As a project manager, you know how important it is to work well with your vendors and suppliers. They are your partners in delivering value to your customers and stakeholders. But how do you build and maintain relationships with them using Agile leadership? Here are some ways to do that.
The first step is to align on the goals and values of the project and the Agile approach. You need to communicate clearly and frequently with your vendors and suppliers about what you want to achieve, how you want to work, and what you expect from them. You also need to listen to their feedback and concerns, and address them promptly and respectfully. By aligning on goals and values, you can create a shared vision and trust among the parties.
Building and maintaining relationships with vendors and suppliers using Agile leadership involves aligning on shared goals and values. Collaborate and co-create solutions, fostering a partnership that goes beyond transactional interactions. Embrace negotiation and adaptation to address changing needs and priorities. Express appreciation for contributions and celebrate milestones to reinforce a positive partnership. Continuously learn and improve together through feedback loops and retrospectives. Additionally, consider establishing transparent communication channels, setting mutual expectations, and promoting a culture of openness and trust. Regularly reassess and adapt practices to ensure the relationship remains dynamic and resilient.
Establishing shared goals and values fosters a collaborative environment, ensuring everyone understands the project's purpose and approach. Regular communication and active listening build rapport, enhancing mutual understanding and trust. Addressing concerns promptly showcases a commitment to a respectful partnership, nurturing a collaborative culture where diverse perspectives contribute to project success.
The most important thing is to be fair with everyone, whether it's companies or individuals. You never know how things might change, and treating people well pays off in the long run. If you're fair, people remember, and when times get tough, they'll have your back without you even asking. That's how it worked for me, and it just goes to show that being kind and fair goes a long way.
Embrace collaboration by involving vendors in Agile ceremonies. Foster open communication and regular feedback. Prioritize flexibility in contracts to accommodate changing requirements. Establish a shared understanding of project goals. Encourage a culture of continuous improvement and mutual success, creating strong and enduring relationships with vendors and suppliers.
The second step is to collaborate and co-create with your vendors and suppliers. You need to involve them in the planning, execution, and review of the project, and give them a voice and a stake in the outcomes. You can use tools and techniques such as Scrum, Kanban, user stories, backlog grooming, sprint planning, daily stand-ups, retrospectives, and demos to facilitate collaboration and co-creation. By collaborating and co-creating, you can foster a culture of innovation and learning among the parties.
Remember that the vendor is brought onboard for their expertise and support. Regularly connect with them to understand how to improve your collaboration. Asking questions on how you can better support them in their delivery makes for a highly effective and synergetic team! Gathering their input makes them just as much a part of the team as your internal team members and that is a critical aspect of vendor engagement.
The third step is to negotiate and adapt with your vendors and suppliers. You need to recognize that change is inevitable and welcome in Agile projects, and that you need to be flexible and responsive to the changing needs and priorities of the project and the customers. You also need to negotiate and agree on the scope, schedule, budget, quality, and risks of the project, and how to handle changes and issues that may arise. You can use tools and techniques such as contract types, change management, risk management, and conflict resolution to negotiate and adapt. By negotiating and adapting, you can achieve a balance between stability and agility among the parties.
The fourth step is to appreciate and celebrate with your vendors and suppliers. You need to acknowledge and reward the contributions and achievements of your vendors and suppliers, and show them that you value their work and partnership. You also need to celebrate the milestones and successes of the project, and share the feedback and testimonials from the customers and stakeholders. You can use tools and techniques such as recognition, incentives, testimonials, and social events to appreciate and celebrate. By appreciating and celebrating, you can strengthen the morale and loyalty among the parties.
The fifth step is to learn and improve with your vendors and suppliers. You need to reflect and evaluate the performance and satisfaction of your vendors and suppliers, and identify the strengths and weaknesses of the project and the Agile approach. You also need to solicit and provide feedback and suggestions for improvement, and implement the actions and changes that are needed. You can use tools and techniques such as surveys, interviews, metrics, benchmarks, and lessons learned to learn and improve. By learning and improving, you can enhance the quality and efficiency among the parties.
By following these five steps, you can build and maintain relationships with your vendors and suppliers using Agile leadership. You can leverage the benefits of Agile, such as customer satisfaction, faster delivery, higher quality, lower costs, and better collaboration, while also managing the challenges of Agile, such as uncertainty, complexity, diversity, and change. You can also create a win-win situation for all the parties involved, and deliver value to your customers and stakeholders.
Vendors and Suppliers are very important. They are part of the Project and they have to be reliable in the first place. It's not a matter of price or delivery time, but mainly an overall package of what you or your Project expects from the Vendors. All other components can be adjusted and negotiated.