Tom Mills

All effective negotiations are delivered through just 4 simple concepts. Let that sink in. 1. BATNA and ZOPA ➟ Best Alternative To a Negotiated Agreement ➟ Zone of Possible Agreement 2. The 7 Principles of Negotiation ➟ Attend to Communication Issues ➟ Focus on interests not positions ➟ Work with realistic commitments ➟ Apply objective criteria ➟ Generate options for mutual gain ➟ Compare with your BATNA ➟ Separate the people from the problem 3. The Negotiation Lifecycle ➟ Decide to negotiate ➟ Prepare ➟ Negotiate ➟ Execute ➟ Follow up 4. The Negotiation Clockface ➟ Understanding which part of the clockface the negotiation is on ➟ Adapting your approach accordingly These negotiation principles when followed correctly are the foundation of all successful outcomes. They are powerful tools to: ➡️ Understand your position ➡️ Plan and prepare ➡️ Execute accordingly Start using them today.

There’s nothing more important than the quality of the line manager you report into when it comes to your happiness at work.

I once logged in for a meeting, introduced myself and a guy spoke non stop for 15 minutes. All over the place. Couldn’t even nudge in or politely interrupt to get conversation back on track. Eventually I just interrupted, said I had something come up, logged off and closed the tab. I had no other choice. It’s amazing how much a lot of people talk. Being able to keep it short and concise (email too) is a superpower.

A barometer of how far Procurement’s progressed Will be when there are less people saying they just ‘fell into the profession’ Than those who saw it as a brilliant career option from the very start.

Whenever I get an angry comment or someone sniping at my thoughts on here… I always check their profile to see if they ever give away any helpful tips or advice themselves. They never do. Never fails!

Every effective negotiation begins with alignment on just three simple things: • Vision • Principles • Numbers

I’ve seen Procurement done badly and the damage that can do. But when delivered well, I believe it’s the foundation and cornerstone of every successful business.

At its most fundamental level, successful influencing depends on the answer to just one question How much do people value your time?

I’ve never believed in the statement: Procurement is a support function. It implies optionality and sidelining that just devalues us from the very start.

We went from December 1st to December 19th in 2 days

@costcutpro Exactly

@ProcureBites Of which they won’t do anything with until the second week of January Suppliers are full of people too

Somewhere right now, a Procurement Manager is watching Home Alone 2, eating a mince pie… …satisfied they issued the RFP in time for a Jan 2nd response deadline. Listed as a core skill on their LinkedIn are the words: Supplier Relationship Management.

You’re as experienced and as clever as the strength and breadth of your network.