How I deal with the execs (and why this works)

I had a fascinating conversation with my Chief Financial Officer recently. It made me rethink everything I know about Senior stakeholder compliance.

We were talking about a situation whereby I was receiving push back from a couple of members of the exec team to following the traditional evaluation process (use of qualitative scorecards).

Ultimately, we agreed the need for a robust process and to rely on my Procurement expertise to lead this.

But I remember a number of years ago, when I was so desperate for Procurement to be liked, to be invited into exec level conversations, that I’d be prepared to concede on almost everything.

‍That worked to make me likeable and invited into many senior meetings I may otherwise have been excluded from.

But it crushed my effectiveness.

Now, I realised I’ve undergone a huge mindset shift in my role. It’s why I’m now invited into exec conversations not just to appease, but to protect and challenge ways of working.

There’s been three fundamental changes for me: my mindset (M), my approach (A) and my focus (F). It’s my MAF (running parlence) that I think about now whenever I’m dealing with those trickier situations.

I don’t remember a particular year this clicked for me, its definitely been post Covid as my confidence in my abilities has skyrocketed due to having a brilliantly supportive CFO and working in a great business environment.

But the difference I’d say is what distinguishes a tactical leader (Head of level) from stategic leader in Procurement (Director/ CPO level).

At an incredible pace, my impact has trebled and by that I mean people listen to me and I have lasting influence on the way people see Procurement.

MAF explained step by step:

My Mindset shift (M)

The traditional Procurement mindset when it comes to stakeholder engagement goes like this:

• Top (exec level): Minimal touch points, Serve their needs.

• Middle (functional leads) : 70% of our time focus. Prove our value.

• Bottom (SMEs/ doers) : Leverage their expertise. Support them.

But there’s a change of approach I’ve developed and much of this comes down to mindset when it comes to the exec level.

Anyone and everyone is human and ultimately fallible.

Our job is to protect the biggest risks in the business and our focus is to ensure the decision making for the very biggest investments carries exactly the same/ more levels of protection than with the rest of the buisness.

Power within a business is transient, after all. Hierarchy, when viewed over the longest period of time, is largely an irrelevant factor when it comes to protecting business cash.

The New Approach (A)

My old way of working was born of frustration - “if the Senior Execs won’t follow the right approach, what is the point?”

Now, instead of thinking in that way, I take a more logical approach. My role, after all, is to show them the path. Not just one path, options to deliver what they need. Your “recommended” approach can be the top path.

But if they don’t want to follow that path, it’s not ultimately down to you.

Share your knowledge - the experience you have about why your path is the best one, and the risks/ advantages of taking the alternative paths.

Tell a story of where you’ve seen it go wrong in the past, more powerful still if that’s from within a different perhaps larger organisation.

And focus on lessons you’ve learned and why you want to protect them as individuals, not just the business as a while.

Make it their decision, exec teams love to have the final say, and that’s where our responsibility starts AND ENDS.

The Right Focus (F)

Frustration kills our Procurement effectiveness.

And it has an unmentioned impact on our mental wellbeing too.

Now, whenever I’m engaging in a new Procurement activity with senior/ exec level involvement I always focus on what I can control, the things that really matter.

Will adpating or tweaking certian elements of the Procurement process make a difference to the final decision or outcome? If it’s a maybe, I’ll be sure to challenge and do so in writing.

But too many in Procurement get stuck for far too long following a rigid process or allowing theory to overtake pragmatism.

It's time to stop worrying about all the things we can’t control. We should care about the business and treat all our stakeholders in the same way - as fallible humans.

Because in Procurement, having the right Mindset, Approach and Focus (MAF) isn’t just an advantage — it's a requirement.