219: #TakeAction: One Technology at a Time

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

218: #TakeAction: Simplify Your Specification

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

217: #TakeAction: Overcome Your CEO's Apathy

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

216: #TakeAction: What Keeps Them Up At Night?

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

215: #TakeAction: Raise the Level of Your Game

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

214: #TakeAction: Engage in Start-Up Communities

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

213: #TakeAction: Too Many Eggs in One Basket?

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

212: #TakeAction: Build a Feedback Loop

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

211: #TakeAction: Develop a Negotiation Micro-Plan

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

210: #TakeAction: Save "It" Before "It's" Too Late

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

209: #TakeAction: Get a Non-Procurement Mentor

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

208: #TakeAction: What Do They Really Want?

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

207: #TakeAction: Serve Your Platinum Stakeholders feat. Tim Jones

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

206: #TakeAction: Build Your Brand the Apple Way feat. Steve Wozniak

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

205: #TakeAction: Run a Request for Partner feat. Kate Vitasek

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

I do not have an interview for you today. In fact, for the month of October, we are going to do something completely different.

I ask practitioners about their challenges where ever I go, and the single piece of feedback I get is that for all the great ideas they read and hear about, it is hard to put them into practice

First, I know many of you listen to the pod while commuting or working out - and it is hard to stop in the middle of a podcast and takes notes on what actions you want to take.

And second, there is always a challenge for people between wanting to invest in their own personal development, and the time pressures of a hectic job.

We have crowned October as #TakeActionOctober - because no phrase is complete these days without a hashtag!

October will be all about taking the actions you need to elevate the influence and impact of you AND your team.

Every day this month, you will hear a micro-sized pod - no more than 5 minutes per day - that I selected to inspire you to act.

We’ve curated Content from the back catalog of over 200 Art of Procurement episodes, and more than 1,000 articles featured in our weekly newsletter This Week in Procurement. I’ll also throw in some of my own experiences for good measure.

The commitment I ask of you is to take one action to put into practice - or to coach or mentor a team member or peer - your key takeaway from each episode.

Cryptography, tokenization, tokenomics, initial coin offerings, security, utility and payment tokens, crypto wallets, and blockchain.

If some or all of those sound like a mish-mash of buzzwords, then today’s episode is for you!

I’m joined to explore these topics and their applicability to procurement by Charlotte de Brabandt and Henry Fudge.

Charlotte is the current ISM 30 Under 30 Megawatt Winner. Henry is the Founding Partner and CEO of Cryptonox - an initial coin offering consulting firm, and Founding Partner of the Young Blockchain Professionals Network.

We start by digging deep into cryptography and tokenization, as I explore how I could leverage an initial coin offering for my company, CatalystCo.

We then talk in more detail about different use cases for blockchain, with a particular focus on procurement and supply chain.

For more information, visit https://artofprocurement.com/crypto

How to Buy a Gorilla?

The good news is that it is a figurative question rather than a literal one!  In fact, it is the title of the book written by today’s guest, David Meikle.

David has a deep background in advertising, including work with some of the world’s most iconic brands, for agencies such as Ogilvy and Mather, where most latterly he was the Managing Director of their Russian business.  

The gorilla in question was an award-winning 2007 TV advert in the UK created to advertise Cadbury’s chocolate.  The advert in question was a 90-second shot of an actor dressed up in a gorilla costume, playing the drums, to the Phil Collins song “In the Air Tonight”.  The ad was considered a runaway success.

In short, How to Buy a Gorilla is all about buying creative services - using advertising as the example - with a focus on creating productive relationships between procurement, internal marketing, and advertising agencies.  

While our conversation is based on the advertising business, the principals we discuss can be applied to any people-based creative services where success may be difficult to define, but that requires an alchemy that goes way beyond the contract to create an environment that enables creative individuals and teams to do their best work.  

Today’s guest is Oliver Gall, the Head of Global Sourcing at S&P Global. Oliver has responsibility for the strategic vision, operational planning and the execution of Procurement strategy and he leads a team of direct reports and outsourced functions located in multiple locations across the world.

In our conversation, we focused on the future of the procurement operating model - we consider what this is likely to look like, how we all can adapt to thrive in this new environment, and what are some of the unknowns that we need to keep a look out for.

We also talked about our own development, and that of our teams, as Oliver provides some great advice on how to manage the panic that often sets in when faced with change, or new challenges!

I left the conversation inspired both by the opportunities available to us, and the power of our own individual choices in taking advantage of those opportunities.

How do you create a podcast? What is the production process? How do you select guests? How do I get on the show? What is the “business” of Art of Procurement and what are your revenue streams?

These are all questions that I am often asked, whether it be at a conference, when talking to potential guests and partners, or just during my day to day conversations with procurement professionals around the world.

And so today we go behind the scenes of Art of Procurement as I attempt to answer as many of these questions as possible and give you the inside information on what goes into creating and producing a weekly procurement podcast.

What can we do to protect ourselves against tariffs, and what options do we have when tariffs are levied on the products or materials that I buy?

These are two questions that I have received regularly from listeners over the past couple of months, against the backdrop both of increasing trade tensions, and the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit.

And so to help answer those questions, I reached out to Bill Michels.

Bill is a recognized expert in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management and has worked in procurement across a wide spectrum of industries and countries transforming Procurement and the Supply Chain.

Until recently, Bill was the CEO and founder of Aripart Consulting after more than 23 years at ADR North America. Under his leadership, ADR North America became a leading niche specialty consulting firm and has won several recognitions and awards. Bill recently joined CIPS as Vice President of Operations - Americas, and so I also took the opportunity to ask Bill to share some of CIPS' plans for the US market.

Back in 2016, I interviewed Jimmy Ankleseria over the course of two podcasts, on the topic of strategic cost management. They were very popular at the time, and contain a number of timeless insights into how we can be more strategic about understanding and managing the input costs of the products and services we buy.

With today being a holiday week here in the US, I have combined the original two shows - which clocked in at over 2 hours - into a single 40-minute episode.

Listen in to hear Jimmy share ideas of how to build cost models for both products and services, and then his approach for partnering with your supplier to manage total cost once the contract is signed.

This week on the show, the tables are turned! AOP alumni and Negotiations Ninja host Mark Raffan just interviewed me for an episode of his podcast on the topic of procurement cost savings. I enjoyed the conversation with Mark, and so we decided to simultaneously publish both on Art of Procurement and Negotiations Ninja.

In our conversation, Mark dug into that omnipresent procurement metric of cost savings.  I share details of how I have seen most organizations calculate savings, and what is typically off limits. Mark also asks if there are any ways to easily save money – the low hanging fruit – that any procurement function just starting on their maturity journey should focus on. 

I really enjoyed our conversation – and the challenge that comes with being on the other side of the microphone!

Hitting publish on the show is a culmination of a lot of thinking and reflection as I look to continue the evolution of Art of Procurement.

I reflect on where we have come from, but more importantly look to the future and the building blocks of what my team and I have termed Art of Procurement 3.0.

In today's episode, I start by sharing the importance of finding your Why, and the process that I went through to articulate my own. 

I then explore why I believe Art of Procurement must continue to evolve to be in service of my Why.

And then I deep dive into that evolution, and how my thinking has evolved over the course of 175 interviews, and putting those learnings into practice for my clients.

Finally, I share the six content pillars for Art of Procurement in 2018, and how they connect with our core philosophies of Making Choices, Leaving a Mark and Generating Fulfillment.

For more information, visit http://artofprocurement.com/episode169

I was inspired to cover today’s topic based on a question from a listener who has resolved to make a career move in 2018…

I know from personal experience that at this time of year, we are often making decisions on our career strategies for the year ahead.  When I made the decision to pursue setting up my own business, I made the decision over the holiday period, and I’m sure many listeners may have done the same this year – whether it is to pursue a new role internally, or externally.

So what I thought I would do today is share a number of tips to consider if you are considering a new role in 2018 – based on both my own experiences, but also gleaned from interviews and conversations with a number of recruiters. 

These tips are focused on what you can do TODAY to be prepared.