The Secret Keys to Success as a Procurement Pro
As I've progressed through my career, I've come to realize that things like training, certification, and career involvement are extremely important. Using those same examples, if you don't get constant training, don't strive for certification, and don't get involved in procurement as a profession, advancement (whether experiential or career level) is not going to come easy. But those examples are basic blocking-and-tackling obviousness. I think I've finally discovered the secret keys to success as a procurement pro.
These "secret" keys may sound simplistic at first glance, but they're really not. If you don't have these things going for you, no matter how hard you try, you'll be impossibly limited and restricted in one way or another in your career and self-actualization. So here they are, the secret keys to success as a procurement pro:
1. Work for a superior employer.
2. Work for a superior leader.
3. Surround yourself with superior staff.
Work for a Superior Employer
It just so happens for me that I've finally struck the gold trifecta. When I mean a superior employer, I mean an enlightened and progressive organization. I've worked for some very large Fortune 100 corporations, some OK and some not. My current employer, a not-for-profit trade association, is the most mission-focused, intrapreneurial, customer-focused, staff investing organization I've ever worked for. In the Washington, DC area, my employer has a stellar reputation and we even attain national recognition (Computerworld's Top 100 Places to Work in IT). Consequently, we're staffed with experts in their professions, many of who are industry-recognized, speak on their profession, and write articles in national publications or write books. My employer encourages and supports the staff to better themselves and become experts. Here's a small example... Most companies offer tuition reimbursement, which is great. My employer steps it up a notch by paying in advance for tuition--if you don't have an advanced degree, you certainly now don't have a $$$ excuse. Another example is where other companies are queasy and timid about their employees blogging, speaking, and writing articles and books. Not my employer. Of course, there are parameters, but my employer gets behind people who get outside of their box. Talk about some smart, motivated people who force me to step up my game! While we're not always perfect as an organization, we're generally moving in unison to complete our objectives and it's just amazing and awe-inspiring to participate in. And we always seem to be on the leading (not bleeding) edge of many new and exciting things. For example, we use Facebook as a viral mechanism to create excitement about what we do and the causes we support. If this doesn't sound like your employer, you need to re-think whether there's a fit.
Work for a Superior Leader
My employer demands leaders, pure and simple. In fact, the performance of leaders is closely and quantitatively measured. For example, we use the Gallup Employee Engagement (or "Q12") Survey (more on that in a future blog post) to measure leadership performance. At first I was skeptical, but I now realize that the Gallup survey is a brilliant tool--seriously. With my employer, the 75th percentile for managers is an expectation and the 90th percentile is a desired result. Got low Gallup scores two years in a row? Sorry, but it's someone else's turn to try. It sounds cold and prickly, but it's actually very healthy for the organization. Hey, if you can't lead, why should the organization carry you? As a result of this tough philosophy, we have very strong and forward-thinking leaders who really care about the organizational mission and the staff. I remember interviewing with my boss before I came onboard, and then afterward thinking that they brought this guy in to shake up the organization. Wrong. Despite the fact that this guy knows the latest management buzz and bust, he's been there 30 years! I thought I knew what executive support and backing was. Wrong. Now I do, though, and my boss has been behind me every step of the way. Not to say that he doesn't challenge me--in fact, I'm probably challenged more on issues and positions more than ever. But it's done in a pragmatic and ego-less way. If your boss isn't behind you, or is standing in your way it's time to start considering alternatives... P.S. As progressive as he is, my boss doesn't scan my blog on a daily basis, so I know I'm not going to win any brownie points here. These just happen to be the facts.
Surround Yourself with Superior Staff
Finally, you need to surround yourself with superior staff. I certainly have. My employer uses a recruiting technique called "top grading," which is a tremendous tool. I wish this tool existed 10 years ago... Most companies interview by consensus, with many different interviewers evaluating a candidate. With my employer, there's an expectation that there be very few interviewers--just the hiring manager is preferable. The thought is that the hiring manager needs to take ownership of the hire. If the candidate goes belly up, it's not on the "committee" that hired the person, it's all on the hiring manager. My employer really believes that "B" (or lower) players don't hire "A" players. If there's a sense that a manager is hiring less than "A" players, it comes back to haunt that manager (hiring decisions gone wrong are very much scrutinized). As a result of all of this, and more, I have some of the best procurement pros in the business. Certified and / or highly degreed. In fact, one of my staff, who has a telecommunications background, is a co-inventor on the patent for VOIP! Sorry to be a snob, but it's my duty to hire only the best. Consequently, our service and work product speaks for itself. Plus, managing my staff is extremely easy. In fact, I have the inverse of the problems most managers have. I actually have employees who work too many hours, and who I have to stay on top of to get them to have some sort of work / life balance. One employee works so late and so often that the Director of Building Operations came to see me with the building access report just to make sure nothing strange was going on. By the way, he does "have a life" and is an expert ballroom dancer. My staff are a bunch of overachievers. And sure, my staff challenges me--they're "A" players--just like my boss, and I'm better for it.
In a Nutshell
So, after about 15 years in procurement, the above are what I've discovered to be the secret keys to success. There's no magical formula here. Sure, there are other important things to consider and accomplish, but without the three keys above, it just won't be the same. Trust me, I've been there and I'm here now, and I can tell you there's a night-and-day difference. And you really do have control over each one of these. The question is whether you're willing to do something about it or not.
These "secret" keys may sound simplistic at first glance, but they're really not. If you don't have these things going for you, no matter how hard you try, you'll be impossibly limited and restricted in one way or another in your career and self-actualization. So here they are, the secret keys to success as a procurement pro:
1. Work for a superior employer.
2. Work for a superior leader.
3. Surround yourself with superior staff.
Work for a Superior Employer
It just so happens for me that I've finally struck the gold trifecta. When I mean a superior employer, I mean an enlightened and progressive organization. I've worked for some very large Fortune 100 corporations, some OK and some not. My current employer, a not-for-profit trade association, is the most mission-focused, intrapreneurial, customer-focused, staff investing organization I've ever worked for. In the Washington, DC area, my employer has a stellar reputation and we even attain national recognition (Computerworld's Top 100 Places to Work in IT). Consequently, we're staffed with experts in their professions, many of who are industry-recognized, speak on their profession, and write articles in national publications or write books. My employer encourages and supports the staff to better themselves and become experts. Here's a small example... Most companies offer tuition reimbursement, which is great. My employer steps it up a notch by paying in advance for tuition--if you don't have an advanced degree, you certainly now don't have a $$$ excuse. Another example is where other companies are queasy and timid about their employees blogging, speaking, and writing articles and books. Not my employer. Of course, there are parameters, but my employer gets behind people who get outside of their box. Talk about some smart, motivated people who force me to step up my game! While we're not always perfect as an organization, we're generally moving in unison to complete our objectives and it's just amazing and awe-inspiring to participate in. And we always seem to be on the leading (not bleeding) edge of many new and exciting things. For example, we use Facebook as a viral mechanism to create excitement about what we do and the causes we support. If this doesn't sound like your employer, you need to re-think whether there's a fit.
Work for a Superior Leader
My employer demands leaders, pure and simple. In fact, the performance of leaders is closely and quantitatively measured. For example, we use the Gallup Employee Engagement (or "Q12") Survey (more on that in a future blog post) to measure leadership performance. At first I was skeptical, but I now realize that the Gallup survey is a brilliant tool--seriously. With my employer, the 75th percentile for managers is an expectation and the 90th percentile is a desired result. Got low Gallup scores two years in a row? Sorry, but it's someone else's turn to try. It sounds cold and prickly, but it's actually very healthy for the organization. Hey, if you can't lead, why should the organization carry you? As a result of this tough philosophy, we have very strong and forward-thinking leaders who really care about the organizational mission and the staff. I remember interviewing with my boss before I came onboard, and then afterward thinking that they brought this guy in to shake up the organization. Wrong. Despite the fact that this guy knows the latest management buzz and bust, he's been there 30 years! I thought I knew what executive support and backing was. Wrong. Now I do, though, and my boss has been behind me every step of the way. Not to say that he doesn't challenge me--in fact, I'm probably challenged more on issues and positions more than ever. But it's done in a pragmatic and ego-less way. If your boss isn't behind you, or is standing in your way it's time to start considering alternatives... P.S. As progressive as he is, my boss doesn't scan my blog on a daily basis, so I know I'm not going to win any brownie points here. These just happen to be the facts.
Surround Yourself with Superior Staff
Finally, you need to surround yourself with superior staff. I certainly have. My employer uses a recruiting technique called "top grading," which is a tremendous tool. I wish this tool existed 10 years ago... Most companies interview by consensus, with many different interviewers evaluating a candidate. With my employer, there's an expectation that there be very few interviewers--just the hiring manager is preferable. The thought is that the hiring manager needs to take ownership of the hire. If the candidate goes belly up, it's not on the "committee" that hired the person, it's all on the hiring manager. My employer really believes that "B" (or lower) players don't hire "A" players. If there's a sense that a manager is hiring less than "A" players, it comes back to haunt that manager (hiring decisions gone wrong are very much scrutinized). As a result of all of this, and more, I have some of the best procurement pros in the business. Certified and / or highly degreed. In fact, one of my staff, who has a telecommunications background, is a co-inventor on the patent for VOIP! Sorry to be a snob, but it's my duty to hire only the best. Consequently, our service and work product speaks for itself. Plus, managing my staff is extremely easy. In fact, I have the inverse of the problems most managers have. I actually have employees who work too many hours, and who I have to stay on top of to get them to have some sort of work / life balance. One employee works so late and so often that the Director of Building Operations came to see me with the building access report just to make sure nothing strange was going on. By the way, he does "have a life" and is an expert ballroom dancer. My staff are a bunch of overachievers. And sure, my staff challenges me--they're "A" players--just like my boss, and I'm better for it.
In a Nutshell
So, after about 15 years in procurement, the above are what I've discovered to be the secret keys to success. There's no magical formula here. Sure, there are other important things to consider and accomplish, but without the three keys above, it just won't be the same. Trust me, I've been there and I'm here now, and I can tell you there's a night-and-day difference. And you really do have control over each one of these. The question is whether you're willing to do something about it or not.
I'm a MUSE!!! ;)
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