Bryan Peña, CCWP

Taking full ownership for the failures of the relationship as well as the success. Always look at a supplier partnership from the candid assessment of what you bring to the party. I've always said if you want the best pricing and service you need to be the best client.

Thanks Teri!

Remember that you both want the same thing. On the other end of that feedback is a human being just like you, they want the same thing as you do a successful relationship. Feedback needs to be given with that in mind front and center.

The very first thing you need to do when getting started on any initiative is one that I've seen professionals of all ages completely overlook which is to check your ego at the door! Making a buying decision on behalf of an organization can have an impact of millions and sometimes billions of dollars can sometimes mess with your head if you are not careful. Running a supplier initiative is an opportunity to make an impact on the organization for years to come and while you have cost savings targets, your true job is in the end to get products or services out the door to customers. Not to extort golf trips and expensive dinners from desperate salesmen. Really take stock in how your suppliers can influence your company's core mission.

Remember your supplier strategy is not about you, but about improving outcomes for your organization. The best advice I can give on stakeholder engagement is to focus on the most difficult stakeholders first in an all out effort to get them onboard. Across the thousands of initiatives i have worked on over the years, the stakeholders who were the hardest to get onboard always became the biggest advocates.

When communicating a process one thing that I think is a great habit or axiom is to feel like you're explaining the process in the most literal way. Do not assume that just because you know some of the nuances that anyone else will. Also you need to clearly communicate the benefits (the why) in the simplest terms. Processes may improve a multitude of things but focus only on communicating those benefits that will truly move the needle in the importance to stakeholder based on empirical data. Just because you're fascinated with what you've designed doesn't mean your stakeholders will feel the same. Remember your purpose is to get product out the door not pad your CV.