IT Consulting: What’s All the Fuss about ‘Soft Skills’

Roaming through a series of management books and business coaching sessions, one can easily feel overwhelmed by the constant reappearance of certain buzzwords.

‘Resilience’, ‘agility’ and ‘holistic thinking’ are all features of effective business management that have gained widespread consensus approval, but the meaning behind these catchphrases often becomes blurred by the hype. I believe this is especially the case with ‘soft skills’, a term which is often mocked as an empty excuse for applying to undersubscribed university courses. Nevertheless, a case study of the IT consulting segment can readily showcase the real-life application of soft skills.

Digitalisation is beyond doubt one of the most impactful business trends of the past 30 years, which has never faltered in momentum. During this period, the digitalization process has ripened to a mature stage, represented by its latest wave. At this point, nearly all companies in whatever sector have incorporated digital solutions into their business models and everyday operations. What distinguishes the most up-to-date corporations is their outsourcing of many of these functions to cloud computing providers.

The rise of cloud digital services is a textbook example of the economic phenomenon of specialisation. When a technology or a production method becomes widespread enough, instead of each business catering for it on their own, specialist firms generally spring up which can provide these services more effectively utilising economies of scale. For example, corporations in the logistics and transportation sector have become more or less completely reliant on software to administer their activities, and these digital platforms are often provided by specialist firms like Oracle or SAP.  With the progression of time, we observe a greater degree of specialisation as global interconnectedness makes it increasingly possible to rely on others for some of our most basic needs.

Amidst these changes, the consultant’s job is also transforming. As companies outsource their digital capacities to cloud computing providers, a widening communication gap is emerging. While specialisation ensures the greatest economic efficiency, it cultivates isolation between different professional groups. In this environment, the role of consultants is evolving to encompass the function of mediation between different professional knowledge hubs. In the logistics and transportation sector, for example, even the slightest disruption in the cooperation between client and cloud service provider can have disastrous consequences. The IT consultant can therefore serve to prevent and alleviate meltdowns by facilitating smooth communication, which is particularly important in a context where both parties lack the necessary background to understand their partner. And this is where soft skills come into the picture.

An ideal IT consultant not only has the specialist knowledge to comprehend the problem at hand, but also knows how to simplify and convey that message to the client, who can then make informed decisions based on that. In order to play this mediatory role most effectively, consulting firms need to have extensive business networks, which allow them to connect clients with a selection of providers. In essence, consulting firms might morph into platforms that connect and facilitate communication between specialist firms and clients in a wide range of sectors. Keeping such a system running would require much more than mere professional knowledge.  IT consultants will need:

• Social skills to connect people and help them cooperate
• Communication skills to effectively filter, simplify, and synthesise information
• Strategic thinking to recognise which partnerships will be resilient and profitable

In conclusion, while specialisation allows many firms to focus more narrowly on their niche product or service, it also opens up an opportunity for consultants to do the opposite, acting as a channel for connecting and smoothing the collaboration between different professional groups. In order to do this successfully, soft skills are a must.

Bence Borbély is a Hungarian first-year History and Politics student at the University of Cambridge whose professional fields of interest are management consultancy, public policy-making, politics and international relations.

Image: Pexels

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