Be kind, humble and transparent with your Supply Chain

Is this a radical idea? We, at Ikaros, do not think so.

Having the ability to engage with your Supply Chain in a transparent way, where you are kind not exploitive and humble over taking any position of higher worth. You need instil this into your Business Culture and the Culture that you should be cultivating within your Supply Chain.

Businesses are made up of People.

Your Suppliers are people and this has always been an affair of people.

You need to close your mouth, stop talking and practise active listening. You need to engage with your Suppliers and ask them how you can help them, rather than the question being how can you help us, how can you lower your prices, how can you make less money so we make more?

If anything comes out of the COVID-19 Pandemic that is gripping the world, we hope its kindness in all that we do.

Being kind to your suppliers does not being weak, bullied or in a position of poor leverage. It’s the opposite.

It means being kind when you can be forceful, it means being open, transparent and truthful when you could bully and it means extending an arm, when you have all the leverage, and bringing your Suppliers along with you.

Originally published at https://ikaros.uk.com on March 27, 2020.