{"id":3050,"date":"2011-05-05T17:40:00","date_gmt":"2011-05-05T17:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/2011\/05\/05\/the-procurement-promotion-that-you-lost-but-didnt-even-know-that-you-were-considered-for\/"},"modified":"2021-07-10T19:55:19","modified_gmt":"2021-07-10T23:55:19","slug":"the-procurement-promotion-that-you-lost-but-didnt-even-know-that-you-were-considered-for","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.certitrek.com\/nlpa\/blog\/the-procurement-promotion-that-you-lost-but-didnt-even-know-that-you-were-considered-for\/","title":{"rendered":"The Procurement Promotion That You Lost (But Didn’t Even Know That You Were Considered For)"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m in a parable-writing mood today. I hope that you don\u2019t mind. The following is total fiction, but with a real-world message.<\/p>\n

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Ryan joined ABC Company as a buyer two years ago. Having just graduated with an MBA and no work experience, he was quite satisfied with the $80,000 per year salary he was offered and had accepted.<\/p>\n

Ryan sure was sharp. Everyone who met him \u2013 coworkers, suppliers, even ABC\u2019s CEO \u2013 was impressed with his intellectual horsepower. It didn\u2019t take much time in speaking with him before one realized he was one of smartest people around.<\/p>\n

Ryan\u2019s quick thinking and problem solving skills made him the go-to guy in the procurement department. Heck, even procurement directors with a couple of decades of experience sought out his perspective when they ran into challenging situations.<\/p>\n

Everyone knew that Ryan was the future of the procurement department. Perhaps even the future of the company.<\/p>\n

ABC Company was an evolving enterprise. It was exiting some declining markets and trying to enter growing markets. It was a company in transition. Not necessarily a bad transition, but an uncertain one at the least.<\/p>\n

As part of its evolution, ABC Company was planning to increase the headcount of its procurement department. Specifically, management wanted to establish a \u201cStrategic Procurement Programs\u201d (SPP) division of the department. And Ryan was the obvious choice to be the SPP manager.<\/p>\n

In March, management debated the timing of the launch of the SPP division and Ryan\u2019s promotion. Ryan had joined the company on May 5 \u2013 Cinco de Mayo, a day of celebration \u2013 and this coming May 5th would be Ryan\u2019s two year anniversary with the company. What a way to celebrate a two year anniversary and a quasi-holiday \u2013 a promotion!<\/p>\n

This promotion would push Ryan\u2019s salary into six figures. Not bad for a guy in his mid-20\u2019s.<\/p>\n

So, management planned to keep their plans secret until May 5. In the mean time, they thought, they would just enjoy watching Ryan continue to work his magic within the department.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s when things got a little complicated.<\/p>\n

On Valentine\u2019s Day, Ryan\u2019s girlfriend, who he had dated since his undergrad days, broke up with him. For the first couple of weeks, he was too in shock to really comprehend what had happened. He went about his days in a business-as-usual fashion.<\/p>\n

But then, it started to sink in. Ryan was heartbroken. And depressed. And his emotional state started rearing its ugly head in the workplace.<\/p>\n

He started thinking about his salary. He hadn\u2019t gotten a raise in nearly two years. The company\u2019s revenue, with all of the changes in its markets, was stagnant. So Ryan didn\u2019t expect a raise any time soon.<\/p>\n

He could handle his girlfriend not making him feel appreciated. They had their moments.<\/p>\n

But to not feel appreciated at work? Where he contributed so much? And made his value so clear to others?<\/p>\n

Ryan would have none of that. He stopped caring about ABC Company the way he used to.<\/p>\n

Ryan, who usually had impeccable accuracy in his work, turned in a cost savings report that had an error that overstated his cost savings by $100,000. His to-do list, which never had tasks linger for more than a week, grew longer and longer and he started missing deadlines.<\/p>\n

But the big disaster happened in late March. The Director of Global Sourcing, the woman who Ryan would report to when he got promoted, asked Ryan for his advice on handling a merger between two suppliers. Ryan uncharacteristically spit out the words \u201cThat\u2019s not in my job description!\u201d and walked away.<\/p>\n

Uh oh.<\/p>\n

That director had an unrelated meeting scheduled with the rest of the leadership team, including the CEO, the next morning. Before the meeting formally started, she shared details about her exchange with Ryan.<\/p>\n

The rest of the team were aghast. They discussed whether or not to continue with their plans to promote Ryan. That debate ended with the CEO saying \u201cPromoting Ryan would send a message to everyone else that it\u2019s OK to disrespect management.\u201d<\/p>\n

The management team then posted the job online and hired someone from the outside. Ryan continued to work at his starting salary long after May 5th passed.<\/p>\n

Ryan never learned about the plans the management team had for his promotion. He sure would have enjoyed that six figure salary. But it didn\u2019t happen. And Ryan didn\u2019t get any happier.<\/p>\n

The moral of the story: When it comes to your procurement career, the time when it\u2019s OK to take your foot off the gas is\u2026NEVER!<\/p>\n

Think about your work today. Are you justifying a promotion that the management team secretly has planned for you? Or are you giving them reasons to go with someone else?<\/p>\n

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