Why coaching skills are the key to taking back control of Procurement's perception problem

I recently ran a LinkedIn poll asking how often the perception of Procurement weighed on your minds during their day-to-day work. 

66% said often or all of the time.

The result wasn't a surprise to me. I often hear it in the room in my work with Procurement leaders and their teams; in the way that they talk about needing to influence without authority, the pressure to tell a compelling story to the exec team, the frustration of being underestimated before the conversation has even started.

As a coach, I'm here to challenge my clients' thinking. So when I hear these assumptions and perceptions, I bring attention to it and ask: how is this limiting your impact?

This isn't just a Procurement problem - but it cuts deeper

First, let's put this in context. Worrying about how others perceive us is deeply human. Recognition features in Maslow's hierarchy of needs; we are wired to seek respect and acknowledgement from the people around us.

What makes Procurement's situation particularly challenging is that the legacy perceptions of the function press directly on those needs, creating an additional layer of noise that professionals in other functions simply don't carry in the same way. 

The problem deepens when that concern becomes the loudest voice in the room. When someone walks into an important meeting with "I'm just a buyer" ringing in their ears, they've already minimised their own voice before the conversation has started. They've handed over control before anyone else has taken it.

Ultimately, when we spend most of our time worrying about what others think, we start waiting to be respected or given permission rather than choosing to lead.

The conversation has been focused in the wrong direction

Most of the debate around Procurement's reputation has looked outward: better storytelling, stronger stakeholder engagement, proving value to the business. All of that is important, of course, there's no doubt that it needs to happen.

But if we want perceptions to genuinely shift, it has to start from within. With the way we think, the way we show up, and the way we lead ourselves before we even try to lead others.

You'll often hear that exercising curiosity is an important part of Procurement's toolkit. I fully agree, but we miss a trick when we only direct it outwards. The same curiosity we apply to asking great questions of our stakeholders needs to turn inward too: challenging our own assumptions, noticing the narratives we're carrying, asking whether they're actually true. A Procurement leader who can do that has a fundamentally different quality of presence. They lead confidently and without ego.

Why coaching skills need to be part of Procurement's toolkit

I speak from experience here: learning to coach has been one of the most significant things I've done for myself. It has helped me to self-coach, to push through discomfort, and to find a level of confidence that feels authentically mine rather than performed. It has built stronger relationships with the people who matter most to me, and it has helped me put healthy boundaries in place with others. I haven't got life all figured out (far from it) but coaching gives you a powerful toolkit for handling the hard stuff and navigating it with confidence. And we all know how much resilience working in Procurement demands.

1. It starts with you. The inner work of coaching builds the capacity to lead from a place of genuine confidence rather than anxiety about how you're being perceived. That elevation alone changes the quality of every conversation you walk into.

2. It unlocks your team's capability. Procurement teams are spinning multiple plates in a world of uncertainty. Within your team you have a variety of accessible skillsets: tech champions, skilled negotiators, relationship builders and category specialists, often working in silos. That complexity can trap them all in their silos and it can limit your potential as their leader - keeping you stuck in operational detail and away from the strategic conversations that matter most. Coaching skills help you to develop your team's capability and free you to operate at the level you should be.

3. It changes how you show up with stakeholders. The ripple effects of coaching reach well beyond your team. Active listening, deep curiosity, a genuine understanding of relationship dynamics; these are the same skills that make for exceptional business partnering. Your stakeholders have their own pressures and priorities, and when you can truly demonstrate that you understand them, you'll be surprised at how their perception of you will change.

When you stop reacting to how Procurement is seen and start focusing on how you choose to lead, it can be incredibly transformative. Both within your own leadership and in the relationships around you.

Ready to do this work?

In April, I'll be working with a cohort of Procurement professionals at leadership and management level to guide them through their ILM coaching qualification, which is built specifically for Procurement professionals who want to develop real coaching skills they can use every day: with themselves, with their teams, and with their stakeholders.

If this resonates and you're ready to lead with confidence and impact, drop me a message or find further details here. Doors close on 10th April.