Vol. 1, No. 2
March/April 2008

Career ROI

• Mastering Behavioral Interviews in 3 Steps
  
  A 3-Step Approach to Acing Behavioral Interviews
  Behavioral interviews aim to determine how well you work under pressure, assess your capacity for teamwork and test your conflict-resolution skills. But with the right preparation, you can turn nightmare behavioral questions into opportunities to sell yourself.
  Deborah Walker
  
  

Sustainability & Social Responsibility

• Wal-Mart's 3 Biggest Sustainability Goals: A Progress Report
  
  In October 2005, Wal-Mart executives set their sights on three sustainability goals: to be supplied 100% by renewable energy, to create zero waste, and to sell products that sustain their resources and the environment. Three years later, we check in with President and CEO Lee Scott.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  
• Generating Support for Green Initiatives
  
  Going Green: How to Generate Support for Social Responsibility
  Despite the rising popularity — and necessity — of social responsibility, this integral concept can be difficult for existing organizations to implement. A recent report issued by ISM offers practical steps to get your organization moving in the right direction.
  Lisa Cooling
  
  
• Carbon Disclosure Project's Investors, Assets and International Reach All on the Rise
  
  Carbon Disclosure Project Gains Momentum
  With $57 trillion in assets under management and more than 385 institutional investors — Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Allianz and HSBC among them — the forces behind the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) are now setting their sights on some of the world's largest companies.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  

In Retrospect

• Communication ROI
  
  Best Practices Revealed
  Secrets of Top Performers: How Companies With Highly Effective Employee Communication Differentiate Themselves, an international 2007/2008 study by Watson Wyatt, examines six years' worth of communication trends — good and bad — and offers universal best practices.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  
• Step Up Your Game
  
  Logistics and Transportation Issues? Map Out a Game Plan
  Rising freight and energy costs, labor issues and evolving customer requirements are some of the biggest challenges facing supply management professionals today, according to a report produced by Capgemini in conjunction with notable logistics professors.
  RaeAnn Slaybaugh
  
  
• The New Negotiators
  
  Mastering the 5 Levels of Skill Required Today
  In the supply management profession, negotiating what you want is the floor on the way to more demanding capabilities. It is just one of five levels of negotiations required of us if we are to be effective in our roles in this day and age.
  Joseph L. Cavinato, Ph.D., C.P.M.
  
  
• Sarbanes-Oxley: What's Supply Chain Got to Do With It?
  
  Preparing for a Sarbanes-Oxley Audit
  Since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was enacted, senior executives have been forced to more closely monitor any processes that could cause financial statements to be materially misstated. Additionally, fraud experts estimate more than 70 percent of fraudulent occurrences happen in the expenditure cycle.
  Sean Hawkins
  
  
• Making the Case — or Not — for an e-RA
  
  Is an e-RA Really the Way to Go?
  Before your next electronic reverse auction, or e-RA, ask yourself five key questions to determine if it really is the best possible sourcing option for your organization.
  Lee S. Crane
  
  
• Become the Best, Earn More Than the Rest
  
  Making the Case for Professional Certification
  If you had to find a new employer, could you compete — even in a new industry? If your current responsibilities were expanded, would you be knowledgeable in all the components of supply management? Does your boss consider you promotable? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, it might be time to consider pursuing a professional supply management certification.
  Dina Giovale
  
  

Research & Surveys

• Doing Business in Asia
  
  Spotlight on Korea
  This month, we cover meeting etiquette, proper business attire, language preferences and a variety of other helpful hints to take with you when you go.
  James E. Martin and Teuta Dedvukaj
  
  

Around the World

• Negotiation: A Skills Assessment Survey
  
  Does the thought of your next negotiation make you cringe with anxiety, or do you stride to the table with utter confidence? Chances are — like most of your peers working their way up the supply management career ladder — your negotiating style lies somewhere in between.
  
  This month, we are asking you to rate your negotiation skills. Take Our Survey
  
  
  

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