Work Life Balance: 4 Simple Tools for Procurement Professionals

Sometimes, our life feels flat. We work all day, but we hunger for a more balanced lifestyle. We feel as if we are very rich and very poor. And for most of us in procurement, the idea that the work-life balance is the most important concept to achieve may seem unreachable in a world full of distractions. We tend to think, or at least fear, that work-life balance in procurement is some sort of fiction. 

Instead of grabbing tasks to numb ourselves with, we might want to say “no” and look for another more fulfilling work environment. But before we do this, there are some things we might want to consider with our procurement team to find a solution.

As long as we believe in ourselves and are able to make valid choices in our procurement career path, we can move out of faith into the act of creating something new: a more balanced life. Therefore, work life balance is neither fiction nor a luxury; it’s a lifestyle all procurement professionals deserve. Commitment to the recovery process that is followed by the entry stage does exist, but it is, indeed, hard to follow and stay persistent. 

This article explains simple tools for procurement professionals to maintain work-life balance and recover from creative blocks.

Work life balance in procurement

Life in the supply chain is challenging, especially for managers. Being responsible for all purchasing and sourcing of products, as well as building relationships with suppliers, definitely does not align with a popular “lazy job” concept. No matter what role in procurement you’ve chosen, the time has come to learn how to nurture, recognize, and protect yourself and strengthen your confidence. 

Tool 1: Facilitate healthy collaboration

For example, one of the procurement officer’s tasks is to ensure appropriate product selection through close coordination with both internal and external customers, and that’s a daunting task. Therefore, a good supply chain team requires good communication skills. On the other hand, a lack of collaboration among colleagues will affect your stress management and overall well being. The first step is to schedule a meeting, revise expectations, and remove roadblocks. Being honest with your colleagues is a great way to find potential solutions to problems and in the end, all puzzles of work-life harmony will start falling into place. 

Tool 2: Encourage flexible working hours

We feel safer when we work hard. Even though we are blocked and unhappy, at least we know we worked long hours. Consider your first task in the morning is to deal with unexpected challenges, such as transportation delays or sudden customer demand changes. As a manager, you’re always juggling must-dos and multiple projects, managing and analysing complex data, and keeping track of inventory levels and supplier performance. So, is supply chain a stressful job? Yes, indeed. It’s for this reason that flexibility will come into play. 

In order to effectively optimise supply chain processes and manage day-to-day operations, you might need flexible working hours, such as four-day week. No more extended hours and unrealistic deadlines. 

Tool 3: Recharge for the sake of better productivity

You need to develop demand plans to guide sales and supply activities across all channels and for that, you need a hell of a time. So what if you sometimes feel distracted? Believe me: you can expect some of the best results on the days when you feel tired, crabby, or that everything you’re doing is just plain junk. Play with your own distraction, let it flow, and focus on whatever crosses your mind. 

As Curt Steinhorst pointed out:

‘If you loathe your job, you are going to long to be somewhere else. And if you’re frustrated with other parts of your life, you are going to run to work. Ask yourself if the reason you are over-indexing in one sphere of life is because the other sphere doesn’t feel enjoyable or worth it.’

You might want to take a break for a long country walk, write some poetry or meditate. Keep your mental health by doing what intrigues you. Change a well-known route and your best idea may bubble up when you least expect it.

Tool 4: Use digital technology and have peace of mind

The more productive you are at work, the more calm you might be in your private life. And to be efficient in your procurement team, you need to use technology that will let you access the right data. In addition to affecting the internal structure of organisations, the technological revolution has also allowed procurement teams to work faster and be more productive. Facing technological advantages is the best way to have excellent control over goods and services. 

In the end, we should not neglect the importance of the work-life balance in the supply chain. And to be honest, it’s not easy to achieve work-life harmony considering recent transformations in the procurement landscape.

All of us must invest deliberate effort into acquiring our best life (and work) experiences and make priorities we want to be acknowledged for. Yet the process will make us both angry and joyous and, at the very least, more free. At some point, we must make an active choice to relinquish the life full of stress that leads to the emotional invalid. 

So, how are you doing with work-life balance? Let us know in the comments below.