How can Vendor Managers build better relationships with their teams?

In my experience leading and managing BPOs during my career, it all boils down to the following: - Communication. Regularly communicate goals, expectations, and updates. - Empowerment and Recognition. Highlight achievements publicly to boost morale.? - Team Building. Organise team-building exercises or social events to foster a positive work environment.?Bowling, Table Tennis- for example. Feedback and Support. This is crucial to address any concerns or challenges promptly. I have always organised regular team meetings to discuss progress and challenges and celebrated achievements publicly, creating a supportive atmosphere where team members feel empowered and valued.

Knowing who you are working with is about knowing what they are trying to achieve, what you are trying to achieve, and then sorting out how to do that together. Spending time to get to know your vendor partner team and asking them what is important to them will allow you to plan better, communicate better, and accomplish more together. This is more than just what the company wants to get from the partnership, but about what each person on the team is trying to achieve and why.

Building better relationships with their teams is crucial for vendor managers to successfully meet organizational goals. Here are some strategies for doing so: 1. Effective Communication 2. Lead by Example 3. Promote a Collaborative Environment 4. Engage and Involve 5. Show Appreciation 6. Provide Constructive Feedback 7. Personalized Approach 8. Foster Professional Development 9. Trust and Empower 10. Manage Conflicts Building a strong relationship with your team leads to increased productivity, positive work culture, and ultimately, successful vendor management.

Establish transparency and respect during negotiations for better relationships and require a complete understanding of how vendors work, their pricing quotes, and discounts.

Communicate regularly and always with the WHY! Listen more than you talk, and allow your partner to drive conversations and be empowered. Problem-solve together and always with the intention of achieving operational excellence.

Celebrate everything you can. Yes, celebrate the metrics but celebrate even more, the people and team growth, the process improvements, the culture change, and the leadership development. Celebrate when folks raise ideas and they are implemented, no matter the size. Create personalized awards!

One thing I found helpful when starting to spend more time with vendor partners is that you need to celebrate not only their achievements but those of all team members involved. If this is a partnership then everyone who contributed should be included in the celebrations. The team will then feel more aligned to the goals as a group and will be able to find more wins to celebrate together (big and small).

"The only constant in life is change." is so true. Knowing this and be able to be flexible to support your partners through change is key to success in vendor management. Part of this is managing risks, but it is more about knowing your partners, what is important to them, and how they do business. From there you can act as a change agent to help them through any changes that you planned for, or did not.

EQ is crucial to working with people - and when you are working with vendor partners and their teams it comes to the forefront of success. Invest time in your partners and the partnerships and you will see it pay out in spades.