When everyone has an opinion: Procurement, feedback & driving greater outcomes

Feedback is a tricky beast.

Without it, we can’t grow. Delivered poorly, it can knock us sideways. Giving it can feel awkward. And even positive feedback can get brushed off with a “thanks, but…”

Sometimes it arrives indirectly…and it stings.

“The director thinks you need more confidence.” Ouch.

What makes it worse is that we often get the “what” without the “how.”

We end up walking away with more questions than answers.

Giving and receiving feedback in a way that actually fuels development is an art form.

In Procurement, that art gets stress-tested daily.

You’re right in the middle: stakeholders on one side, suppliers on the other and leadership chiming in from above.

Everyone’s got feedback, and they’re not afraid to share it (or lay the blame at Procurement’s door).

When Procurement faces a perception challenge, it can feel like you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place: expected to take the feedback on the chin while at the same time influence stakeholder behaviour.

So how can we take on board feedback that will serve us for our own development, without it triggering our defence system?

Using feedback as a Procurement power tool

Procurement is built on relationships.

And great relationships thrive on honest, constructive communication.

Whether you're reviewing supplier performance, closing out a project with stakeholders, or building influence in the business, how you receive feedback can shape the future of your partnerships.

Building sustainable collaborative relationships means being able to hear the uncomfortable, stay curious, and make changes that actually stick.

Why defensiveness is so tempting

Whether we call it constructive, critical, negative or developmental, it points to a required improvement.

And so it feels personal.

Our default reaction to critical feedback isn’t so much to say thank you and implement improvements immediately.

It’s more like, “that’s not fair”, “what do they know”, “time for me to go, I won’t progress here” or “they don’t like me”.

Our brains are wired to process criticism much like they process threat.

Fight, flight or freeze.

Ultimately, defensiveness is a short-term strategy.

It might protect us from perceived harm, but it weakens relationships in the long-term if we don’t seek to improve it.

Over time, it signals: “I don’t want to hear what you think.”

That’s not ideal when your role depends on collaboration, impact and influence.

Not all feedback is created equal

As I mentioned earlier, effective feedback really is an art form.

And like any art, it can go sideways if the technique isn’t right.

In reality, even well-meant feedback can land badly if it's poorly delivered.

Maybe a stakeholder is frustrated and lobs a vague, “you’re too slow” at your team.

Perhaps a supplier takes your comment personally and fires back with a rant.

Or maybe a leader shares feedback that reveals more about them than it does about you.

So what do you do with that?

You listen, but that doesn’t mean you have to absorb it all.

Ask yourself:

• Is this feedback based on real data, or is it emotionally charged?
• Is it a one-off event, or part of a pattern?
• Is this coming from someone who genuinely wants me (or my team) to improve?

Discernment is your superpower here.

Listen with openness, but don’t let every comment rewrite your narrative.

Create space between the feedback and your identity as a Procurement professional.

There’s a huge difference between thinking:

“This relationship isn’t working, I can work on that” and “I’m terrible at building relationships.”

That mental distance matters, especially in Procurement, where the ground is always shifting.

Stakeholders change, suppliers rotate, priorities evolve. Power dynamics ebb and flow.

You need to be anchored in your self-awareness, not pulled around by every passing opinion.

How to receive feedback to fuel Procurement’s impact

While we can’t be in immediate control of the way feedback is delivered to us, we can control how we respond to it. 

Here are 5 steps to help you work through it.

1. Pause. Breathe. Resist the urge to explain. First reactions are not always the best ones. Take a moment to reflect.
2. Get curious. Ask for examples. “Can you tell me more” or “can you walk me through what made you feel that way?” opens up the conversation and invites specificity.
3. Take notes, even on the stuff that stings. It shows professionalism and gives you space to reflect, not react.
4. Say thank you. Even if it feels awkward. It keeps the door open to collaboration.
5. Don’t promise immediate change. Promise to think it through. This gives you agency, time and an opportunity to keep the conversation going.

Turning feedback into action (not just anxiety or frustration)

If you take on a learner mindset to improve your impact, the key is to think small:

Instead of spiralling into guilt or brushing it off, ask yourself:

“What’s one visible change I could make based on this?”

• Maybe it’s adjusting how you communicate updates to stakeholders.
• Perhaps it’s checking in more regularly with a supplier.
• Maybe it’s simply acknowledging that something didn’t land and owning it.

Small visible shifts build credibility and cultivate emotional intelligence.

When you show you can receive feedback well, you give others permission to do the same.

That’s how you build influence when it comes to feedback culture, and I think that Procurement is in a great position to drive the culture that it wants to see.

Moving forward

Next time someone offers some feedback, take a breath, get curious and stay open.

Feedback, when handled well and treated as a building block, is a career advantage.

It gives you a line in the sand that you can then revisit once you’ve worked some more of your Procurement magic.

How Coaching For Procurement Ltd can help

Coaching For Procurement Ltd offers a full suite of coaching solutions designed to empower and support Procurement leaders and their teams; from Procurement team coaching through to ILM qualifications using the unique P.R.O.C.U.R.E® coaching methodology and frameworks, as well as 1:1 coaching. We work together on your inner game at these pivotal moments of your Procurement journey.

If you would like to explore a coaching approach to building Procurement's impact, please reach out to find out more: www.coachingforprocurement.co.uk/contact-me