Does your team consistently display the following stellar behavioural capabilities?

In our recent global study, 77% of Improvers believe that behavioural skills are well embedded across their team, versus 49% of starters

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Embedding behavioural skills requires a different approach from embedding?technical skills. This should not be generic behavioural training, but contextualised?and aligned with the key activities in the category management process. This?makes it highly relevant to the challenges and barriers that category managers?typically encounter. The training needs to help category managers understand?where particular skills are applicable to their own unique relationships and?activities.

Classroom formats are useful for introducing concepts, but there is often a mindset?shift required for many category managers. This is most effectively dealt with via a?combination of personality profiling (e.g. Insights, DiSC, Myers Briggs etc.),?individual coaching and small group clinics. There is an increasing recognition of?the value that small group clinics provide. Some key features include:

1. Format: Clinics run for 2-3 hours?with a skilled coach. They allow 3-4?category managers to focus on?specific behavioural topics,?stakeholder management tools and?change management tools.?Individuals come to the clinics?having completed a pre-work?assignment and having identified a?real-life work-related challenge to?work on during the clinic.?

2. Focus: The emphasis should be on?experiential learning through?simulation and observation of?challenging real-life scenarios that?the category managers are?experiencing. The small group?format allows a more detailed?exploration of topics and?participants are more open due to?the trust that develops within the?group. Together with the coach they?identify behavioural changes that?may be helpful and practice new?techniques that they are exposed to.?

3. Other Benefits: This format can?also be extremely powerful as it will?draw in helpful perspectives from?category managers that are not as?familiar with the category and?stakeholders. It also starts the?process of sharing and learning from?each other which is necessary for?continuous improvement.

How can this be applied to my organisation??

Book a free assessment call?

Mark Hubbard, one of our Directors, will walk you through a series of quick questions to determine where you are now and to introduce a structured improvement programme to optimise your category management performance:

FUTURE PURCHASING'S GLOBAL RESEARCH INTO CATEGORY MANAGEMENT

Since 2012, we have undertaken the research five times. More than 1,800 participants from organisations with more than €5tn spend have taken part. This has provided more than 250,000 data points that allow us to pinpoint best practice and define the missing standards for implementing category management.

Contact us if you would like a copy of the full report.

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