Procurement is a communications business. A procurement professional needs to both give and receive communications from the organisation's top management, internal customers, other service departments (such as finance and IT) within the organisation, suppliers and from other procurement professionals.
Although, he or she sits at the centre of this communication web, very few procurement professionals either have any formal training in communication nor are they normally much given to reflecting on the skills needed.
It is important to recognise that the communication differs with the party to whom the communication is being directed. Most people do this instinctively and they never bother to reflect upon it. However, effective communication requires consideration of the needs and recipient values of the audience.
Communication is heavily dependent upon good listening. Good listening requires recognition and systematic practice to remove the various barriers which the listener sets up to the other party's communication. These barriers can be grouped under three main headings: Judging, Sending Solutions and, finally, Avoiding the Concerns of Others. Each of these groups is composed of a number of actions which hinder communication by interrupting the flow from the other party. Once recognised and with practice, it is possible to overcome the blockages caused (even if not intended) by suppressing the urge to act.
Two other blockages are the halo effect and stereotyping. Like many aspects of poor communication, we do them instinctively and frequently we do not even know that we are doing them. The key to good communication is changing our approach from an unconscious, motor activity to an activity which fully engages the active and conscious part of our brain.
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