there and let the actions speak for themselves. I know the blogs I write and tweets I .. well tweet..  that simply share insight from the day whether at work, rest or play always get a better reception to those where I 'strategically' decide to tell you about something to do with purchasing best practise.

What about you - how can your actions speak louder to your potential clients?

Alison Smith
The Purchasing Coach
Sowing the seeds for effective action in purchasing

London 2012 Mascot Picture Source: london2012wallpaper.com via Alison on Pinterest

Do your suppliers have Passion?

Sally Peake's distress at missing out on getting through to the Olympic Pole Vault final is gut wrenching. Who can look at this picture and not feel her pain and want to hug her and tell her it will be ok. I don't think the blog I wrote yesterday about success not being just about gold would help much :-(. I just hope in time she will be able to be proud of what she did achieve and take the learning to ensure even more success next time.

The question I'd like to ask you, linked to an earlier blog suggesting that suppliers are just like athletes, is when did your supplier last show this much pain and disappointment in a meeting after things have gone wrong?

I was in a meeting recently with a client and was in tears because what I'd said would happen did. There's many frustrations about that around how I could have got them to listen to what I was saying earlier. I was told by someone I'd got too close and needed to not take it personally. However isn't that what buyer/supplier relationships are all about - personal relationships. Where suppliers care as much about the business they're supporting as the business does it self. Otherwise why would you not do it yourself?

Here's to more tears in the meeting room :-)..... ok perhaps not tears but you know what I mean.

Alison Smith
The Purchasing Coach
Sowing the seeds for passion from your suppliers

Sally Peake Picture Source: dailymail.co.uk via Alison on Pinterest

Success is more than gold

Claire Balding commentating for the BBC here in the UK got into hot water yesterday when she referred to Rebecca Adlington's bronze in the pool as failure. She did apologise later and said it was just a heat of the moment comment because they knew what Rebecca had hoped for. We've seen other examples of bronze or silver medal winners, obviously having put every ounce of skill, energy and determination into their race, in tears apologising for not getting a gold.

I understand the athletes reactions. In order to do well they need to believe in themselves. In order to do well they're likely to have visualised themselves winning and they may have done this every day since the last Olympics - or for even longer. It may well be that very envisioning of achieving gold that enabled them to get the bronze - after all aiming for bronze they may not have even got them into the final. I can't even begin to imagine the pressure they've given themselves to succeed. Never mind the media and the nation starting to buy into that vision - no wonder there's disappointment when it's not achieved.

What disturbed me the most was our reaction - those of us watching. Many joined Claire in the belief that we'd failed - again. Unlike Claire we didn't have to apologise for how we felt so I wonder how many of us still went to bed feeling dissatisfied with the outcome. Before the swimming last night I'd noticed the EDF energy of the nation was 83% positive. Within minutes of Rebecca's swim it has tumbled by over 10%. Yes that's because we tweeted our sadness but what else does it say about how we define success of others? Surely at such times we should have been more positive to support her achievement not joined her in her misery?

One swimmer, who'd come 6th in the final, said yesterday she'd have eaten her arm to have got a bronze. For her success wasn't just gold - for her it would have been a medal. For others it would have been being in the final. For many others it will have been representing their country at the Olympics. For even more making it into the selection process. So for those of us watching from our sofas surely success for those athletes has to be much more than just gold?

Here's to all athletes who have a passion and desire for their sport and spend many many many hours, days. months and years perfecting their skills. You might not win the gold but from my perspective every day you get up early and train you're succeeding - winning gold just provides the motivation.

Alison Smith
The Purchasing Coach
Sowing the seeds for success in purchasing

Medal Picture Source: blog.royalmint.com via Alison on Pinterest

Are your suppliers like Olympic athletes?

At a recent meeting a business owner expressed frustration that a supplier wasn't delivering the service he wanted. I asked a few questions and it became apparent there were a number of things going on. The main element missing had been any objective supplier selection criteria. That is if he'd thought about it objectively he'd not have chosen the supplier he had.

I wondered what the process would have looked like if selecting a supplier was the same as the selection of athletes to win an Olympic medal. What could he have done differently in order to more closely match the suppliers skills and expertise with his needs.

Athletes
Like suppliers athletes excel in disciplines they have the passion for and skills and expertise in. Success may be determined by a degree of innate expertise but otherwise excelling in a discipline will be determined by appropriate and effective: physique, endurance, fitness, diet, well being, determination, training, coaching, mentoring, support etc. That is they are continually undertaking activities that improve the skill and increase the consistency of delivery.

Choice of athlete
When the team is selecting an athlete to represent them they will consider: the discipline they train for, past and current achievements, their routines for sustaining their expertise, their passion, their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well being, the support they have, their reaction to stress, etc. It's only once they have undertaken this assessment that they can understand how well these athletes meet their requirements today, and in 4 years time when the Olympics arrives, and how they compare to others.

In the instance with the business owner I think he had invited a retired 100m butterfly Olympic medal winner from 1996 to take part in the 400m freestyle. No surprise then that it didn't work out. 

Have you chosen Olympic athletes as suppliers or did they just take part in the egg and spoon race at the local school and come last!

Alison Smith
The Purchasing Coach
Sowing the seeds for Olympic athletes as your suppliers

Gold medal picture Source: dailymail.co.uk via Alison on Pinterest

We get what we focus on

After a most inspiring London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony on Friday many tweeted their congratulations to all involved. Many like me blogged about it and I know a day hasn't gone by since when I've not spoken, blogged or tweeted about it with others inspired and with pride and positivity.

It's a pity therefore that the next day the tweets changed from general positivity to negativity. We Brits started to do what we do best and moan and notice all that went wrong rather than what was going well. Although I'm sure with the medals starting to come in for Great Britain that may change.

I just wish we'd all remember 2 things:

* We get what we focus on, and
* The golden ratio for effective and long lasting relationships is 5 positive interactions to 1 negative interaction - see John Gottman here on YouTube explaining more.

Every night from 2100 for an hour the lighting of the London Eye is reflecting the % of positive Olympic London 2012 tweets from within Great Britain for the day. So here's hoping that the London Eye remains over 84% illuminated to continue to keep alive the hopes, dreams and possibilities of the world which came together in the opening ceremony and continues to be represented by the Olympic Cauldron.

Alison Smith
The Purchasing Coach
Sowing the seeds for positivity within your purchasing team

PS I promise not to write anything negative for another 5 blogs :-)

London Eye Picture Source: bbc.co.uk via Alison on Pinterest

Anything is possible

I've put the above picture in my Anything is possible board on Pinterest because it is.

For me what happened at the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympics is a great reminder that next time we have a creative and yet possibly a little too out there idea, not to make assumptions about whether others will accept it or not and to simply put it forward.

I'd hazard a guess that a larger majority of people would have discounted suggesting the idea to the queen of her meeting James Bond and seemingly going for a skydive. Yet someone did and she said yes and it went on to being one of the surprising highlights of the evening.

Next time you get a creative idea just remember ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

Alison Smith
The Purchasing Coach
Sowing the seeds of potential in purchasing in your organisation

Picture of the Queen, James Bond and Corgis Source: bbc.co.uk via Alison on Pinterest

The Legacy of Olympic Pride

There are many aspects of last nights Olympic opening ceremony that I enjoyed.

What had me being most proud to be British was the Queen, James Bond and corgis - truly inspired and said what it means to be British. Mr Bean helped - so too the Drs and Nurses of the NHS.

What had me being proud to be a member of the global community was the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. It symbolised so much about how this world could be if only we: 

• Supported our young people and believed in them
  
  Source: guardian.co.uk via Alison on Pinterest

• All contributed our light not our darkness
  
  Source: bbc.co.uk via Alison on Pinterest

• Come together to celebrate our diversity and believe in the synergies available in our collaboration
  
  Source: businessinsider.com via Alison on Pinterest
• Focused on unity and peace and not conflict

Source: businessinsider.com via Alison on Pinterest

Here's hoping it's not just for 2 weeks.

 

 

Are your suppliers servicing the Olympics

There's been a lot in the media about minimising the disruption of the Olympics to your business by encouraging staff to work from home etc. There's even a 'planning information for businesses' document that helps identify some of the possible impacts to your business. The emphasis, however, has been on the disruption to transport impacting staff and deliveries. Unless I've missed it there's one potential impact that seems to have been missed:

Are your suppliers providing goods or services to the Olympics?

If they are then I would suggest you may be negatively impacted unless you've taken steps and been given assurances you won't be.

One supplier I was talking to has a significant number of their senior management involved in providing services to the Olympics. This means they won't be available to do the work they normally do - supporting customers, completing tenders, resolving staffing issues etc.

It won't, of course, just be the supplier I was speaking who's involved in the Olympics but a whole range of suppliers, that I can't even begin to understand the breadth of, but is likely to cover the supply of:

Catering, Transport, Security, Maintenance, Food and Drink, Printing, Uniforms, ATM's, Cleaning, Media, PR, Hospitality, FM, Temporary labour etc

And don't just think that because your suppliers aren't based in London you're off the hook - many who rely on temporary labour may find their supply significantly reduced across the country as labour is bused into the capital. In addition there are venues holding Olympic events from Weymouth to Glasgow.

It's important to understand what plans your suppliers have in place to minimise the disruption to your business and ensure your contingency plans are updated to include the higher risks over the coming months.

Here's to many records broken, anthems sung and tears shed and an event everyone in the UK can be proud of with minimal disruption to normal service.

Alison Smith
The Purchasing Coach
Sowing the seeds for an undisrupted business during the Olympics

Olympic picture source: london2012.com via Alison on Pinterest