Throughout his 30-year career, Critical Input Senior Consultant and WA Business Manager Henk de Vos has worked for some of Australia’s leading companies in both domestic and global supply chain roles. Equipped with an MBA, Henk has successfully designed and delivered strategic transformational projects across multiple business sectors including: resources, engineering, construction, aviation, utilities, light and heavy manufacturing and defence and financial services. His work has seen him achieve a dynamic balance between sustainable cost-savings and process improvements across supply chain and broader business functions.

What led you into this type of work? I enjoy the challenge of improving the company’s bottom line by continually challenging processes, systems and cost controls.

 What do you bring to Critical Input that is unique and beneficial to clients? I’d say hands-on experience in designing and delivering optimising projects across a raft of industry sectors including resources, engineering, financial services, manufacturing, defence and aviation.

 Do you have a particular career highlight? I successfully established a Group Supply Chain function for two leading Australian companies that operated independent business units. Through consolidated procurement, both companies were able to realise economies of scale to reduce purchasing costs. 

 Is there a particular type of work that you enjoy the most? I gain immense satisfaction assisting companies to develop and implement business strategies for required projects and programs of works.

 What are some of the most common mistakes you see clients make when it comes to people and processes? I’ve seen clients rely on their own team to manage both the project and their day-to-day duties. This ultimately leads to the sacrifice of the success of one or both outcomes.

 How do you know when you’ve done a good job or when a project has been a success? When the customer is happy and business impact is positive.

 If there was one thing you could change about the world, what would it be? Stop relying on past laurels, and instead maintain focus on driving continuous improvement. 

In Part 2 of this two-part series, Critical Input Senior Consultant Chris Bevin delves into the mentor-mentee relationship and how to form one, and why you should.

Chris has been a mentor through the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) for two years, and offers these top five tips for mentor-mentee relationships:

1.     Set goals. Have some plan on what you’re hoping to achieve through the mentoring program, and to get out of each mentoring session. It’s important to communicate a broad agenda or framework ahead of each appointment.

2.     Have clear rules and guidelines. Understand the time commitment, responsibility for setting up sessions, means of communication – are you meeting face-to-face (following social distancing guidelines)? Using Skype? Talking over the phone? Is the mentor is available for unscheduled sessions?

3.     Communication needs to be honest. Everybody communicates differently and has different expectations. These need to be agreed upon and understood at the outset to remove confusion. It’s critical that both mentee and mentor feel they can communicate openly and honestly.

4.     Mentoring relationships need to be confidential. It’s important for the mentee to feel secure knowing the mentor will maintain confidentiality (unless agreed otherwise).

5.     Be present. When you’re in a mentoring conversation, switch off phones and remove distractions. It’s tempting to multi-task especially during a Skype or phone meeting, but it’s important that both the mentor and mentee are committed to their time together. Come prepared and be truly present.

When seeking a mentor, Chris advises looking for someone with the skills, attributes or capabilities you’d like to build and emulate.

“A number of professional organisations, such as the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM), run structured out-of-house mentoring programs that can be invaluable in locating a mentor outside your immediate network,” Chris said.

“A good mentor is willing to provide guidance and support and alternative ways of looking at things, wherever the mentee is at within their own professional journey.”

The mentor doesn’t need to be all things to all people, but should possess capabilities that would benefit you as a mentee.

“That person needs to be willing to guide you and help you gain access to the resources, skills, and competence you’re looking for,” she said.

“Be honest and upfront about what you’re trying to achieve from the relationship, both for yourself and the person you’re approaching for mentoring.”

About Critical Input

Founded in 2005, Critical Input is a consultancy service offering process improvement and supply chain and project-management activities. It works in sectors from water and energy, to mining and heavy industry. At the centre of everything are three principals: Process, because without process, there is no destination; people, because without buy-in, there is no evolution; and principles – because integrity is everything.

Critical Input’s Managing Director Tim Griffiths has handpicked a team that can provide the right resources, the right skill set and the right mindset. Each one is senior in their experience, so they can hit the ground running on clients’ projects. Critical Input takes a simple approach to allow organisational enablers – both people and processes – to improve activities. We see that as critical – hence the business name.

“The name ‘Critical Input’ was inspired by the projects I was working on before forming the company. I’d name those projects ‘critical inputs’ to the business because I was managing, say, a mining activity’s major ‘critical inputs’ – power, water, fuel, tyres. So, the activities we look at around people and process and putting those together, within the supply chain and project management technical activities, form the critical inputs.” -Tim Griffiths