Soft Skills, die jeder Berufsanfänger beherrschen sollte: Ein Blick aus der Unternehmensberatung

In today's business world, success is often measured by measurable competencies such as technical knowledge, professional qualifications, language skills and experience. But while these skills are undoubtedly important, it is often the soft skills that make all the difference. This is especially true for those just starting out in their careers. As a consultant at COMPLION, I have learned how crucial it is to have a range of soft skills to succeed in the dynamic and demanding world of consulting.

Perceptiveness and mental flexibility are crucial in order to grasp complex problems quickly and develop creative approaches to solutions. Self-management, coupled with discipline and reliability, makes it possible to organize work processes efficiently and meet deadlines. Stress resistance is essential to keep a clear head even in challenging situations, while decision-making skills ensure that sound decisions are made even under pressure.

Emotional intelligence and empathy are crucial to recognizing and effectively responding to customer needs. Teamwork skills enable you to work seamlessly in multidisciplinary teams and exploit synergies. Strong communication skills are essential to convey complex ideas clearly and create an effective working environment.

Curiosity and passion drive you to constantly search for innovative solutions and push the boundaries of what is possible. Self-confidence and assertiveness are important in order to present yourself convincingly and successfully defend your own ideas. The ability to take criticism makes it possible to accept constructive feedback and to continuously learn and grow.

Now that we have a comprehensive overview of the methodological, social and personal skills of a successful consultant, I would like to focus on four soft skills that I consider to be particularly important. These soft skills are essential for aspiring consultants, as they not only influence the quality of the work, but also contribute significantly to how well you can hold your own in the dynamic environment of management consulting. Communication skills, time management, composure and leadership qualities are the cornerstones of a successful consulting career and deserve special attention. Let's now take a closer look at each of these soft skills and understand why they are crucial to your success as a consultant.

Communicating effectively in counseling requires more than just basic interpersonal skills. It is crucial to develop specific communication skills that are relevant in this context. Clients or supervisors are usually very busy professionals who do not have time to listen to long stories. For this reason, it is often advisable to start directly with the conclusion and then elaborate on the key findings. This saves time and makes it easier to get the key messages across. In addition, a good consultant needs to understand their audience. Clients are often not familiar with the technical terms or methods used. It is therefore important to convey complex information in a way that is understandable to the audience. In addition, listening is a key skill in consulting. Although consultants are usually paid for their advice and recommendations, listening is just as important. By listening attentively, advisors can ask clarifying questions of their clients to better understand their goals. This skill makes it possible to offer customized solutions and ensure effective communication.

Efficient time management is crucial for consultants, as it not only enables them to complete projects on time, but also to achieve a better work-life balance. One example is the Eisenhower Matrix. This matrix divides tasks into four quadrants: 1) To do: These are all those tasks that are important and urgent, 2) To Plan: All tasks that are important but not urgent, 3) To Delegate: Urgent but less important tasks and 4) To Delete: All tasks that are neither urgent nor important. With this method, tasks are categorized according to their urgency and importance, enabling clear prioritization. The Eisenhower method is easy to apply and suitable for everyone, from students to management consultants.

As a management consultant, it is important to remain calm and professional even in unforeseen situations. In reality, not every project goes as planned and disagreements with colleagues, superiors or clients can arise. It is crucial to be prepared for such challenges and to react appropriately. Some possible problems during a consulting assignment are dissatisfied clients, missed deadlines or expansion of the project scope. When clients are unhappy, empathy and communication are needed to improve the situation. Unfortunately, missed deadlines also occur in practice. How you deal with such situations will determine your future success as a consultant. For example, you can use the Eisenhower matrix outlined above as a time management strategy. Finally, if the scope of the project is extended, it is important to remain calm and make the client aware of the agreed services and possible additional costs and timeframes. Overall, staying calm and acting professionally is crucial to being successful in the consulting industry, especially when unforeseen issues arise.

A successful consultant is characterized above all by their leadership skills. This line of work requires you to take the initiative from time to time and implement various small and large measures with clients. To understand what leadership in consulting actually means, let's take a look at an example: Barbara Minto noticed that consultants often write things down lightly without thinking about them in advance. Minto then developed the MECE principle. MECE stands for "Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive" and enables consultants to structure complex problems in such a way that the various segments do not overlap and the list of segments is complete, i.e. includes all possible segments. The MECE principle is now standard in many consulting firms and has significantly structured the work of consultants.

Overall, soft skills are an indispensable component for the success of young professionals. They are not only equally, but often even more important than hard skills. While specialized knowledge and technical skills are undoubtedly necessary to accomplish certain tasks, it is ultimately the soft skills that make the difference.

Therefore, young professionals should continuously develop and improve their soft skills by actively engaging in different situations, accepting feedback and self-reflection. This process of personal and professional development is crucial in order to be successful in the long term and to assert oneself in an increasingly networked and globalized working world.

Author: Henri Fild