More than pipes and wires

It’s interesting that a novel from 40 years ago about the LAPD could also apply to other professions. It may be only two sentences out of a hard-scrabble and gritty story by Joseph Wambaugh, but I think they fit Procurement equally as well as police work:

“…Knuckles Garrity who told his rookie partners that a policeman only needed three things to succeed: common sense, a sense of humor and compassion.That none of these could be taught in a college classroom and that most men could succeed without one of the three, but a policeman never could.” (1)

I’d only substitute curiosity for compassion, because we don’t usually see people when they’re behaving at their worst…usually. These three characteristics play an important role in the success of the Procurement Professional.

Common Sense: be that calm voice that helps your customer define their needs and expectations. And manage the details with attention and clarity. Focus on that which is truly important and reduce the distractions of non-essential elements.

Sense of Humor:  when sparingly and appropriately applied, humor lessens tension, breaks the ice and can help to establish rapport.  And when I can find something humorous in my day, perspective is restored.

Curiosity: how can we improve? How can we better serve our internal customers while professionally representing our company to our supplier base? Is there one small thing you could do right now that would improve your internal customer’s "User Experience" with Procurement?

By practicing those traits, Knuckles Garrity might even say you’d make a “Pretty Good Shepherd”.

1. The Choirboys (Pg. 142) Joseph Wambaugh (1975)