Lessons from Five Decades in the Field
I’ve spent five decades hiring, and sometimes unhiring, people in supply chain, including supply chain executives.
This ranges from administrative assistants to supply chain executives. I’ve recommended scores of people for chief supply chain officer posts. (Or, before the days when the C-suite brought supply chain in from the cold, the equivalent – VP of supply chain.)
While my most recent post gave tips on navigating your supply chain career, today I’ll sit on the other side of the desk. Believe it or not, the one who hires and the one who gets hired share the same goal – a successful partnership.
So, let’s examine the three essentials you need the next time you hire a supply chain executive or chief supply chain officer (CSCO).
Competency Sets the Foundation
This goes for every vector, sector and position. But it’s exceptionally important in supply chain. Because if your organization cannot deliver to your customer, you will not succeed.
So if your supply chain executives don’t know what they’re doing, they’re not going to last long. And they’ll take your supply chain down with them.
When I talk about competency, I’m not just looking for someone who’s technically skilled. I’m looking for someone who brings something unique to the table – a value proposition that sets them apart from the crowd.
Because they’re going to have to deal with perpetual disruption. From tariffs, shooting wars, greedflation, rising shipping costs and whatever disruption comes next.
But competency is more than just a catch-all term. I break it down into five specific areas: experience and expertise; leadership and vision; global perspective; technology savvy; and problem-solving skills. More details on those later.
Integrity Is Non-Negotiable
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s this: Integrity isn’t optional.
If someone doesn’t have it, they don’t belong in your organization. Back when I was consulting, I thought I was in the consulting business. It took me decades to realize that I was actually in the integrity business.
My reputation didn’t come from inventing some fancy autonomous vehicle or writing a best-selling book. It came from doing what I said I would do, every single time.
People trusted me and my team because they knew that if I made a promise, we would keep it. It’s that simple.
That’s what allowed us to be successful over decades. Since you are known by the company you keep, the last thing you should jeopardize is your integrity.
Your supply chain executive needs to embody this. If they don’t, you should pass on them. No matter how competent they might seem, no matter how much you think they will crush it out of the ballpark.
Trust me, you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches in the long run.
Plain English Is the Language of Success
Here’s another hard-learned lesson: If they can’t clearly explain what they do, they’re not going to succeed.
I’ve met a lot of people who were competent and had high integrity. But many aspiring supply chain executives couldn’t explain their value proposition without lapsing into jargon.
Take a look at this:
“Leveraging advanced logistics optimization strategies, we achieved a 50% reduction in lead time, while concurrently driving a 12% decrease in transportation expenditure and optimizing inventory levels by 23% through data-driven supply chain enhancements.”
Yecch.
I understand that, and so do a lot of other people in supply chain.
But that’s not the point. Do you think your supply chain executives will only talk to supply chain people? No, they must work across silos and communicate with the C-suite.
Great supply chain executives know what’s happening on the warehouse floor and in your transportation lanes. And be able to explain those operations, in detail, to warehouse and transportation personnel.
In other words, even chief supply chain officers will be working regular people. You know, folks whose eyes glaze over at jargon. They’ll understand plain English (or Portuguese, or Spanish – whatever your area’s predominant language of business).
If they can’t explain what they do in clear, simple terms, how can they communicate with teams, other departments or bosses?
The Five Pillars of Competency
Now, let’s circle back to those five pillars of competency I mentioned earlier. When I’m assessing someone’s competency, I’m specifically looking at these:
- Experience and expertise: Your new supply chain executive needs a proven track record in managing complex supply chain operations. Experience in procurement, logistics, inventory management and supply chain strategy is non-negotiable.
- Leadership and vision: Managing a supply chain is one thing; leading it is another. Your candidate should have a clear vision for the supply chain and the ability to inspire and guide their team toward that vision.
- Global perspective: The world is a big place, and your supply chain exec needs to understand it. They will have to navigate the complexities of international markets, regulations and cultural nuances. And today’s end-to-end, global supply chains span hundreds of thousands of touchpoints – with many or most of them outside your company’s four walls.
- Technology savvy: The modern supply chain is a tech-driven beast. Your candidate needs to be well-versed in the latest supply chain technologies. They’re going to have to leverage AI, IoT and data analytics to enhance operations.
- Problem-solving skills: These days, challenges and disruptions bedevil supply chains on a daily a weekly basis. An effective supply chain executive can solve problems and develop innovative solutions to complex issues.
Don’t Settle for Less
Hiring the right supply chain executive or CSCO is crucial. Don’t rush the process, and don’t settle for anything less than someone who can fulfill all of the above requirements.
Look for competency, integrity and the ability to communicate in plain English. Trust your instincts, and learn from the mistakes of others (like me).
That will give you a shot at finding the right person to lead your end-to-end supply chain into the future.
Need more than advice? Want to equip your leadership team to navigate the complexities of today’s supply chain challenges? Then I’d love to talk. Let’s connect to discuss how we can strengthen your leadership and drive success for your organization.
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Jim Tompkins, Chairman of Tompkins Ventures, is an international authority on designing and implementing end-to-end supply chains. Over five decades, he has designed countless industrial facilities and supply chain solutions, enhancing the growth of numerous companies. He previously built Tompkins International from a backyard startup into an international consulting and implementation firm. Jim earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University.
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Jim, well written as always. Your comments on communications are spot on. More and more of what I read is full of multi-syllable words in rambling sentences. A “Fog Factor” would place the years of schooling needed to read such dribble in the 20s. When often the reader is only interested in “what is in it for me”?
Your blog is a beacon of light in the often murky waters of online content. Your thoughtful analysis and insightful commentary never fail to leave a lasting impression. Keep up the amazing work!