Building Stronger Connections

Supplier-facing functions such as Procurement and Supply Chain Management are increasingly called upon to play a strategic role within the enterprise. Doing so requires not just understanding the external supply market and managing supplier relationships, but also effectively engaging and collaborating with internal stakeholders. Our research and experience show that a focus on building soft skills (influence, relationship-building, managing difficult conversations) is a hallmark of leading supply management organizations. In this article, we lay out a simple framework for building trusted advisor relationships with stakeholders by understanding and navigating their emotional "hot buttons."

For more on this topic, visit our Sourcing and Supply Management page.