Video: Why do we treat suppliers & employees so differently?

I am sure if you are watching this you have already come up with at least 10 reasons. But are suppliers and employees really that different?

Watch the Video (2:13)

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Video Transcript

I am sure if you are watching this you have already come up with at least 10 reasons. But are suppliers and employees really that different?

We pay both of them money in return for things like their time, products, skills, output. For most we have a contract with them that governs how we will work together. We need both of them to ensure the business is a success.

So why do we treat them so differently?

These days, forward thinking companies share detailed and sensitive information with their staff and they embrace their staff as part of their company. Employees are seen as a key driver of a business’ success. But, Suppliers, on then other hand, and in the most part, kept at a distance. Often, little is shared with them. Sometimes, even the information that they need to do their job is not provided willingly or in a timely fashion.

Some might argue that it is because suppliers also work with competitors and you need to retain your company secrets to remain in business. But is this short sighted? Employees, these days, switch between competing companies all the time so one can be certain that the company secrets are already being shared.

The fact is, companies need both suppliers and employees equally to develop better products and services to remain in business.

Just think about this, how well would your business perform if you treated your employees like the way you treat your suppliers?

I think it is time to change.

Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, once said that he employs people not so that he can tell them what to do but for the employee to tell him how to do things better.

Now, Imagine the benefits to your company if you asked your suppliers to tell you how can use their products / services better instead of telling them.

I’m thinking that it is time we change our approach.

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