Procurement professionals need to have excellent soft skills, especially when they are working across geographies and cultures. A simple gesture like a handshake is expected in one culture, and may offend in another. Knowing the difference and being able to read the room are essential.
In this episode of The Sourcing Hero podcast, Host Kelly Barner welcomes Dupre Jones. Dupre is a Regional Category Manager, specializing in Logistics & Warehousing for CSL. He also has an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, where he no doubt learned many of the skills needed to navigate today’s complex business landscape.
Highlights
In this interview, Dupre shares his point of view on why cultural understanding and active empathy should be considered in all business strategies:
- Expectations for cross cultural communications and mannerisms
- The role that empathy can and should play in contract negotiations
- How procurement can help decision makers determine what they want before selecting a supplier
