The Importance of Soft Skills | Insight

What can you expect to learn from this article?

1

The Secret Code states six soft competencies that are a crucial factor in determining how successful the consultant is when working with and for clients.
2

The six competencies list insight into own strengths and weaknesses, high performance under pressure, holistic project understanding, diplomatic authority, social capacity, and empathy.
3

Despite the increasing use of AI in our hiring process, this framework is the backbone of how we assess our consultants’ soft skills as people, not systems.

For decades, 7N has supplied consultants to large businesses who habitually use external consultants and have experienced both good and bad ones.

So, what is it that makes the really successful consultant stand out? Why does the client praise one consultant's performance, while another might just be adequate - even if they on paper seem to have the same qualifications?

At 7N, we continually strive to improve our understanding of what it takes for consultants to be among the top 3% in their respective fields. This is where The Secret Code plays a key role.

The Secret Code is no more secret than we happily share it with clients, consultants and others who might be interested. We are convinced that it will benefit everybody to know what it takes to match customers with critical IT needs with exceptionally skilled IT consultants. We call this The People Factor.

The six competencies, and the skills they demand, are listed below.

The six competencies of The Secret Code

Insight into own strengths and weaknesses

“Knowing what you do not know is a kind of omniscience.” The words of the Danish inventor and poet Piet Hein could well serve as the motto for those competent consultants who recognize the limitations of their own abilities. They strive for excellence within their field, but never hesitate to ask others for help to achieve the best solution to a given project.

High performance under pressure

Most complex development projects go through critical phases and periods of extreme time pressure. Very often, it is the handling of such phases that determines the success or failure of the project in question. It is here that the consultant’s capacity to keep their cool makes all the difference.

Holistic project understanding

The consultant understands all the important aspects of a given project – also the non-technical ones. A distinguishing feature of a really successful consultant is their ability to understand all dimensions of a complex development project, from the purely professional problems, through the commercial advantages, to human relations within the client’s organization.

Diplomatic Authority

The consultant uses their professional overview in a considerate manner. Professional skills of superior quality can be a dangerous weapon in the wrong hands. A brilliant consultant can kill the motivation of a team if they ruthlessly hammers through their own – correct – solutions. On the other hand, a consultant cannot make do with diplomacy and a what-do-you-think approach. Successful consultants master this balance between diplomacy and authority.

Social capacity

The consultant is sociable, accommodating and helpful. Not everyone has the natural ability to fit in comfortably among a lot of new people in an unfamiliar organization. It is, however, an important competence for those seeking to create a smooth working relationship on a difficult project. It demands more than simple politeness and professional interest in other people.

Empathy

The consultant reads other people - and uses this in a positive way. The consultant has a particularly fine-tuned empathy, a kind of social sensor, that lets them accurately register and interpret other people’s signals and act accordingly.

In a world where AI is increasingly prevalent, and used in recruitment processes, the framework of "The Secret Code" stands as a testament to the enduring value of human expertise and interpersonal skills. At 7N, consultants embody the six soft competencies outlined in the code, allowing them to forge meaningful connections, navigate complex projects, and deliver outstanding results.

We are committed to a human-centric approach. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to create the perfect match between consultants and clients

Kim Rohde,

Vice President of Consultant Relations at 7N

This emphasis on “The People Factor” ensures that clients benefit from the unique blend of knowledge, adaptability, and personal touch that only skilled consultants can provide. In a digital age, it is the human touch that remains indispensable in achieving true success.