Of all the traditional Chinese festivals, the New Year is perhaps the most elaborate, colourful and important. This year they celebrated the new year on 28th January. As per the Chinese zodiac, each year is symbolized by an animal & an element which define the characteristics that the year will belong too.

And 2017 is the Year of Fire Rooster!

The Fire Rooster is an extremely strong willed and proactive person. They have many leadership qualities and are excellent organizers which is always visible in their workplace. They have the ability to go very far in their workplace as long as they are able to overcome their shyness.

They are also able to handle big tasks very well and is very good at multi-tasking.

All of these characteristics are a need of the hour in the procurement scenario. The procurement professionals with these traits will climb the ladder of success. Especially when the responsibilities of procurement professionals are changing from tactical to strategic one.

We can’t pin-point the single most important attribute that makes a procurement professional perform at the benchmark level. It is a combination of many traits, skills and behaviors.  Let us look at some of the characteristics of Fire Rooster which when imbibed by procurement professional will help to achieve optimal results and stand out in the crowd.  The list of characteristics, in no particular order, includes:

1. Strong Sense of Timekeeping: In today’s competitive world, landing on a peak is a must! Be it grabbing an early discount or paying the suppliers on time. But with the help of current technologies in use, it can be achieved.
2. Responsible: A procurement professional wears several different hats. His job is quite challenging and each day can present new situations and new people to deal with. Hence responsibility is an essential part of the job.
3. Proactive: In this area of quickly changing corporate environments, purchasing managers are encouraged to be proactive. Examples may include outsourcing, establishing supplier development, risk-sharing with the supplier, etc.

Awareness about ourselves, and the roles we are attempting to fill, improves the odds of success. What other traits do you think make for a great procurement professional? Please share your thoughts.