On this weeks episode of The Art Of Procurement, my guest is Gerard Chick and we discuss the behaviors, habits and attributes that make procurement professionals and in-particular procurement leaders more effective in their job.
Gerard Chick is Chief Knowledge Officer for Optimum Procurement, a leading procurement outsourcing and consulting firm.
“If procurement does its job properly it makes the rest of the organization work smoothly because it is aligned.”
In this episode, you will learn:
What the role continuing education should play in the role of a procurement professional. For someone who strives for a career in procurement, is it enough to learn on the job and open yourself up to diverse experiences? Should they look at broader further education such as an MBA? Or formal procurement specific education?
What is the remit of a Chief Knowledge Officer
The “as-a-service” economy in procurement outsourcing
Procurement operating in a bubble vs. being aligned with the vision of the CEO
How procurement can look at building capabilities when the vision is growth vs. margin improvement
What business executives are looking for from their procurement teams today
Major challenges that executives have with procurement teams
How can a CPO start to build credibility with his executives if he doesn’t have that credibility today
How a procurement professional can go about explaining the value that is being created, particularly with sceptical stakeholders or in environments where the procurement value proposition is not inherently understood
How the procurement skillset is changing
Is there a trend of bringing in non-procurement subject matter experts and teaching them procurement skills? Should procurement professionals be concerned about this in the long term? What they can do to position themselves to remain relevant?
How a leader can start to think about proactive talent retention particularly when there is such a talent shortage
What has changed since the original 7 habits whitepaper was written
