A recent article in the CPO Agenda had some good Dos and Don’ts of Procurement Leadership that are worth repeating. Today we’re going to dive into the other five don’ts and put an SI slant on them. DON’T:

• Wish for a Quiet Life

  Not only do you have to constantly evangelize the benefits of your procurement, but you have to be in the thick of it day in and day out. After all, any job that’s too quiet is probably on the way out. (You don’t want to be this guy.)

• Ignore the Power of Networking Events

  Even though confidentiality and non-disclosures may prevent your colleagues from sharing all the details of their challenges, you can still get the pulse of what the hot button issues are and what your colleagues are trying to do to address them. You might learn about new processes or (software) solutions that can help you with your job.

• Ignore Talent

  As per our last post, your people are the ultimate key to your success. Nurture their talent and do what you can to attract more talent to work for you. After all, there’s nothing wrong with not being the brightest bulb in the box when it comes to execution when you’re measured on organizational performance. Your analysts should have better data skills, your negotiators better sales skills, and your relationship managers can have a higher EQ. You’ll never be replaced if you’re the one with the best leadership skills who can serve as the glue that can hold the team of chefs together and convince them to work towards the common good and not their own personal goals. (Well, at least not if your boss has any brains at all.)

• Miss Your Key Results

  You have to deliver what you promise, plain and simple.

• Be Arrogant

  You should be extremely confident in your abilities to deliver world-class performance, but you shouldn’t step over the line. You’re still the new kid on the block, so you need all the help you can get.