7 Ways to Develop Competencies in Logistics (Because Old Standards No Longer Cut It)

In this episode of Rozmowy Logistyków, Piotr Skobało and Adam Sobolewski discuss developing competencies in logistics. They share what has worked in their own careers, covering both hard and soft skills.

1. MENTORING AND COACHING — A DISTINCTION THAT MATTERS

Mentoring means drawing on the experience of someone who has already walked a similar path and advises specific solutions; coaching is working with someone who doesn't advise, but helps you reach your own conclusions independently. It's worth seeking out both, not only inside your own organization (cross-functional mentoring, e.g. understanding the sales department's needs), but also outside it — from industry experts or opinion leaders. A coach doesn't necessarily need to know logistics — the value comes from an outside perspective on the "bubble" we operate in day to day.

2. FORMAL TRAINING AND CERTIFICATIONS

Among globally recognized certifications: CSCP (Certified Supply Chain Professional) and CLTD (Certified Logistics, Transportation and Distribution) from APICS/ASCM, competing CSCMP programs, as well as the MIT SCM MicroMasters or the WHU Academy, growing in Europe. A separate category is Lean Six Sigma — not so much industry knowledge as a way of thinking based on the DMAIC cycle (Define-Measure-Analyze-Improve-Control): first precisely define the goal, then measure, only then introduce corrective actions and verify their effectiveness using the same measurement system. The key rule for choosing a certification: don't just grab the first one, deliberately match it to a specific goal — sometimes that goal is simply a globally recognized proof of competence when changing country or industry.

3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COLLABORATION

Logistics sits at the intersection of nearly every other function in a company, and operational success depends heavily on the quality of that communication — poor collaboration with marketing or sales ends with a logistics center built too late, or warehouse space that was never contracted. Proactively and honestly flagging risk ("I'm not sure we're ready for next week, because I heard about a new promotion") prevents crises more effectively than the best SOP or IBP systems on their own — even a perfect process can easily be derailed by what happens between the words.

4. TRACKING INDUSTRY TRENDS AND NETWORKING

Knowledge of new technologies and trends is a direct gateway to operational efficiency — sources include industry associations, podcasts, and conferences, but above all, conversations with other practitioners: many solutions are easier to learn by visiting a colleague at another logistics center and asking how they handled a specific challenge than by reading about it in a book. A manager who doesn't have time to attend conferences themselves should deliberately give that window to members of their team — it's an investment in the knowledge of the whole organization, not just one person.

5. TOOLS AND AUTOMATION AS PART OF THE TOOLKIT

Beyond basic proficiency in office software and industry tools, the role of AI-based tools is growing fast enough that the world will split into those who function in an AI-supported environment, and everyone else. Even seemingly small things — well-organized bookmarks, keyboard shortcuts, settings that speed up daily work — have a real impact on effectiveness, much like standardizing a workstation under the 5S methodology.

6. A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

A term borrowed from quality management methodology, but with personal application: consciously striving to be "1% better than yesterday" and building your own development path, instead of waiting for an annual performance review or a job change once every few years as the only trigger for reflecting on your competencies. No one will map out that path for you — external sources of knowledge can support it, but responsibility for the pace of development stays with the manager.

7. CONNECTING BUSINESS WITH EDUCATION

Collaboration with universities (MBA programs, joint industry-academic conferences) is becoming increasingly popular in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe, not just in the West — Polish universities today offer increasingly practical, less theoretical programs for exchanging experience between business and academia, an additional, often overlooked source of competence development for both a manager and their team.