Perception and Communication Cory Harms, Iowa State University

Perception and Communication  Perception – “the active process of assessing information in your surroundings” 1  Communication – “the act or process of using words, sounds, signs, or behaviors to express or exchange information or to express your ideas, thoughts, feelings, etc., to someone else” 2 1. Dr. Lee MCGaan 2. MerriamWebster.com

Perception and Communication  Factors that can affect perception  Physiology  Past experiences/biases  Culture  Training/Background  Present Feelings  Anything else?

Perception Test

Perception and Communication  Why is this relevant to Purchasing?  How we are perceived on campus or by vendors can make a big difference.  Good communication with vendors/clients is becoming more important and affects their perception of us.  Miscommunication and misperception can have unwanted results.  Communication has moved to less personal forms ( s, Facebook, Twitter, Text) that can be misinterpreted (perceived incorrectly).  How do we get through all of the perception factors to get our ideas across!

Perception and Communication  Areas of Discussion  How do we change the perception of Purchasing on campus  How do we affect how we are perceived by vendors  How do we more effectively communicate with clients and vendors  What forms of communication should we be using and when  Importance of staff communication

How do we change the perception of Purchasing on campus  It’s all in a name (maybe)  Buyer versus agent versus contracting officer?  Purchasing versus Procurement versus Business Services?  Purchasing Manager versus Director versus Chief Procurement Officer  We need to be aware of how we present ourselves  Jeans versus business casual versus business wear?  What technology tools are we using?  How do we connect with campus

Which me do you take more seriously?

How do we change the perception of Purchasing on campus  We should strive for recognition  AEP award, NAEP awards, NIGP awards, campus awards, etc.  We should have a brand  Strive to be service of choice  Seen as strategic versus transactional  We should be faculty and department friendly  Build relationships with departments and faculty  Faculty meetings, orientations, etc.  We should be consistent in communication, decisions, service

How do we affect how we are perceived by vendors  Names and titles again?  How we present ourselves is still important  Professional documents/meetings Professional documents/meetings  Website Website  Processes

Need a Volunteer

Look at the chart below and say the COLOR of the word, not the word itself.

How do we more effectively communicate with clients and vendors  Departmental Website  s s  Bids, Contracts, Amendments  Phone  Meetings, Visits  Training/Orientation  Focus Groups  Surveys  Others?

What forms of communication should we be using and when  Face to Face  93% non-verbal (55% body, 38% tone, 7% words) or 60% facial/40% vocal 1  Telephone/Teleconference   60 billion s per day in the world 2  99% of written communication now 2  Companies like Intel have instituted no Fridays 2  Webinars/Web Meetings  Focus Groups 1 Psychology Today 9/30/ Organizational Behavior, v. 1.0 by Talya Bauer and Berrin Erdogan

Communication Exercise

 I took my dog for a walk today and then I gave him some food

Verbal versus Written Example I did not tell John you were late  I did not tell John you were late.  I did not tell John you were late  I did not tell John you were late.

 How can we improve our verbal communication  Be prepared  Think before you speak  Be receptive to new ideas  Ask Questions  Listen more than you speak  Use eye contact  Repeat what you heard to clarify What forms of communication should we be using and when

Communications Exercise

Importance of staff communication  Staff Meetings  Training  One on ones  Don’t hide good or bad news  Don’t keep things secret

Summary  Perception can be affected by many factors  Perception of Purchasing is important  We need to effectively communicate with clients and vendors  Staff communication should be consistent and ongoing

Questions?