Tom Mills's Linkedin Analytics

10 books anyone in Procurement would be absolutely crazy to miss: 1. Emotional Intelligence by Daniel Goleman Aligns perfectly with my mantra that self awareness is the key to your impact Key quote: “There is perhaps no pysychological skill more important than resisting impulse." 2. How to win friends and influence people by Dale Carnegie This book is a great reminder that how we perceive the world is the direct result of how we choose to interact with others Key quote: “You can make more friends in two months by becoming interested in other people than you can in two years trying to get other people interested in you.” 3. Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss I feel like this is the fundamental book on negotiation. I always go back to this one. Key quote: "Negotiation is not an act of battle; it’s a process of discovery. The goal is to uncover as much information as possible." 4. Atomic Habits by James Clear Gave me systems and frameworks for building strong, repeatable habits. Key quote: "Goals are good for setting a direction but systems are best for making progress." 5. Trade Wars, Pandemics, and Chaos by Dr Elouise Epstein A blueprint for approaching the complexity of Procurement and making smart technology investments. Key quote: “At heart, the problem is one of Vision. Procurement leaders must believe in a digital future.” 6. The CPO: Transforming Procurement in the Real World by Christian Schubert In a fun way helped me believe in actionable methods to turn Procurement into a function that can save billions. Key quote: “It was not until Sutter and his team had started to generate real successes for the company that they began to consider transforming" 7. Software: The silent killer of your budget by Brad Veech Eye opening book on the one sided nature of software agreements. Key quote: “The fuse on your software budget is burning fast. Software companies have crafted a one-sided business model, and they are the only winners.” 8. Category Management in Purchasing by Jonathan O’Brien Does a great job at breaking down Category Management and making it still relevant today. Key quote: “Organisations have to make an investment in Category Management, but the ROI of doing so is potentially very large." 9. Influence - The psychology of Persuasion by Robert P. Cialdini Paul breaks down the psychology of influence perfectly. Key quote: “Our best evidence of what people truly feel and believe comes less from their words than from their deeds." 10. Bad Buying: How organisations waste billions through failures, frauds and f*ck-ups by Peter Smith The book that convinced me more than any other of the importance of challenging bad buying, and how pervasive it is. Key quote: It’s in the title of the book! Thanks for reading. If you like content like this, give me a follow for more tips on Procurement. ___ P.S. I’m looking for recommendations myself. LMK in the comments the best you’ve read 👇