LIKE MOST IN OUR PROFESSION, I COULD PROBABLY WRITE A BOOK ON THE BIDDING PITFALLS I HAVE EXPERIENCED AND STILL ENCOUNTER. THIS ISSUE OF BIDDING QUARTERLY ILLUSTRATES NUMEROUS CATCH-22S, PARADOXES, CONTRADICTIONS, IRONIES, ABSURDITIES, BENT RULES AND CONFLICTING INSTRUCTIONS AS WELL AS THE GENERAL AMBIGUITY AROUND SUBMITTING COMPLIANT BIDS. THIS TANGLE OF TRAPS AND TENSIONS IS SLOWLY ERODING THE MOTIVATION AND MENTAL HEALTH OF A LARGE SWATHE OF OUR PROFESSION. THE REAL CHALLENGE IS HOW WE ALTER THE MINDSETS OF THOSE WITH THE POWER TO CHANGE THEM.
A considerable number of us are now openly sharing our frustration; we are noticeably tetchy, we goad others and some of us are even openly insulting those with whom we need to forge strong and lasting relationships (think sales teams, procurement specialists, etc). Even if these frustrations are expressed with a ‘tongue in cheek’ approach, each has a serious underlying message. Observing these behaviours (and counting myself among the frustrated) led me to the theme for BQ22.
There are aspects of our profession which are swerving away from common sense and veering straight into the nonsensical. All we want is to deliver exceptional customer value in a practical way. And while it’s always good to get something off your chest, it is sometimes difficult not to go ‘all in’ with your despair and frustrations once the ‘red mist’ descends. Cancel culture has taught us that sympathy rarely comes from our intended audience (those with the power to effect change) but more often from those with shared predicaments. Sadly, this provides only short-term comfort while doing little to change the long-term narrative or the culture overall.
I often share my frustrations about the lack of investment in our profession by APMP. I’m clearly not alone in thinking this, with 70% of our recent UK salary survey respondents stating they are seeking a better funded professional body.
APMP UK recently posted an advert for a part-time role with a grand title that would look great on a CV – but most of us know all APMP UK roles are filled by volunteers. All this role required was ‘8-12 hours per week’ of the candidate’s time. Against a 40-hour work week, that’s 20% – 30% of their time. For free.
For nearly 20 years we have been publishing statistics about the excessive number of additional unpaid hours that most of those in our profession work each week, and how this contributes to high levels of employee turnover.
Alongside this, there are endless articles about mental health and burnout in our profession – many of them originating from APMP. And now let’s contrast this with the millions of pounds APMP has in the bank.
Common sense should dictate some of those millions are used to properly resource important, full-time APMP roles currently filled by volunteers. Instead, APMP is exacerbating the burnout – setting people up for potential failure while taking advantage of their goodwill.
Perpetually, a lack of progress within APMP UK has been excused with “You know we’re all volunteers.” The revolving door of short-term volunteer C-level appointments is doing little to truly propel our profession forward. Quite simply, we must invest in ourselves to break down the barriers preventing progress. It is the only way to gain the traction and recognition our profession deserves.
Catch-22 and the Bidding Paradox has 28 amazing expert contributions and is full of fantastic advice and suggestions for navigating the complexities and challenges of winning work.
Martin Smith
