“It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to, than I have ever known.”
Final sentence of A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens, English Novelist (1812 – 1870)
Without giving away the number of years I have been on this planet, I have seen a progressive and sustained change in the make-up of the corporate mindset. While the hedonistic and predatory elements that accentuated the Conrad Black or Bernard Ebbers make it big, any way you can era might still remain to a certain level, it is clear that the self-serving corporate “greed is good” axiom is being replaced by the emergence of a socially conscientious, collaborative enterprise that looks at the whole being greater than its individual parts.
Which is why the Dickens quote came to mind, in that it reflects character Sydney Carton’s prophetic and unspoken final thoughts that Darney and Lucie’s son (whom they will name after Carton) will come to fulfill “all the promise that Carton wasted.”
While I have had the opportunity and privilege to both interview and write about some amazing people and companies from around the world, I recently encountered an organization that seems to exemplify the true spirit of collaboration within the framework of a “collective” beneficial outcome.
Don’t get me wrong, the emergence of the socially conscious enterprise as highlighted in books such as Bill Clinton’s “Giving, How Each Of Us Can Change The World” (Borzoi Books, 2007) is gaining significant traction the world over. Specifically Clinton’s reference that “in many areas, regardless of the quality of government, a critical difference is being made by citizens working as individuals, in businesses, and through nongovernmental nonprofit organizations” or NGOs.
But what makes the Buyers Meeting Point unique is that their model represents the leading edge of a new paradigm in that the organization was created with a built-in social engagement/delivery mechanism. This is something unique for a profit-based enterprise.
An Uncontrived Commitment to a Broader Vision of Service
Recognizing the increasingly important role that supply chain, and in particular procurement professionals play in the global marketplace, Buyers Meeting Point currently donates 10 per cent of their profits to a sponsored charity. In this case Plan International. (Note: use the following link to learn more about Plan International’s direct support of more than 1,500,000 children and their families in 49 developing countries: http://www.buyersmeetingpoint.com/our-charities/our-charities/our-charities.html)
Based on the Buyers Meeting Point concept that procurement professionals “have the opportunity to improve one’s self and help others in areas all around the world at the same time,” demonstrates a foundational principle that is reminiscent of The Deming System of Profound Knowledge. And in particular its belief that “the first step is transformation of the individual.”
Through individual transformation Deming concluded that an individual will “perceive new meaning to his life, to events, to numbers,” and of course to “interactions between people.”
“Once the individual understands the system of profound knowledge, he will apply its principles in every kind of relationship with other people. He will have a basis,” according to Deming for better “judgment of his own decisions and for transformation of the organizations” to which he belongs.
As a result, the individual will then be able to; a) set an example, b) be a good listener, but will not compromise, c) continually teach other people, and d) help people to pull away from their current practices and beliefs and move into a new philosophy without a feeling of guilt about the past.
And it is the element of transformative collaboration that is at the heart of the Buyers Meeting Point value proposition
Transformative Collaboration
In my August 28, 2008 post titled “The Web 2.0 Association: A Dynamic Engagement Between Stakeholders Sharing The Same Interests And Goals (see the Web Resources Section at the conclusion of today’s post for the corresponding URL Link), I talked about one organization’s recognition of “the unique challenges” their members faced in a “world of increased scrutiny and dynamic change.”
The point was made to emphasize the fact that collaborative enterprises of mutual interests “need to be more than a mere collection of names in which member count alone is the defining measurement of success.” To be effective, the modern association, institute or for that matter a B2B buyers network must “create and facilitate an environment in which an active and timely collaboration of ideas and ideals are the cornerstone of a relevant program of service.”
The foundation upon which the Buyers Meeting Point model has been created is a “learn, share and grow philosophy, in which the main goal is for its members to learn and then share what has been learnt both within their own organization and where possible the “broader global community.” The return according to its founders is that through this process, it will provide procurement professionals with an opportunity and ability to “grow professionally.”
Why Buyers Meeting Point?
For those of you that are part of my regular readership, you already know that an important tenet of the Procurement Insights Sponsorship Program (which includes these profiles) is my total commitment to neutrality. And as such I will continue to leave the assessment surrounding the viability of the Buyers Meeting Point value proposition in your hands, (as always, I will direct you to the Link To Our Sponsors and Sponsor Presentations Sections of the PI Blog to investigate their service offering in greater detail, and at your own convenience).
That said Buyers Meeting Point backs up their transformative collaboration vision, in which social considerations are an integral part, with a tangible, and what I believe is a well structured, viable program centering on what they refer to as their “five unique selling points.”
The selling points include the provision of:
· A Procurement Library for the hard core procurement professional
· A Hosting platform for a free Procurement Forum which will bring the professional Global answers for local questions
· A Career Center that lists Procurement jobs
· A Networking vehicle for procurement professionals
· Commercial solutions with a Social focus
As an organization who “exchanges, develops and sells high-end procurement knowledge and related business solutions,” Buyers Meeting Point appears to have also transformed the collaborative business model and with it forever changed the social networking landscape.
WEB RESOURCES:
The Web 2.0 Association: A Dynamic Engagement Between Stakeholders Sharing The Same Interests and Goals: https://procureinsights.wordpress.com/2008/08/20/the-web-20-association-a-dynamic-engagement-between-stakeholders-sharing-the-same-interests-and-goals-canadian-public-procurement-council-profile/
Use the following link to learn more about our Sponsorship Program; https://procureinsights.wordpress.com/pi-sponsorship-opportunities/
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Posted on January 17, 2009
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