Having coached and mentored many procurement personnel, and for simplicity, I am going to use the two terms as interchangeably for the post, even though they have distinct meanings. 

Many who seek out assistance fall into two categories:

1. Those who feel a bit lost on their career path, and
2. Those who are ambitious and eager to advance quickly.

It is a question I get asked frequently.  I often ask them to reflect on their ‘why’ – the underlying motivation for promotion.  Many mistakenly believe that the only path to higher earnings is to become a Head of Procurement or a Chief Procurement Officer role.  If the answer on the “why” question is for renumeration alone, then there is probably some more pondering to undertake.

To excel in the field there are two options, both with similar financial outcomes.  You can either be a gun procurement person who excels with the customers and delivers amazing results, or you can lead people that will excel with the customer and deliver amazing results.

If you don’t have an absolute passion for leading people, then don’t try and do it for the money, power and prestige as the results will not be what you thought they would be!  Instead focus on honing your craft.

Either way there are a number of actions to take;

• Have a continual self-improvement cycle of development and learning. Always add something to your CV each year, a course or an achievement. Brush up on what I call “horizontal skills” skills that are common across roles -communication, presentation, stakeholder engagement, analytics, and of course the Excel and PowerPoint!
• At Block 5 we have a 3 monthly review reminder to go over your CV and update it. It is a great reminder that if you haven’t got anything to update then perhaps take a look at your training and development plan.
  Focus on building strong relationships. This includes people inside your company, across to other departments, with suppliers and with people outside your company. Read a book or two, Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi is a good one.
• Learn the art of seeking and receiving feedback on your performance. Then put a plan in place to revise your actions and check that it worked!
  If you have performance reviews, then invest some time to prepare for it. I like to spend about the same amount of time reviewing as the person who wrote it. If you spend 5 minutes on the train, then expect that the results of your performance review correspond to your efforts.
• Take some initiative and get outside your comfort zone. Put your hand up for a project opportunities, even better when they are working in a cross functional team.
  Propose process improvements or innovative ideas that add value to your team.

It is inspiring to see individuals actively planning their careers.  Remember to enjoy the journey rather than fixating solely on specific milestones.  Invest in yourself, seek feedback, and don’t hesitate to step outside your comfort zone.  Your career is a journey – embrace it with enthusiasm and curiosity!

Good luck!