Dear Female Consultants,
I’m curious about situations where you had to work with particularly challenging teams or clients. How did you navigate conflicts or pushbacks?
Additionally, does your employer provide any kind of mentoring, supervision, or support system where you can reflect on such situations and get guidance?
Thank you so much for your insights you are providing here.
Hi Sandra,
thank you for this thoughtful question! :)
Challenging situations, whether with clients or within teams, are definitely part of consulting. What has helped me most is staying calm, focusing on the facts, and trying to understand the other perspective first. Often, pushback comes from different expectations, time pressure, or unclear communication. Taking a step back, clarifying objectives, and aligning on priorities can already resolve a lot.
When conflicts do arise, I find it helpful to involve the project lead early, rather than trying to solve everything alone. Transparent communication within the team is key.
In terms of support: at Inverto, there are several structures in place. Every consultant has a dedicated career advisor who you can openly approach when facing challenges. They provide guidance, share experiences, and help you reflect on difficult situations.
Additionally, we have mentoring programs and access to internal and external coaches, including mental health support. Well-being is taken seriously, and it’s absolutely encouraged to make use of these resources.
On top of that, every new employee is assigned a buddy (usually a more experienced peer) who you can approach with any questions, both professional and personal. Having someone “at eye level” makes a big difference, especially in the beginning.
Overall, you’re not expected to navigate difficult situations alone. There are formal and informal support systems in place, and using them is seen as a strength, not a weakness.
Hope this helps! :)
Dear Sandra,
Thank you for the question!
I believe communication is key when it comes to resolving conflicts or challenging situations, whether they arise within the team or with the clients. The core principle is the same, but I do adjust my communication approach depending on who I am speaking with.
If the conflict is within the project team, I usually start with 1:1 conversation. I try not to address the issue when emotions are still running high, as that often makes it harder to have a constructive discussion. Once things have settled a bit, I explain how I understood the situation, share how it affected me, and ask if my understanding is accurate. Most of the time, the other person will then share their perspective and simply talking it through helps clear up the conflicts or misunderstandings. I also find it helpful to address the issue relatively close to when it happened rather than letting it sit for too long. When the situation is still fresh, it's easier for both sides to recall what happened and identify the root cause. If the issue persists, I would involve a third party, typically the assignment manager, to help facilitate the discussion and resolve the tension.
Dealing with challenging client situations can be more complex. In those cases, communication is still important, but active listening and empathy becomes more critical. Taking the time to understand where the client is coming from and demonstrating a genuine willingness to help usually goes a long way. It's also important not to handle difficult situations alone. I would typically flag concerns to my assignment manager or project partner early (depending on the situation). That way they are aware of the context and can step in quickly if additional support is needed.
In terms of support structures, everyone in DHL Consulting has a PD (Professional Development advisor), typically one of the partners in the firm, with whom we can openly discuss challenges. The company also offers coaching if they believe it would be beneficial for you to work with a coach to develop strategies to deal with conflicts.
On and all, you are never expected to navigate difficult situations entirely on your own. There is a strong support system in place to help you through them!
I hope this helps! :)
