Chief procurement officers should be many things: strategic, decisive, purposeful and adaptive as well as a role model for the profession. To achieve all these will require, above all, interpersonal skills – an ability to connect with people.
The findings from the CIPS Procurement & Supply Salary Guide 2024, in partnership with Hays, show that the procurement and supply leaders of tomorrow will need to be just as good at interacting with people as they are at the technical skills of procurement itself.
Future procurement and supply leaders also need a mastery of digital technology, according to our latest guide. AI is widely anticipated to eliminate certain jobs and force widescale upskilling. In the new world of procurement and supply, digital dexterity may well outweigh tenure and experience.
Tomorrow’s CPO will need to work with their teams to embrace this shift. Again, leading teams through change will require CPOs to work on their soft skills. According to our latest guide, the key skills required are communication, integrity and trust, and collaboration.
Communication
Communication is an essential skill for CPOs. As a CPO, you need to communicate effectively at all levels, including with your team, stakeholders and suppliers. CPOs should be able to articulate their vision to their procurement and supply team, communicate key information to stakeholders and build robust relationships with suppliers. “It all starts with your confidence and belief in yourself and the function,” says Amanda Davies, chief R&D, procurement and sustainability officer at Mars Wrigley in a CIPS Futures podcast. “You can walk into the boardroom in two ways: seeking permission to drive change, or demonstrating confidence that you know how to drive change.”
Collaboration
Collaborative work environments that promote teamwork and communication are essential for creating high-performing teams. As a CPO, you have a responsibility to build a work environment that nurtures teamwork, collaboration and open communication. As Emma Scott MCIPS, group head of content strategy at CIPS, says: “The need for collaborative leadership and change agents to navigate the constant uncertainty we are operating in has never been so critical. Leaders who establish strong, meaningful relationships, and encourage their teams too, are more likely to make impact and drive change at pace.”
Integrity and trust
Integrity and trust go hand in hand. For the modern CPO, having integrity and trust means having trusted relationships with your suppliers, stakeholders and team, along with trusted procurement processes that are ethical and transparent. “Trust is core for procurement, both from a compliance perspective and in terms of your engagement with team members and stakeholders,” says Juliet Sotnick, a former CPO, executive coach and CIPS global board trustee. “They need to know who you are, what you bring to the table and how you operate.”